Tamara Laroux - A Second Chance at Heaven: My Surprising Journey Through Hell, Heaven, and Back to Life

Contents

Tamara Laroux is an author, speaker, and cofounder of Life Change International along with her husband, Rodney. Together they have had the joy of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in more than forty countries and through numerous media outlets. Tamara is a passionate Bible teacher who loves sharing the truth about Jesus Christ with the brokenhearted. Tamara and Rodney, along with their three children, live in Houston, Texas.

2018 Tamara Laroux

Portions of this story were previously recorded in Delivered: A Death-Defying Journey into Heaven and Hell, self-published.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are from the Amplified Bible. Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version. Public domain.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked TLB are from The Living Bible. Copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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This is a work of nonfiction. The events and experiences detailed herein are all true and have been faithfully rendered as remembered by the author, to the best of her abilities. Some names, persons, characters, places, dates, and other identifying characteristics have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.

Epub Edition May 2018 9780785217046

ISBN 978-0-7852-1704-6 (eBook)

ISBN 978-0-7852-1701-5 (TP)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018940046

Printed in the United States of America

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While the author openly shares her attempt at ending her life, she in no way condones suicide as an answer to lifes problems. Rather, she shares her experience as a testimony to Gods love and faithfulness even in the most difficult situations. If you are wrestling with anxiety, we recommend reaching out to a family member, close friend, pastor, or counselor for help. If you need further help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-8255.

Remember, you are loved with an everlasting love.

To share or not to share?

Sharing your story is never easy.

Sharing a story about seeing the afterlife is even harder. And that is precisely what Tamara Laroux has done in these pages. It took courage.

In A Second Chance at Heaven you will meet a normal girl on an abnormal day. She was no more special than you or me, but she had reached a desperate point in her life and felt she had nowhere to turn.

Tamaras experience at the crossroads of decision reminds me of one of the most famous lines ever uttered on the stage: To be, or not to be: that is the question. Many English-speaking people on planet earth remember Hamlets words from Shakespeares play. Why? Because we identify with his dilemma.

The young Hamlet remains suspended in time between a world of pain and a world unknown. If he stays, he will have to confront his fathers killer. If he goes, he will enter what he later calls an undiscovered country, life on the other side of life. The stakes are high.

As we read on, Hamlet stays and fights through to the end. There are times in life we find ourselves at this same juncture, feeling the same way. What should I do? Which way should I go? For a young teenager named Tamara, that hour of decision and her response forever changed the way she sees life, death, and the love of God.

Today Tamara faces a different dilemma. To share or not to share?

Its hard to know what to do with experiences with the afterlife. If you are the type of person who needs the approval of others, you may shy away from sharing an extraordinary heavenly experience with anyone. If you have a daring personality, however, you run the risk of alienating most of your family and friends.

There is a Bible story that illustrates this same issue. In John 9, the author records the moment Jesus healed a man born blind. When the man received his sight, he naturally rejoiced. Nevertheless, when the Pharisees became aware of it, they immediately begin to cross-examine this newly healed man. They even dragged in his parents for questioning. Yet, the man could not help but rejoice and tell the truth about who healed him, impervious to his prosecutors questions. This man knew no better than to celebrate the miracle that had just opened his eyes for the first time. He was forever changed. And he knew exactly who was responsible. Yet his prosecutors worked hard to make him capitulate, deny, and even lie if necessary. He remained undeterred in the face of fear, intimidation, manipulation, and coercion.

Dare we share what Jesus has done for us? What are the consequences? What are the consequences if we do not? Like the man born blind, Tamara Laroux is one of many people who have encountered Jesus in a supernatural way, only to return to an inhospitable environment.

This is the dilemma Tamaraand many othersface today. If they share, they will face criticism. If they do not, they will be withholding valuable information. And that would be the ultimate irony, wouldnt it? Meeting the God of the universe and never telling anyone about him. Doesnt everyone have a right to know? Isnt it our job to tell others about him?

As her family and friends were challenged by her testimony, Tamaras testimony would run the same gauntlet as the man in Johns gospel. In the end, however, Tamaras faith in the glorious goodness of our Creator compelled her to speak up and spread the good news, whatever might come. Tamara learned what it means to be brave and has become an inspiration to us all.

By no means is a dramatic experience with God a requirement of faith or believing. In fact, after his resurrection, Jesus said: Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29 NKJV).