Heaven is for real..

Today, my mom is going to Skyline Church to see the author of "Heaven is for Real" speak. One day while we were driving home, I saw the billboard and immediately called to tell my mom. She was really excited about it and even remembered the date. So today is the day she will get her copies of the book signed.

When I realized how sick Eddie was and that I wanted to get a book that I could read to him while visiting, the only place I could think to go to was Berean bookstore.  I spent some time looking through the selection, which was very thin, and then I realized that there was not anything that I felt comfortable reading to Eddie. On my way out of the store, I recognized a family friend that I had not seen in years. She and her daughter just happened to be in the store at the same time I was going to leave feeling defeated.

We chatted for a bit and I filled her in on the situation with Eddie. She had not even heard that he was sick. I told her that I wanted to get a book to read together with Eddie, but I could not find anything. There were four books on death and they were not at all appropriate for Eddie's reality. She suggested "Heaven is for Real" and told me that she just finished reading it and it was amazing.  She walked me over to the shelf and suggested that I get the version for kids because it would be easier to get through.

I brought the book home and read it to kids. The told me that they thought Eddie would really like to hear the book and asked when we would go over to read it to him. The next time we went over to visit Eddie, both of my kids sat down and listened to the story as I read it.  After I finished reading, my mom came in and showed me the book that his nurse had left for them.  It was the same book, but in paperback, and there was no way I could have sat there long enough to get through that version.

I don't know if Eddie even liked the book, because he never wanted to hurt anybody's feelings, but he listened with a smile. Even if there was something that bothered him, he never said anything to complain about it. I think he enjoyed the time we spent together.I could have been reading food labels to him and he would have been happy for the company. The book put me at peace and comforted my kids because they knew when Eddie did leave, he would be in a better place. He would be taken care of.

I am really glad that I went to that store at that time and that I hesitated before leaving because if I had left a minute earlier, I would not have bumped into her that day.  The book I purchased was nowhere near the other books I had seen and there is no way I would have even found it without her help.  Eddie knows for sure that heaven is for real, and I hope someday that I will too.