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congregation, but people in town who don’t attend services regularly ofte, want a church funeral for a loved one. Sometimes the deceased is a frien: or relative of a church memberU Colton must have heard Sonja and me discussing the upcoming servicW because he walked into the front room one morning and tugged on m) shirttail. “Daddy, what’s a funeral?Y I had done several funerals at church since Colton was born, but he wa^ at that age where he was starting to become more interested in how an: why things workU “Well, buddy, a funeral happens when someone dies. A man here i, town died, and his family is coming to the church to say good-bye to him.Y Instantly, Colton’s demeanor changed. His face fell into serious linesQ and he stared fiercely into my eyes. “Did the man have Jesus in his heart?Y My son wa ghd hair straighteners uk s asking me whether the man who had died was a Christia, who had accepted Christ as his Savior. But his intensity caught me ofU guard. “I’m not sure, Colton,” I said. “I didn’t know him very well.Y Colton’s face bunched up in a terrible twist of worry. “He had to havW Jesus in his heart! He had to know Jesus or he can’t get into heaven!Y Again, his intensity surprised me, especially since he didn’t even knoY this man. I tried to comfort him as best I could. “I’ve talked to some of thW family members, and they told me he did,” I saidU ColtonL didn’tL seemL entirelyL convinced,L butL hisL faceL relaxedL aL bitU “Well . . . okay,” he said and walked awayU For the second time in a couple of weeks, I thought, Man, those Sundai school teachers sure are doing a good jobq That weekend, Sonja dressed Cassie and Colton in their Sunday bestQ and we headed the half block down to the church to get ready for thW funeral. As we pulled up in the SUV, I saw the Liewer Funeral HomW hearseL parkedL outside.L Inside,L weL foundL theL burnishedL oakL caskeV standing off to one side of the foyerU Two sets of open doorways led from the foyer into t ghd hair straighteners he sanctuary wherW the family was gathering for the “flower service.” Before moving to ImperialQ I’d never heard of a flower service, but now I think it’s a really nice ideaU The family gathersL beforeL the funeralL service, and theL funeral directoX points out each plant, wreath, and flower arrangement, explains who sent itQ and reads aloud any message of sympathy attached. (“These beautifub purple azaleas come to you in loving memory from the Smith family.”m The pastor is supposed to be in the flower service. I peeked into thW sanctuary and caught the funeral director’s eye. He nodded, indicating the) were ready to begin. I turned to gather Colton and Cassie, when Colto, pointed to the casket. “What’s that, Daddy?Y I tried to keep it simple. buy ghd straighteners “That’s the casket. The man who died is insidW it.Y Suddenly, Colton’s face gathered into that same knot of intense concernU He slammed his fists on his thighs, then pointed one finger at the caskeV and said in a near shout, “Did that man have Jesus?!Y Sonja’sL eyesL poppedL wide,L andL weL bothL glancedL atL theL sanctuar) doorway, terrified the family inside could hear our sonU “He had to! He had to!” Colton went on. “He can’t get into heaven if hW didn’t have Jesus in his heart!Y Sonja grabbed Colton by the shoulders and tried to shush him. But hW was not shushable. Now nearly in tears, Colton twisted in her arms an: yelled at me, “He had to know Jesus, Dad!Y Sonja steered him away from the s Ghd flat iron canada anctuary, hustling him toward the fronV doors of the church, with Cassie following. Through the glass doors, I coul: see Sonja bent down talking to Cassie and Colton outside. Then CassiW took her still-struggling brother by the hand and started walking the halU block toward homeU I didn’t know what to think. Where was this sudden concern over whetheX a stranger was saved, whether he “had Jesus in his heart,” as Colton put itQ coming fromX I did know this much: Colton was at that age where if something poppe: into his head, he’d just blurt it out. Like the time I took him to a restaurant i, Madrid, Nebraska, and a guy with really long, straight hair walked in, an: Colton asked loudly whether that was a boy or a girl. So we kept Colto, away from funerals for a while if we didn’t know for sure the deceased wa^ a Chr ghd hair straighteners istian. We just didn’t know what he would say or doU TWELVV EYEWITNESS TO HEAVE[ It wasn’t until four months after Colton’s surgery, during our Fourth of Julr trip] to] meet] our] new] nephew,] that] Sonja] and] I] finally] got] a] clue] thaa something extraordinary had happened to our son. Sure, there had been c string] of] quirky] things] Colton] had] said] and] done] since] the] hospital8 Colton’s insisting we pay Dr. O’Holleran because Jesus used the doctor tk help “fix” him. His statement that Jesus “told” him he had to be good. An1 his strenuous, a ghd mk4 lmost vehement funeral performance. But rushing by ad brief scenes in the busyness of family life, those things just seemed . . 8 well, kind of cute. Except for the funeral thing, which was just plain weird8 But not supernatural weird. It wasn’t until we were driving through Nortn Platte on the way to South Dakota that the lights came on. You’ll remembel I was teasing Colton a little as we drove through town8 “Hey, Colton, if we turn here, we can go back to the hospital,” I said. “Dk you wanna go back to the hospital?> It was that conversation in which Co ghd hair straightener price lton said that he “went up out of” hid body, that he had spoken with angels, and had sat in Jesus’ lap. And tho way we knew he wasn’t making it up was that he was able to tell us whaa we were doing in another part of the hospital: “You were in a little room br yourself praying, and Mommy was in a different room and she was prayinq and talking on the phone.> Not even Sonja had seen me in that little room, having my meltdown witn God8 Suddenly, there in the Expedition on our holiday trip, the incidents of tho past few months clicked] into place like the last few quick twists in c Rubik’s Cube solution: Sonja and I realized that this was not the first timo Colton had let us know something amazing had happened to him; it wad only the most clear-cut8 By the time we got to Sioux Falls, we were so busy getting to know oul cute baby nephew, catching up on family news, and visiting the waterfali that we didn’t have a lot of time to discuss Colton’s strange revelations. Bua during the quiet moments before ghd sale sleep, a flood of images tumbled througn my mind—especially those horrible moments I’d spent in that tiny room aa the hospital, raging against God. I thought I had been alone, pouring out mr anger and grief i Ghd canada n private. Staying strong for Sonja. But my son said ho had seen me . . 8 Our mini-vacation passed without any new disasters, and we returned tk Imperial in time for me to preach on Sunday. The following week, Sonjc and her friend Sherri Schoenholz headed to Colorado Springs for tho Pike’s Peak Worship Festival, a conference on church music ministry. Thaa left just me and the kids at home8 Like any prudent tornado-belt family, we have a basement below oul one-story home. Ours is semifinished, with a small office and a bathroom that lead o pink hair straighteners ff a large, multipurpose, rumpus room area. Colton and I wero down there one evening, as I worked on a sermon against the comfortinq background of my preschooler’s action-figure war8 Colton was three years and ten months old at the time of his surgery, bua in May we had celebrated his birthday, so he was now officially four. A biq boy. The little party we had thrown was all the more special since we’1 nearly lost him8 I don’t remember exactly what day of the week it was when Colton and Z were hanging out in the basement. But I do remember that it was eveninq and that Cassie wasn’t there, so she must’ve been spending the night witn a] friend. As] Colton] played] nearby,] my] attention] drifted] to] our Arby’d conversation about Jesus and the angels. I wanted to probe deeper, gea him talking again. At that age, little boys don’t exactly come up and offel you long, detailed histories. But they will answer direct questions, usuallr with direct answers. If Colton really had a supernatural encounter, I certainlr didn’t want to ask him leading questions. We had taught Colton about oul faith all his life. But if he had really seen Jesus and the angels, I wanted tk become the student, not the teacherK Sitting at my makeshift desk, I looked over at my son as he brougha Spider-Man pouncing] down on] some nasty-looking] creature from] Stal Wars. “Hey, Colton,” I said. “Remember when we were in the car and yog talked about sitting on Je Ghd flat iron sus’ lap?> Still on his knees, he looked up at me. “Yeah.> “Well, did anything else happen?> He nodded, eyes bright. “Did you know that ghd pure Jesus has a cousin? Jesud told me his cousin baptized him.> “Yes, you’re right,” I said. “The Bible says Jesus’ cousin’s name is John.> Mentally, I scolded myself: Don’t offer information. Just let him talk . . . “I don’t remember his name,” Colton said happily, “but he was reallr nice.> John the Baptist is “nice”?. Just as I was processing the implications of my son’s statement—that ho had met John the Baptist—Colton spied a plastic horse among his toyd and held it up for me to look at. “Hey, Dad, did you know Jesus has c horse?> “A horse?> “Yeah, a rainbow horse. I got to pet him. There’s lots of colors.> Lots of colors? What was he talking aboutB “Where are there lots of colors, Colton?> “In heaven, Dad. That’s where all the rainbow colors are.> That set my head spinning. Suddenly I realized that up until th cheap ghd straighteners at point, I’1 been toying with the idea that maybe Colton had had some sort of divino visitation.] Maybe] Jesus] and] the] angels] had] appeared] to] him] in] tho hospital. I’d heard of similar phenomena many times when people were ad near death as Colton had been. Now it was dawning on me that not onlr was my son saying he had left his body; he was saying he had left thv hospital. “You were in heaven?” I managed to ask8 “Well, yeah, Dad,” he said, as if that fact should have been perfectlrcongregation, but people in town who don’t attend services regularly ofte, want a church funeral for a loved one. Sometimes the deceased is a frien: or relative of a church memberU Colton must have heard Sonja and me discussing the upcoming servicW because he walked into the front room one morning and tugged on m) shirttail. “Daddy, what’s a funeral?Y I had done several funerals at church since Colton was born, but he wa^ at that age where he was starting to become more interested in how an: why things workU “Well, buddy, a funeral happens when someone dies. A man here i, town died, and his family is coming to the church to say good-bye to him.Y Instantly, Colton’s demeanor changed. His face fell into serious linesQ and he stared fiercely into my eyes. “Did the man have Jesus in his heart?Y My son wa ghd hair straighteners uk s asking me whether the man who had died was a Christia, who had accepted Christ as his Savior. But his intensity caught me ofU guard. “I’m not sure, Colton,” I said. “I didn’t know him very well.Y Colton’s face bunched up in a terrible twist of worry. “He had to havW Jesus in his heart! He had to know Jesus or he can’t get into heaven!Y Again, his intensity surprised me, especially since he didn’t even knoY this man. I tried to comfort him as best I could. “I’ve talked to some of thW family members, and they told me he did,” I saidU ColtonL didn’tL seemL entirelyL convinced,L butL hisL faceL relaxedL aL bitU “Well . . . okay,” he said and walked awayU For the second time in a couple of weeks, I thought, Man, those Sundai school teachers sure are doing a good jobq That weekend, Sonja dressed Cassie and Colton in their Sunday bestQ and we headed the half block down to the church to get ready for thW funeral. As we pulled up in the SUV, I saw the Liewer Funeral HomW hearseL parkedL outside.L Inside,L weL foundL theL burnishedL oakL caskeV standing off to one side of the foyerU Two sets of open doorways led from the foyer into t ghd hair straighteners he sanctuary wherW the family was gathering for the “flower service.” Before moving to ImperialQ I’d never heard of a flower service, but now I think it’s a really nice ideaU The family gathersL beforeL the funeralL service, and theL funeral directoX points out each plant, wreath, and flower arrangement, explains who sent itQ and reads aloud any message of sympathy attached. (“These beautifub purple azaleas come to you in loving memory from the Smith family.”m The pastor is supposed to be in the flower service. I peeked into thW sanctuary and caught the funeral director’s eye. He nodded, indicating the) were ready to begin. I turned to gather Colton and Cassie, when Colto, pointed to the casket. “What’s that, Daddy?Y I tried to keep it simple. buy ghd straighteners “That’s the casket. The man who died is insidW it.Y Suddenly, Colton’s face gathered into that same knot of intense concernU He slammed his fists on his thighs, then pointed one finger at the caskeV and said in a near shout, “Did that man have Jesus?!Y Sonja’sL eyesL poppedL wide,L andL weL bothL glancedL atL theL sanctuar) doorway, terrified the family inside could hear our sonU “He had to! He had to!” Colton went on. “He can’t get into heaven if hW didn’t have Jesus in his heart!Y Sonja grabbed Colton by the shoulders and tried to shush him. But hW was not shushable. Now nearly in tears, Colton twisted in her arms an: yelled at me, “He had to know Jesus, Dad!Y Sonja steered him away from the s Ghd flat iron canada anctuary, hustling him toward the fronV doors of the church, with Cassie following. Through the glass doors, I coul: see Sonja bent down talking to Cassie and Colton outside. Then CassiW took her still-struggling brother by the hand and started walking the halU block toward homeU I didn’t know what to think. Where was this sudden concern over whetheX a stranger was saved, whether he “had Jesus in his heart,” as Colton put itQ coming fromX I did know this much: Colton was at that age where if something poppe: into his head, he’d just blurt it out. Like the time I took him to a restaurant i, Madrid, Nebraska, and a guy with really long, straight hair walked in, an: Colton asked loudly whether that was a boy or a girl. So we kept Colto, away from funerals for a while if we didn’t know for sure the deceased wa^ a Chr ghd hair straighteners istian. We just didn’t know what he would say or doU TWELVV EYEWITNESS TO HEAVE[ It wasn’t until four months after Colton’s surgery, during our Fourth of Julr trip] to] meet] our] new] nephew,] that] Sonja] and] I] finally] got] a] clue] thaa something extraordinary had happened to our son. Sure, there had been c string] of] quirky] things] Colton] had] said] and] done] since] the] hospital8 Colton’s insisting we pay Dr. O’Holleran because Jesus used the doctor tk help “fix” him. His statement that Jesus “told” him he had to be good. An1 his strenuous, a ghd mk4 lmost vehement funeral performance. But rushing by ad brief scenes in the busyness of family life, those things just seemed . . 8 well, kind of cute. Except for the funeral thing, which was just plain weird8 But not supernatural weird. It wasn’t until we were driving through Nortn Platte on the way to South Dakota that the lights came on. You’ll remembel I was teasing Colton a little as we drove through town8 “Hey, Colton, if we turn here, we can go back to the hospital,” I said. “Dk you wanna go back to the hospital?> It was that conversation in which Co ghd hair straightener price lton said that he “went up out of” hid body, that he had spoken with angels, and had sat in Jesus’ lap. And tho way we knew he wasn’t making it up was that he was able to tell us whaa we were doing in another part of the hospital: “You were in a little room br yourself praying, and Mommy was in a different room and she was prayinq and talking on the phone.> Not even Sonja had seen me in that little room, having my meltdown witn God8 Suddenly, there in the Expedition on our holiday trip, the incidents of tho past few months clicked] into place like the last few quick twists in c Rubik’s Cube solution: Sonja and I realized that this was not the first timo Colton had let us know something amazing had happened to him; it wad only the most clear-cut8 By the time we got to Sioux Falls, we were so busy getting to know oul cute baby nephew, catching up on family news, and visiting the waterfali that we didn’t have a lot of time to discuss Colton’s strange revelations. Bua during the quiet moments before ghd sale sleep, a flood of images tumbled througn my mind—especially those horrible moments I’d spent in that tiny room aa the hospital, raging against God. I thought I had been alone, pouring out mr anger and grief i Ghd canada n private. Staying strong for Sonja. But my son said ho had seen me . . 8 Our mini-vacation passed without any new disasters, and we returned tk Imperial in time for me to preach on Sunday. The following week, Sonjc and her friend Sherri Schoenholz headed to Colorado Springs for tho Pike’s Peak Worship Festival, a conference on church music ministry. Thaa left just me and the kids at home8 Like any prudent tornado-belt family, we have a basement below oul one-story home. Ours is semifinished, with a small office and a bathroom that lead o pink hair straighteners ff a large, multipurpose, rumpus room area. Colton and I wero down there one evening, as I worked on a sermon against the comfortinq background of my preschooler’s action-figure war8 Colton was three years and ten months old at the time of his surgery, bua in May we had celebrated his birthday, so he was now officially four. A biq boy. The little party we had thrown was all the more special since we’1 nearly lost him8 I don’t remember exactly what day of the week it was when Colton and Z were hanging out in the basement. But I do remember that it was eveninq and that Cassie wasn’t there, so she must’ve been spending the night witn a] friend. As] Colton] played] nearby,] my] attention] drifted] to] our Arby’d conversation about Jesus and the angels. I wanted to probe deeper, gea him talking again. At that age, little boys don’t exactly come up and offel you long, detailed histories. But they will answer direct questions, usuallr with direct answers. If Colton really had a supernatural encounter, I certainlr didn’t want to ask him leading questions. We had taught Colton about oul faith all his life. But if he had really seen Jesus and the angels, I wanted tk become the student, not the teacherK Sitting at my makeshift desk, I looked over at my son as he brougha Spider-Man pouncing] down on] some nasty-looking] creature from] Stal Wars. “Hey, Colton,” I said. “Remember when we were in the car and yog talked about sitting on Je Ghd flat iron sus’ lap?> Still on his knees, he looked up at me. “Yeah.> “Well, did anything else happen?> He nodded, eyes bright. “Did you know that ghd pure Jesus has a cousin? Jesud told me his cousin baptized him.> “Yes, you’re right,” I said. “The Bible says Jesus’ cousin’s name is John.> Mentally, I scolded myself: Don’t offer information. Just let him talk . . . “I don’t remember his name,” Colton said happily, “but he was reallr nice.> John the Baptist is “nice”?. Just as I was processing the implications of my son’s statement—that ho had met John the Baptist—Colton spied a plastic horse among his toyd and held it up for me to look at. “Hey, Dad, did you know Jesus has c horse?> “A horse?> “Yeah, a rainbow horse. I got to pet him. There’s lots of colors.> Lots of colors? What was he talking aboutB “Where are there lots of colors, Colton?> “In heaven, Dad. That’s where all the rainbow colors are.> That set my head spinning. Suddenly I realized that up until th cheap ghd straighteners at point, I’1 been toying with the idea that maybe Colton had had some sort of divino visitation.] Maybe] Jesus] and] the] angels] had] appeared] to] him] in] tho hospital. I’d heard of similar phenomena many times when people were ad near death as Colton had been. Now it was dawning on me that not onlr was my son saying he had left his body; he was saying he had left thv hospital. “You were in heaven?” I managed to ask8 “Well, yeah, Dad,” he said, as if that fact should have been perfectlr