By Jody Matheson
I’ve never been good with funerals. I recognize that there is a loss of someone special, but when I think of where our loved ones in the Lord go, how can I truly be sad for the loss? I once told my Grandfather that it was selfish of me to want him to suffer each day in his old age so that I could visit once a week for an hour or so. I know that he is suffering no more. I truly think Heaven is a place we can look forward to living out our eternity.
Tell Me About Heaven is a great book, based on Scripture, aimed at answering the very questions that many children, and certainly some adults, ask around the loss of a loved one. Set in the countryside of Oregon, the story is about Jake, a ten-year-old boy visiting his Grandfather for two weeks during the summer after his Grandmother died.
The awkwardness of going to a familiar place where such a significant change has occurred is brought out very well in the prose of author Randy Alcorn. In fact, Mr. Alcorn has a great ability to putting the very difficult and often complex ideas of Heaven, including the New Heavens and the New Earth, into very understandable terms.
I shared this book with my own children. When sharing a book like this, the accuracy of the subject matter is most important to me. When Jake asks Papa to tell him about Heaven, Papa replies, Theres only one reliable place to learn about it: Gods Book. I was most impressed in Mr. Alcorns ability to keep this storybook grounded in Scripture.
In his own note to the reader at the end of this heart-warming and gospel-filled book, Mr. Alcorn writes, The best thing we can pass on to our children and grandchildren isnt a big inheritance, but a godly heritage. A huge part of that heritage is helping them love Jesus and live in light of their glorious future with Him and His people.
Each chapter is introduced with a verse of Scripture and a wonderful illustration by Ron DiCianni. The book also contains a clear message of Gods offer of salvation, with a Certificate of Commitment that can be used as a keepsake of the most important decision one may ever make in their lifetime.
Designed to encourage families to talk about Heaven, I have received great feedback from those Ive shared this story with. The most powerful point I took away from this book is how deep this subject matter is. The layers that are rolled out chapter-after-chapter gave me a fuller, more precious picture of the eternal future I hold dear to my heart. Having that understanding should help me hold fast to God, help me to desire Him and help me to stay away from sin.
This book is a beautiful addition to any library, and would make a wonderful gift to a child or family that wants to learn more about Heaven.
About the author: Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM), a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching biblical truth and drawing attention to the needy and how to help them. EPM exists to meet the needs of the unreached, unfed, unborn, uneducated, unreconciled and unsupported people around the world. Mr. Alcorn is the author of 28 books, including fiction, non-fiction, and childrens literature.
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Jody is excited to see his Grandfather again one day in Heaven. A father of two from Canada, Jody works as a producer and on-air video host for a local newspaper website.