90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper

90 Minutes in Heaven

90 Minutes in Heaven

 

Recently I checked out the library book on CD 90 Minutes in Heaven.   I had waited several months, since it is a popular book. The story is about Don Piper, a Baptist minister, who was in a terrible car accident and had a near-death experience.

 

On January 18, 1989 Don Piper was driving home from a conference in Texas when an 18-wheel truck hit his car while crossing a bridge. Pipe said he instantly “died” and went to Heaven. His deceased loved ones and friends, who had helped him spiritually, came to greet him. He felt great love as they joyfully hugged and welcomed him.

 

In Heaven, Piper saw incredible light and said the colors were intense and beyond anything in this world. He was filled with bliss and never thought about his physical body, wife or children.

 

The loved ones who’d greeted him took him to the Gates of Heaven where he heard “the sound of angel’s wings” and beautiful music. Heavenly beings were singing different songs of love to God, and somehow he could hear all of these songs simultaneously.

 

As he stood at the gates, Piper started singing. The experience shifted, and he found himself back in his broken body in the car still singing.

 

A minister who had attended the same conference was stopped by the traffic delay caused by the accident. He got a nudge to see if he could do anything to help. He walked past all the stopped cars to the scene of the accident.

The paramedics told the minister there was nothing he could do because the driver of the car was dead, and the vehicle had already been covered by a tarp. The minister insisted on praying for Piper. He went to the wrecked car and prayed. After awhile he began to sing. To his astonishment a miracle happened, and the “dead” man began to sing with him.

 

The minister ran back to tell the paramedics Piper was alive, but they won’t believe him. They knew how to tell if a person was dead or not, and Piper was definitely dead. The last ambulance was about to leave. The minister ran over to the ambulance driver, told him Piper was alive and threatened to lie in the street rather than let the ambulance leave.

 

The paramedics finally agreed to check and went over to the car where they were shocked to discover that Piper was indeed alive. A piece of equipment called the Jaws of Life was brought in to get him out of the car. His injuries were so terrible that his left arm and leg were barely attached.

 

The following chapters described Don Piper’s ordeal after the accident. He suffered terrible pain, endured many operations and spent years in recovery. At first, the pain was so great that he wanted to leave his damaged body and return to Heaven.

 

Eventually, he started sharing his story of his near-death experience with others. He brought comfort to people who were dying by sharing his experience of going to Heaven at a time when not many people were talking openly about near-death experiences. Piper felt renewed in his mission to serve life through helping others.

 

For Don Piper, fear of death was replaced by a longing to return to the Heavenly world. Sometimes he can still hear the inner choir and “sound of angel wings.”

 

I enjoyed the first chapter of the book on CD the most because, in it, Don Piper described his experience in Heaven. We don’t have to have a near-death experience to hear the inner music of God. In prayer, meditation or contemplation we can learn to open ourselves to God’s love and hear the inner sound and see the inner light.

 

Have you had a near-death experience or heard the inner music or seen the inner light? I’d love to hear your stories.

Here is a youtube of Don Piper telling about his experience.

 

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