90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper

It's book report time...



Title: 90 Minutes in heaven

Author: Don Piper



Summary: The author is in a terrible car wreck, he dies and is pronounced dead on the scene. He goes to heaven, then a preacher climbs in the car and prays for him. He comes back to life and has a long painful recovery. He struggles with WHY god would allow him to experience something so awesome, and then return him to earth to suffer.



What I learned: I learned about the gift of receiving/gratitude. Receiving you ask?

Here was a man completely helpless, and people constantly wanted to do for him. He, not wanting to be a burden, rejected everyones efforts. Finally a dear friend of his told him, these people love you and care for you and are trying to show you love that you have shown for them and you are denying them that blessing. Denying someone the gift of giving. He finally started allowing people to give, and learned how to gratefully receive.



Well let's put it this way. I am a giver, I love to give, my time, my friendship, my prayers, my money, my everything. You know that feeling when you give to someone, with NO strings and how it fills up your heart until you think you are going to burst? I love that feeling, so I keep giving, even when I have nothing left to give, I give. Now think about that incredible feeling and how you would feel if each person you gave to rejected you. It would be saddening at best.



So this is all good until you are on the receiving end. I have given to others, but have never been given too. (without asking for help, without strings) When my small group showed up at my house with all the fixings for a Thanksgiving dinner, I wept. Not over the relief of having spared the cost, but I wept because I felt genuinely loved. Loved by someone how doesn't have to like me, not my mom, husband etc... When hubby said " I think your friends really like you " I wept again. This a a group of women that had only known me now for a few months. I thought I had done really well of hiding our financial dispair, and maybe I had on the surface, but somehow those ladies heard my prayers.



I wanted to reject it, declare that it should go to someone even less fortunate than me. That was mostly pride talking, but I thought of this book, and realized that by denying their gift I am denying their opportunity to give.



Think of this the next time someone offer to help you. These people are expressing their love to you, don't deny them that opportunity. Think how dejected you would feel if they rejected your offers to help them.



There are probably a lot more messages in this book, it really was good, but for me, this was the lesson I learned.