Review of the book “Getting to “heaven”

We heard about Pastor Don Piper’s experience in his book “90 Minutes in Heaven” and the movie that portrays it. We love a good story, but we carry on with our busy lives.

Nobody likes to think about death and we certainly don’t plan for it. We want to hold on to what we are familiar with. People who can afford it buy their plots in advance and I suspect those who are older are beginning to think about it as people they once knew begin to pass away.

In “Getting to Heaven”, the preparation for heaven is illustrated as starting instructions. If we begin to live in anticipation of seeing Jesus, our actions can make a difference to those around us.

I remember one day several years ago when I had a brilliant thought. My husband and I lived in Austin, Texas. He was not there and I was in the patio of our apartment. I saw the most beautiful blue sky with bright, puffy white clouds. He reminded me of the song, “Days of Elijah.” I got excited and thought, “Lord, is today the day of your return? I’m ready. Let’s go.”

I imagined him riding on the clouds and jumping to join him. It was good to know that she was safe and excited, not afraid. I hope so when my time comes.

This book is set up as a study guide. It reads slower than a story, but it goes deeper. There are 29 chapters. You can read it over the course of a month in a group. It refers to four chapters of the book of John.

I bought my copy at a local dollar store. It was next to a horrible fiction book about murder. I’m not even going to go into details, but I did read the description of the jacket. The stores don’t control what stock goes in, but it sure made a big impression. One book about living a purposeful life and another about destruction. I choose life with purpose.

Currently, I attend a church with all the seniors. Although it would be nice to see the children there, I do not take the life experiences of the congregation for granted and will try to ask them about their lives. Maybe we can learn from each other. I hope to still be there at that age and be a blessing to others. Above all, I want to point others to Heaven.