Easter has always been a family affair. I can remember being a kid and dressing up in my new dress with my new shoes and sitting in church with my grandmother listening to the pastor talk about the Resurrection story trying to keep my little sister’s hat on her head.  It was story I would hear again and again every year. But as I got older I had a decision to make. Was the Resurrection story just another fairytale like the Tooth Fairy and Santa Clause, or was this something I really believed in?

Pastor Todd Burpo had to ask the same question of himself when his 4-year old son, Colton, had a near death experience and confessed to visiting Heaven while he was in surgery. On the one hand, Colton has a vivid imagination for a kid his age but on the other hand the details he’s describing and the people he said he met make his story more credible.

Another dilemma… Pastor Burpo’s church community isn’t really comfortable with the subject. Half the congregation is ready to jump on board and throw reason to the wind in order to get an emotional high. The other half is too busy trying to come up with a reasonable explanation, they’re afraid to leave any room for their faith to flourish. And the poor pastor is somewhere in between, not wanting to lead his flock astray but also wanting to believe that the stories he’s been preaching at the pulpit haven’t just been a bunch of fairytales.

Heaven is for Real starring Greg Kinnear and introducing Connor Corum, is the true story of Pastor Burpo and his amazing 4-year old son, Colton, as told by the pastor. It’s an endearing story of an all American family who is very relatable to all of us – they’re running into a streak of bad luck. The way the family handles their son’s revelation is truly inspiring. 5 stars for this inspirational little film.

What real life inspiring story do you wish they would turn into a movie?