Too good to be true? Don’t you believe it

The Burpo family. (Jenny Marlowe Marvin of JM-Photoart.com)

“If it sounds too good to be true . . . it probably is!”

We’ve all heard those discouraging words of warning. And all too often our experiences teach us they are right on the money.

So when something comes along that really is true and really is good, we’re apt to say, “No thanks.”

In fact, that’s just what my son, Colton, and I ran into. Colton’s a young man of 15 now, but when he was just age 3, he saw something a lot of people thought was too good to be true.

He saw heaven.

He survived a life-threatening medical emergency and, once awake, knew things he just couldn’t know.

Was he making it up?

I like what he says about that: “Three-year-olds don’t lie. Sure you learn to lie later, but you really don’t lie at three. You just talk about what you see and do.”

What Colton saw and did came to life onscreen in the film "Heaven Is For Real," which touched a chord with so many people. Connor Corum played Colton, and Colton says he really caught what the experience was like.

To this day, Colton can describe it with uncompromising clarity: the colors of heaven, the fun of heaven and even the music of heaven. (And to all of you wondering about it . . . Colton says, “Yes, there are animals in heaven. But in heaven, they all get along. I got to play with lions in heaven.”)

Colton’s amazing memories only started there. As good and true as the sights and sounds were, even better is the hope of reuniting with those we’ve lost. I was especially touched by Colton’s recounting of meeting my grandfather, who died before Colton was born, and my daughter, who died in a miscarriage, also before Colton was born.

He said she just cannot wait to meet her parents. And I can’t tell you how often I have replayed in my mind the moment I give my daughter her first hug.

But perhaps Colton’s hardest question to answer about heaven provides the rest of us the most hope . . . and gives some of us the most challenge, hits us in that “too good to be true” place.

“Colton, how does heaven feel?”

“Heaven feels like home. In heaven you just feel God’s love all the time. And when you are with Jesus, you are never afraid.  You feel safe and never want to leave his side.”

Home. Safe. Loved.

The truly great news from Colton’s experience is if that sounds too good to be

true . . . it isn’t!

Colton Burpo’s story is told in the film "Heaven Is for Real", available on DVD today.