I just finished reading the most amazing book called, "90 Minutes in Heaven," written by Don Piper, a minister who died in a car wreck in 1989 and came back to life after 90 minutes and lived to tell about his experience in Heaven. I never thought much about Heaven until Abby died. It was always such a "future" event to me ... the place I want to go in the end ... but not something I wanted to think about now because I wanted to live my life first. That's weird considering that I am a Christian and believe that Heaven is a "better place" than here and that it is our ultimate destination, our "true" home. Yet even knowing that I'll go there "someday" and experience pure happiness, I never really thought much about what it will be like, I mean what it is REALLY like. Well, I'm wondering now! I wonder what she's experiencing and if she remembers me since we never really got to meet. I wonder if she'll still be a baby when I get there or if she will be her "grown up" self? I wonder if she is aware that she was here and is now there? The Bible says that we will recognize each other, but I wonder what she will look like and how I will know it is her. It also says that we will know fully as we are known, implying that all of our questions will be answered when we get there without even having to ask ... we will just know! Well, this guy actually WENT to Heaven and came back to answer some questions for us now. I started reading the book with a bit of skepticism, but when I finished it, I truly believe that this guy really did go to Heaven and that God sent him back to earth to encourage others that it is a REAL place and to let those who lost loved ones get a glimpse into what it is like there. I loved the book so much and found it so encouraging that I just had to share a few excerpts with you ...
When I died, I didn't flow through a long, dark tunnel. I had no sense of fading away or coming back. I never felt my body being transported into the light. I heard no voices calling to me or anything else. Simultaneous with my last recollection of seeing the bridge and the rain, a light enveloped me, with a brilliance beyond earthly comprehension or description. Only that. In my next moment of awareness, I was standing in Heaven. Joy pulsated through me as I looked around, and at that moment I became aware of a large crowd of people. They stood in front of a brilliant, ornate gate. I have no idea how far away they were; such things as distance didn't matter. As the crowd rushed towards me, I didn't see Jesus, but I did see people I had known. As they surged toward me, I knew instantly that all of them had died during my lifetime. Their presence seemed absolutely natural. They rushed toward me, and every person was smiling, shouting and praising God. Although no one said so, intuitively I knew they were my celestial welcoming committee. It was as if they had all gathered just outside Heaven's gate, waiting for me.
The first person that I recognized was Joe Kulbeth, my grandfather. He looked exactly as I remembered him, with his shock of white hair and what I called a big banana nose. He stopped momentarily and stood in front of me. A grin covered his face. I may have called his name, I'm not sure. "Donnie!" (that's what my grandfather always called me.) His eyes lit up, and he held out his arms as he took the last steps toward me. He embraced me, holding me tightly. He was once again the robust, strong grandfather I had remembered as a child. I'd been with him when he suffered a heart attack at home and had ridden with him in the ambulance. I had been standing just outside the emergency room at the hospital when the doctor walked out and faced me. He shook his head and said softly, "We did everything we could." My grandfather released me, and as I stared into his face, an ecstatic bliss overwhelmed me. I didn't think about his heart attack or his death, because I couldn't get past the joy of our reunion. How either of us reached Heaven seemed irrelevant.
I have no idea why my grandfather was the first person I saw. Perhaps it had something to do with my being there when he died. He wasn't one of the great spiritual guides of my life, although he certainly influenced me positively in that way. After being hugged by my grandfather, I don't remember who was second or third. The crowd surrounded me. Some hugged me and a few kissed my cheek, while others pumped my hand. Never had I felt more loved. More and more people reached for me and called me by name. I felt overwhelmed by the number of people who had come to welcome me to Heaven. There were so many of them, and I had never imagined anyone being as happy as they all were. Their faces radiated a serenity I had never seen on earth. All were full of life and expressed radiant joy. Time had no meaning. However, for clarity, I'll relate this experience in terms that refer to time.
I saw my great-grandfather, heard his voice, and felt his embrace as he told me how excited he was that I had come to join them. I saw Barry Wilson, who had been my classmate in high school but later drowned in a lake. Barry hugged me, and his smile radiated a happiness I didn't know was possible. He and everyone that followed praised God and told me how excited they were to see me and to welcome me to Heaven and to the fellowship they enjoyed. Just then, I spotted two teachers who had loved me and often talked to me about Jesus Christ. As I walked among them, I became aware of the wide variety of ages--old and young and every age in-between. Many of them hadn't known each other on earth, but each had influenced my life in some way. Even though they hadn't met on earth, they seemed to know each other now.
As I try to explain this, my words seem weak and hardly adequate, because I have to use earthly terms to refer to unimaginable joy, excitement, warmth, and total happiness. Everyone continually embraced me, touched me, spoke to me, laughed and praised God. This seemed to go on for a long time, but I didn't tire of it. Everything I experienced was like a first-class buffet for the senses. I had never felt such beauty. Heaven's light and texture defy earthly eyes or explanation. Warm, radiant light engulfed me. As I looked around, I could hardly grasp the vivid, dazzling colors. Every hue and tone surpassed anything I had ever seen. With all the heightened awareness of my senses, I felt as if I had never seen, heard, or felt anything so real before. I don't recall that I tasted anything, yet I knew that if I had, that too would have been more glorious than anything I had eaten or drunk on earth.
The best way I can explain it is that I felt like I was in a different dimension. Never, even in my happiest moments, had I ever felt so fully alive. I stood speechless in front of the crowd of loved ones, still trying to take in everything. Over and over I heard how overjoyed they were to see me and how excited they were to have me among them. I'm not sure if they actually said the words or not, but I knew they had been waiting and expecting me, yet I also knew that in Heaven there is no sense of time passing. I wasn't conscious of anything I'd left behind and felt no regrets about leaving family or posessions. It was as if God had removed anything negative or worrisome from my consciousness and I could only rejoice at being together with these wonderful people. They looked exactly as I once knew them--although they were more radiant and joyful than they'd ever been on earth.
Age expresses time passing, and there is no time there. All of the people I encountered were the same age they had been the last time I had seen them--except that all of the ravages of living on earth had vanished. Even though some of their features may not have been considered attractive on earth, in Heaven every feature was perfect, beautiful, and wonderful to gaze at. Even now, years later, I can sometimes close my eyes and see those perfect countenances and smiles that surprised me with the most human warmth and friendliness I've ever witnessed. Just being with them was a holy moment and remains a treasured hope.
