Heaven, an Unexpected Journey: One Man's Experience with Heaven, Angels, and the Afterlife

by Jim Woodford

Take time to lay down your desire to understand the mystery of God and simply experience God in the mystery. How should we do this? Simply close your eyes and speak the name that is above all names with me—Jesus. Jesus. Let yourself see His face and hear His voice. Allow the deep longing in your heart to connect with His heart. Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”6

He relayed to me that Shelley too had been awakened several times during the night to pray, though she didn’t know for whom or what. But there was a sense of urgent intercession in her prayer. Out of the blue, another sister, Jean, was also awakened to urgent prayer. She felt God was telling her to call David and Shelley immediately. Jean thought her prayer burden might have been for our father, who was ill and in the same hospital Jim would eventually be taken to. I added a call for advice to a family friend, a firefighter, Gerry, who told me to call the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

All the while my sisters at home, Shelly and Jean, continued to pray that Jim would be fully restored. They are relentless and faithful prayer warriors.

That was the beginning of another kind of season—a season of finding purpose in all that had happened to Jim and all he had seen and heard in Heaven.

The Lord was gracious in the way He met our needs and expenses.

Lord, help Jim to respond to Your words and fill him with the Holy Spirit. Prayers now shifted. Respond, fill with the Spirit.

Again, I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.3

God is a constant Friend, and friends share life together. Friends influence one another. Friends are there for one another.

I know that God is close to me and, just for the asking, He will speak into any part of my life. God is constant, and He is a friend.

Heaven and God are focused on the “now.”

It is impossible to stand in a hurricane and not get your hair rearranged.

It is impossible to look into the eyes of people without remembering the eyes of Jesus. I am learning to see with His eyes.

I now read the Bible on a regular basis, not just to master the text but as a reminder and reflection of the love I found that permeated everything in Heaven. I am not a preacher nor prophet nor expert on Heaven.

With this vision of people, I am growing in the ability to feel the pain people experience in their human hearts. I can sense pain because I’m seeing them. The depth of hurt they carry with them. I have an urge to quiet their hearts, to set them at ease in the love of God, to let them know that they are seen and valued—that they bear the light of God.

I had a conversation with one of the angels I have not previously mentioned in this book. I said, “On earth I wake up in the morning and see the news of the carnage the night before. There is so much hatred and killing and murder and disgrace going on. Why hasn’t God come back and claimed the earth as He promised?” The angel looked at me with a wise and quizzical smile and replied, “God isn’t finished with the earth yet.”

Why wouldn’t He fix it?” He raised his hand to calm me down, and he said, “James, what mankind fails to realize are the countless acts of kindness that occur every second of every minute of every hour of every earth day.”

“If you took all the countless billions of acts of kindness, helping the sick, caring for the elderly, loving your sister, loving your brother, helping your pastor, being part of a Christian community, it would be overwhelming. They are all recorded in the book of your life. Then if you took all the evil in the world that you think is so dominant, it is this big.” (He made a gesture pinching his thumb and index finger closer together to show me how small the evil is in proportion.)

When we realize that we carry the light of God in us, there is no more need to live to accumulate things. We are no longer self-absorbed people struggling to impress people; we are loved by God and that is impressive enough. When we know we are loved we can walk in the same simple humility as Jesus did on earth, who knew He was loved by His Father.

experience the love of God. Hundreds of people have told me they sense a peace and tranquility when they stand close to me or hug me.

allowed them to accept Jesus’ offer for those who are weary to come to Him, and in those final hours of life to find faith in Him.

Let me bring comfort to those who have experienced loss and walk with them through life’s struggles.

Nonetheless, grace says, “It’s not too late.”

This drama was the beginning of Newton’s conversion culminating in his repentance from the slave trade and turning to Christ.

Repentance is turning away from our old way to God. Wayne Grudem defined conversion this way: “Conversion is a single action of turning from sin in repentance and turning to Christ in faith.”

“Jesus, remember me.”

He had no time to write a tithe check.

Maybe you’ve lived in your own strength and haven’t found purpose in life. It’s not too late.

Maybe while you’ve been reading this book you’ve become aware of a longing for Heaven and the face of Jesus Christ in your heart. It’s not too late. Whatever the deep need or longing is in your heart, the Lord says, “It’s not too late.”