Ninety Minutes in Heaven
By: Don Piper (with Cecil Murphy)

Maybe it was the expectations made before reading it or the title Ninety Minutes in Heaven that gave me the idea that I was about to witness a first hand account of the pearly gates. It was going to be a book describing in great detail the heavenly hosts, God’s throne and a plethora of other fascinating details, were my thoughts. I was wrong.

My initial response, as I began reading this book, was disappointment. There were only two chapters (fifteen pages!) about heaven which read more like a child’s story than the multimillion dollar movie script that I expected. At this point, I almost put the book down. I’m glad that I didn’t.

The story is about a man, Don Piper, and his vicious car accident that he was in when a semi rolled over him on a Texas bridge. As ambulances raced to the scene in a whirlwind of sirens and lights, the fight for Don Piper was lost â€" he was clinically dead. This was confirmed by the paramedics on scene as they covered his mangled, blood stained body with a tarp and moved on to help the other patients. It was in this time that Mr. Piper took his trip to heaven.

The description of heaven should not be too surprising to anyone who has an elementary education of the Bible, but his depiction of the music found in chapter three is quite fascinating. He describes it in such detail, yet still so vaguely â€" like a dream that is quickly escaping your memory.

The story continues as Don is given his life back, against his desire, and he begins on the road to recovery. It is not a story of dogged determination or mind over matter, but depression, anger and a slow, painful recuperation. It exposes one man’s struggles against his own will to be in the place he longs for and the friends and family who desire to keep him on earth.

There were moments in this book that tears began to well up in my eyes. This was not due to the exquisite, well written prose, but the lessons that God was teaching him transcending into my heart as I read. The roots of selfishness that were being uprooted in his heart were being tugged in my own. The foundation blocks of self preservation and pride which had ruled my life were being toppled by the experiences of this man. My soul was being exposed to myself and I didn’t like what I saw.

Any time that a book can personally challenge me to improve or even look deeply into my heart to examine what I see; I am happy to read it. I believe that if you take the time, with an open heart and ear, the Lord will take the horrendous situation of this man and teach you from it. It is truly a book that should be held in your library and whenever you feel that life is overcoming you or you sense a need to be challenged - pick it up and read the sentence on the final page: “I am here, I am alive, and it’s because God’s purposes have not yet been fulfilled in my life.�

Greg Hintz
Copyright 2006

Greg Hintz is a pastor who has recently relocated to the Phoenix, Arizona area. He is a writer of both fiction and non-fiction and is continually seeking to be used to glorify God in the gifts that have been given him. He can be contacted at hop_childrens_pastor@hotmail.com

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