Summer Break Replay: From Near-Death to Miracles from Heaven and Using Your Platform with Christy Beam

Speaker A: Welcome to Mamatize youe Passion, a place for moms looking to use their God led passions to create content that makes a positive difference in the lives of others. I'm Tara Lawn, content strategist and passion and purpose coach. My prayer is that you'll find inspiration from God, encouragement and practical ways to monetize your passion. Hello and welcome to the show. So I am so excited. I have Christy Beam on the show today. She's an author of the book Miracles From Heaven, which her story was adapted into a feature film starring Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah. This is literally one of my favorite movies of all time. And it's because of the content of her story. Her daughter Annabelle was diagnosed with two incurable disorders. She suffered for years, and in her journey, she got a miracle. She was healed. She had an experience in heaven, and Christy wrote about it in her book. And I believe we all have stories to tell. God has given us a platform and we are to use it for good. So Christy's going to touch on that as well. So without further ado, here's Christy Bean.

Speaker B: Um, so we have three daughters, uh, Abigail and Annabel, and then Adeline and Annabelle. The middle daughter, when she was about four and a half years old, was diagnosed after lots of, uh, misdiagnosis and horrible, um, surgical, uh, abdominal obstructions, you know, lots of awfulness. Was diagnosed with actually two disorders. Um, antral, well, actually pseudo obstruction motility disorder and then antral hypomotility disorder. Both are very rare, but to be diagnosed with both of them at the same time is, Is incredibly rare. Um, so she was diagnosed with the two disorders. Um, we would go from, uh, here in Texas to Boston, um, we're near Dallas, Fort Worth, uh, to Boston for treatment with the guru of pediatric gastroenterology, Dr. Samuel Nerko. And then when we weren't seeing him, we would be treated in Austin, Texas, which is about two hours away from us. Um, so we were constantly in doctor's offices, hospitals, uh, just, yeah, it was pretty rough. And, um, one day we had a miraculous event happen. It went on for four and a half years. And, um, we had just gotten back from a Boston treatment where Annabelle had been hospitalized because she was not doing well. And in that hospitalization, Annabelle said, you know, mommy, I just want to die and go to heaven and be with Jesus where there's no more pain. And we came back from that, and I knew that I needed to begin a psychiatric component to this and get her some help. So I was looking for Psychiatrists. And then Abby had convinced Annabelle that day to go play with her outside. And, um, so they decided to go climb trees. And Annabelle was very weak and fragile, but she decided to do it with Abby. Abby enticed her that there was a bird's nest in the top of this tree. And so they went climbing trees and somehow they ended up 30ft in the air on this branch where they were sitting. And the branch began to give way. And Abby, in her quickness, quick thinking, great big sister, uh, just brilliant. She said, annabelle, get your weight off that branch, back off the branch, go into this little nook inside the tree, and then once you get out of the way, then I'll start down and I'll help you down. Because she was so weak and fragile. And so Annabelle did. She went inside that little nook in the tree. And it wasn't a nook, it was an entrance where she went in to the hole. She fell 30ft head first inside a hollowed out cottonwood tree. And she hit her head three times on the way down. It ended at the base of the tree on top of her skull. And she was entombed for about four hours. Um, the firefighters did not know how they were going to get her out. They couldn't send a man down after her because the hole was too small. And they couldn't cut the tree down because, um, it would crumble and crush her. So they were really perplexed, didn't know what to do. While we were on the outside panicking what to do to get her out, Annabel, uh, had a miraculous event inside where she shared later that she went to heaven and sat on Jesus's lap and he told her that she was going to be just fine, that when the firefighters got her out there was going to be absolutely nothing wrong with her. And, um, eventually Annabelle came to, responded to the firefighters, assisted in her own rescue, was totally, eerily peacefully calm, never questioned. Are you going to get me out? Am I okay? Where's my mom? Nothing. Uh, they lowered ropes in a pulley system, pulled her out and, um, whisked her away. She and I got on life flight, whisked us to the hospital, began to run one test after another. And not only was she totally fine from the 30 foot fall, she began to show symptoms of healing and signs of healing, I should say. And she was on 10 medications at the time, taken every four hours throughout the day. And they began to wean her off. And, uh, she's on zero GI medications today. She's the only person on record to have been healed from the two incurable disorders.

Speaker A: Wow. I feel like I have, like, so many questions right now. Okay, so one of the questions I have is, you know, because there's a lot of people and a lot of kids who suffer with a chronic type of illness, and they feel like God has told them that they're going to be healed or their child is going to be healed. Did you feel that God was telling you this prior to Annabelle getting healed?

Speaker B: No. No. I actually struggled greatly with the Lord. And, um, I remember at one time saying, do you not see this? Do you not see her suffering? Do you not hear her cries? Do you not hear my cries? Are you not seeing what she's enduring? Where are you, God? Where are you? And later, he answered me and he said, christy, I see it. I weep when you weep. I weep when she weeps. My heart is more broken than your heart could ever be. She was mine before she was yours. Who do you think you are? And I just remember being awestruck at the thought that he could love her more than I could, and overwhelmed with grief that he was enduring what we were enduring. And then, uh, I began to surrender her. You know, I fought with God for a long time, and it was then that I just surrendered. And I said, God, whatever happens, happens. If you take her, you take her, but you will still be God.

Speaker A: Wow. That is amazing. Now, how long after you surrendered this to God did this miracle happen?

Speaker B: The day.

Speaker A: Really? The same day that you surrendered, this miracle happened?

Speaker B: Yeah, it. It is. I cannot explain to you. I was in the bedroom folding clothes, waiting for calls back from pediatric psychiatrist, and I finally just said, I can't take it anymore, God. I can't do this anymore. I surrender. I give her to you. I don't want to lose her. I beg you that I don't lose her. But whatever does happen, happens. You are still God, and I'm going to give her to you, Lord. And it wasn't but an hour. Abby came running in and said, mommy, Mommy. Annabelle stuck in the tree.

Speaker A: Wow. I feel like a lot of people needed to hear that. You saying that, just surrendering this to God, whatever it is. Because a lot of times we want to ask, well, why this, God? Why that? You know, we go in, we're in these seasons, these really hard, challenging seasons. And I don't know if you knew about NDAs before this. Had you studied this before or heard of any other stories about people having an experience in heaven.

Speaker B: Oh, that's a. That's a lie. We had read the book Heaven is for Real, and it had been years prior that we read it. Like, we read it when it first came out. So it had been a couple of years, three years, I think, um, that I had read it with Annabelle, uh, but forgot about it, quite honestly. But then after Annabelle's heaven experience, she said she was describing what Jesus looked like. And she said later, oh, you know, mommy, he looked just like that picture in that book. And I was like, uh, she was nine years old at the time. And I'm like, what book? She said, that book with the little boy. It took me a long time to figure out what she was talking about, but then I ran to the closet and found this, Found the book and flipped to the page, and I said, this picture? And she said, yes, he looks just like that.

Speaker A: Wow. I just got chills.

Speaker B: Oh, my gosh.

Speaker A: So I read, um, a couple of books. I don't know if you heard of Dr. Mary C. Neal. Have you heard of her?

Speaker B: She.

Speaker A: She wrote To Heaven and Back and Seven Lessons I Learned in Heaven.

Speaker B: Is she a neurologist?

Speaker A: I don't know if she's a neurologist, but I know she's a doctor. And she had a kayaking accident. She was in heaven.

Speaker B: Yes. We were on the, um. Uh, I don't know if it was a Steve Harvey show with her or if we were on, um. Oh, man. We were on a show with her.

Speaker A: Oh.

Speaker B: And she and Annabelle got to talk, just the two of them. Uh, it was very special. Annabelle had a very, very special moment with her. It was very, very sweet. So. Yes, I know who you're talking about. Yes. Yeah.

Speaker A: I feel like after I read her book, it put life into perspective for me. Like, I read her book years ago because I remember, um, a couple of things she said. I don't know if it was in the book or in interviews where she said when she was in heaven, all she had to do was think of a question, and she understood everything perfectly. Like, even the why questions that people have. So I try not to even go there myself. Like, well, why God is. Does this happen? Why is this happening? Because we don't understand everything in our mortal bodies here on Earth, and we won't understand it fully until we get to eternity. So that's what made me think about Annabelle's story as well. Like, when she was in heaven, it was like, okay, well, I want to stay here. Why would I want to go back to Earth with all this suffering and pain? And I felt. I felt like in her Story. God answered a little bit of her. Why? Well, I have more for you to do while you're here on earth. Like, do you, like what, what are your thoughts like when you hear. Like, do you keep asking her questions about her experience? Because I hear when you have a, uh, near death experience, you remember everything vividly. Like it's not like a dream where you forget things. Like you actually remember all the details. Is that what you're finding with her story?

Speaker B: Um, so it's interesting because in the beginning it was very vivid. We never asked her. She. She shared it with us and we were. She just said, you know, mommy, out of the blue, totally quiet, sitting there. She said, you know, Mommy, I went to heaven when I was that tree. And Kevin and I just kind of looked at her and she said, yeah. And I sat on Jesus lap and I told him I wanted to stay, that he told me he had plans on, for me on earth that I could not fulfill in heaven. And that when the firefighters got me out, there would be nothing wrong with me. And we just stared at her and she shared a few more things and then she stopped talking and I didn't ask her any more questions. And then Kevin and I talked about it and I thought, well, that was kind of weird. Um, and then a couple of days went by and she just randomly shared other pieces of information. I jotted them down and then we talked about it again and decided we weren't going to ask her questions because I don't. I didn't want her to feel like I was giving, um, her information to tell me. I just wanted her to give me information. I didn't want to put any ideas in there or. I don't know how to explain it. I wanted to.

Speaker A: You didn't want to lead her into what to say?

Speaker B: Yes, exactly. So, uh, she just shared it at random times. Half the time it was not a perfect time. And I would be like grabbing papers or my phone or somewhere to jot it down because the words she would use were just phenomenal and rich and beautiful and incredible. And I was like, I don't want to miss this. Um, so, uh, but the crazy thing is now she remembers it and she explains it like it's a, um, like a, A memory of a Christmas past where something will trigger it and she'll remember it in depth. But a lot of times she doesn't have this strong, incredible recall that she had after it happened.

Speaker A: Mhm.

Speaker B: And I think God did that on purpose because after it happened, Annabelle almost had a death wish. And she kept trying to do things that were very, very, very dangerous and she could have died. M and Kevin had to have a hard talk with her and tell her, you're not coming back again. You understand? If you fall from three stories and hit concrete like you're trying to do, you're not coming back. And she wanted to see Jesus again so badly that I believe that God took away the intensity of her memory. Mhm. To stop her from wanting to go back there so badly. If that makes sense.

Speaker A: Yes, that makes perfect sense. It really does. God is so strategic in everything that he does. So, yeah, that, that makes perfect sense now. When did you realize that this is a story that needed to be shared with the world? Because I'm assuming there was probably some local press with her recovery. Is that how it happened?

Speaker B: So there was a lot of local press. And then, um, about a year had passed and God just laid on my heart, christy, I want you to write a book about your journey. And I audibly said, no, God, I don't do those things. So, but, but thanks. Thanks, God, you're so cool thinking about me for that. Thanks. Yeah, exactly. And then again he told me, I want you to write a book about. About your journey. And again, I audibly said, no, that's silly. I don't do things like that. I don't write. Um, and then I had lunch with a high school friend that I hadn't seen in 10 years, out of the blue. And she said, uh, a real Godly woman. And she said, uh, you know, Christy, Guy told me that you needed to write a book about Ann Journey. First thing she said was she sat down at lunch. Hadn't seen her in 10 years. I haven't told anybody that God was laying it on my heart to write a book. And I looked at her and I said, well, that's pretty interesting, because God has been telling me, and I've been telling him no. She was like, well, you better get busy. So about a month later, she and I meet again. And she said, have you started? And I said, no. And she said, christy, God is not telling me to tell you. It's a matter of if you're going to write this book, it's when, and he wants you to get busy. And I went that day and bought a laptop and I sat down and started writing. And it just flooded from my soul.

Speaker A: Wow. It's almost like the words in you of what to say and how to say it.

Speaker B: Yes. It just flooded from my soul. And I wrote for days, just days. And Nights. And it was crazy. I just couldn't stop. And um, and then I thought, that's it, I'm done. I feel so good. And it was so cathartic. And God, you're so good and so smart. You knew exactly what I needed for healing. Thank you. And he was like, well, glad you got that out of it. But you now get out of my way because I have a lot to do.

Speaker A: Hey Mom. I just wanted to jump in here really quickly and say that if you're not on my mailing list, what are you waiting for? You can hear more great stories like this. I also give you tips on how you can use your platform to make an impact in the world and monetize your passions. So if that sounds of interest to you, click the link in the show notes and I'll also give you a free downloadable planner. Alright, let's get back into this episode.

Speaker B: And it just took off. It was crazy from there.

Speaker A: Wow. So when you wrote it, did you have an agent in mind or you're just writing it just for yourself? Like, how did the agent get involved? Were you thinking to self publishing? What was that whole process like?

Speaker B: So I genuinely was just thinking for healing purposes. Then I had a friend who was like, at the friend at the time who said, you know, let me take this and write a couple of book proposals and query letters and let me just take it to this book fair and kind of shop it. And so he took my manuscript and shopped it. And um, with the book proposals and the query letters. And then at that book fair, um, my literary agent heard about. No, because of the book fair, my literary agent heard about it and she contacted me and I interviewed her and some other literary agents and chose her. And she was from the top Christian literary agency in the country and actually just in Dallas, right up the road. So we connected. And after that, I mean, I interviewed with the top three book publishing companies in the country and chose Hachette. And then after we started working with them on getting it the manuscript in, you know, um, publishing format, then, uh, uh, she called me one day, was like, hey, I've got a gentleman from Sony Columbia Pictures, he wants to talk to you about doing a movie about your story and about the book. And I was like, what? You know, like the whole time I'm trying to slow everything down. I'm like, God, this is crazy how all this is happening. And he's like, I know, just get out of my way. Um, I'm making this happen because I need it to happen. So it was crazy.

Speaker A: Wow. So as far as the literary agent, did you have a literary agent going into the fair or is that where you found your literary agent?

Speaker B: You went in, that's how I found her down.

Speaker A: And you narrowed, narrowed down the literary agent at that fair. And then how long did it wait first, how long did it take for you to write it and then how long did it take to actually get published once the agent got it? Because I know sometimes it can take a couple of years, right, to see the published copy of your book.

Speaker B: Mhm. From the time it went to the fair, the book fair to pub date was I think, I think a year.

Speaker A: Oh, that's short.

Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. Like from the beginning to the end. I, I, I'm pretty, pretty accurate. I think it was a year.

Speaker A: And then how long after the book was published were you approached to turn this into a movie?

Speaker B: So the book was still being published when they came to me about the movie. And it was interesting because the day that it published, Annabelle and I were in New York and that was, um, the day I believe they started beginning to acquire everything for filming, if that's correct. Yes, they begin filming. So when we publish the book is when they begin filming the movie.

Speaker A: Wow. Because a lot of times how it happens, because my husband's a filmmaker and he works and he actually worked with the person, I know who you're talking about, who was interested in the film. They were working on a project together, so.

Speaker B: Oh, really? Devon Franklin?

Speaker A: Yes. Yes.

Speaker B: You're kidding.

Speaker A: No. So they were working on a TV show together, but the um, the network didn't pick it up. My husband wrote it. He's a TV producer writer, and they were working, it was like a faith based TV show. But you know, I don't know if you know the TV industry that end of it, but it's, it could be a long, arduous process. So anywho, they didn't pick up the show, but uh, I forgot where was I going with this? Oh, I was saying a lot of times how it happens, like the book has been like a bestseller or it's popular, et cetera. And then someone will reach out about turning it into a movie. But it hadn't even been published and gained traction yet.

Speaker B: No. And I'm not sure where Devon had heard about it. Um, him and Bishop T.D. jakes kind of came together. You know, Devon was the lead man coming to us. Um, I don't really now. Bishop T.D. jakes is in Dallas, you know, and we're south of Fort Worth. So I don't know if that's how it came about. I don't know how they got it. But, uh, Devon had worked with my Nina Madonia, my literary agent. He had worked with her before, and so he felt comfortable contacting Nina and saying, hey, I understand you're Christy Bean's literary agent. How they found all that out in the background, I don't know. Lots of people must talk in that industry. Yeah.

Speaker A: They must have heard of your story on the local level somehow.

Speaker B: Yeah, right. Must be because.

Speaker A: Because this was a. A local story that gained a lot of nationwide attention, didn't it, during the time, like, after she was healed. Is that, Is that what happened?

Speaker B: Yes. Mhm. It did not. Just a ton of nationwide attention, um, but definitely a lot of local attention. It was on, you know, local news and we had stations, uh, come out and do interviews with the family and photo shoots and some things like that.

Speaker A: Yeah. What was your background leading up to this? Were you a teacher? Did I read that somewhere? You were a teacher?

Speaker B: Yes, I was. I was a teacher. Taught fifth and sixth grade. And, um, my education, uh, my specialization was in reading. So I loved to teach reading and help kids, struggling readers. But I never really considered myself a writer. So it was, you know, interesting how

Speaker A: God could use that gift of reading. I could see how that, for you, become an author.

Speaker B: Yes. Yeah.

Speaker A: So as you're, you know, you have this platform now, now what is your goal like with this story? Like, what do you hope people will get from this story and from you just sharing about your past and Annabelle's life? Like, what do you hope to gain?

Speaker B: Oh, man, I just want people to know God is faithful. You know, a lot of times God, uh, he. He doesn't work. He doesn't work the way we put him in a box to work. And people get mad when he doesn't and they blame him. And people get, um, discouraged when he doesn't and they blame him and they turn him off and they begin to think, well, I'll just. If you're not going to get on board, then I'm just going to do things my way. And it's really the reverse. You know, God is like, if you would get on board and surrender and let me be God and get out of my way, then I can be God. And so, uh, just that he is so faithful and his heart breaks when our heart breaks. He is so precious and has such a desire to have an intimate relationship with us and truly just know us. But I just want people to understand that he is so good. And in all that we endured the miracles along the way, it was crazy seeing when I didn't think I saw God. I looked back. Right. Because I had the ability at that time to take a deep breath and look back. And when I saw his hand all over us, it was amazing. It was just. It still, uh, I see him in places where if I hadn't looked twice, I'd have missed it. And I'm like, you were there, God. You, um, were there. So I just want people to see that and know that and feel that they are not alone. He has a plan. He loves them, he adores them. He is working mightily. Even if you're not seeing it. Mhm.

Speaker A: Even in the suffering?

Speaker B: Yes. Yes. Especially in the suffering.

Speaker A: And I always say it's better to have a relationship with him in the suffering than not. And you're suffering alone and just going through this life alone without him. I always say it's better that he's in the picture than not in the picture. No matter what you're going through.

Speaker B: Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, I learned from my husband. Kevin is such a man, such a superhero. Gosh, he's the best. He is just the best. And, um, I struggled sometimes with my prayer life during Annabelle's illness because, because I would say, I would get angry at God, honestly, and say, I don't know what you want me to say to you. I'm frustrated. I'm, I'm, I'm mad. I hate that she hurts. She can't eat, she can't drink. I'm just, I'm mad and I don't know who to be mad at. So unfortunately, God amount at you. Um, but Kevin taught me through Romans 24:26 about the Holy Spirit groaning, um, on our behalf when we don't know what to pray anymore, when we have not the words, but groans. The Holy Spirit knows exactly what to say and how to intercede to the Lord on our behalf. And I would just literally rely on those groans.

Speaker A: Mhm.

Speaker B: Because I didn't have it in my soul to say it anymore. But the Holy Spirit did. Yes. And how precious is that? Yeah.

Speaker A: I love that. So I, I try to encourage moms to pursue their godlike passions, which I believe can lead to purpose. And there's moms listening. You know, maybe they have a story within, they don't know how to get it out. Like, what would you say to those moms? Maybe she does have a story to tell, but she doesn't think it's worth telling. Like, do you have any maybe words of encouragement for those moms that might be listening?

Speaker B: Yes, I would just say get it down on paper. Get it down on paper. Get it out of your heart, get it out of your mind. Um, and if you truly feel like you have a story that needs to go to be published, um, you can find, um, like I know Nina, my literary agent, has a, um, it's kind of like a template that you fill out for her company, for her website, not her website, but for her, and you put as much information on there. And if she feels like it's something that she can publish or that can go forward in the publishing industry, then they go forward with it and they help you publish your book. And I know that there's got to be other people out there who do that as well.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Um, so there's avenues that I feel like if you feel like, yes, my story needs to be shared and told, there's ways to get it out there. Even if you self publish through, you know, self publishing routes, that's a way to get it out there. But just more than anything, get it, get it, get it on paper, get it out of your mind and your heart. Just spill it. And there's so much healing and feeling. Just the cathartic feeling of that is amazing. Yeah.

Speaker A: And then if it's from God, God will open up the next steps and the doors for whatever's supposed to happen with it. So now all your kids are grown, you're an empty nester. So how is life different now that you're a mom with grown, three grown daughters? Like, how are things different? Like as far as you pursuing things that you enjoy or you know, maybe a next book for yourself, like, what does that look like?

Speaker B: I am still traveling and speaking and I love being able to do that. I love having speaking engagements, meeting people all over the world, sharing our story. It's just still so powerful. And um, and I love it. I love that ability to do that. I still, even though Abby's in, uh, one place and Annabelle's in another and Adeline's in another, um, still definitely doing the mom thing, juggling them in the, you know, various areas of Texas, taking care of everybo, Patty and Kevin. I'm very involved with our church and the Bible study that we do with our church and I love that sweet time. Um, you know, friends, I don't, I don't know. People keep telling me you need to write another book. I, I'm not there yet. You know, I feel like to write another one, I Want to write it? Honestly, my passion would be to write about what it's been like since Annabelle was healed, what our life has been like. But the girls, the last I checked with them now it's been a couple of years, they were like, can you hold off on that? We kind of just want to be normal, real, normal people for a little while and not have our business shared with the world. So maybe I'll check back with them and see how they're feeling about that. Yeah.

Speaker A: Now, uh, what is Annabelle doing today? I think she's in college. Is that correct? What does she want to do?

Speaker B: Yep, she is a senior in college. She wants to be a child life specialist at Cook Children's, where she spent so many nights and had so much good loving care from the child life specialists and nurses and doctors there. Um, she wants to go back and do for those kids what. What was done for her.

Speaker A: That's amazing. Now, what about her doctors? Her doctor still practicing or has he retired?

Speaker B: Sweet. Dr. Nerko. He is a machine. He is still practicing in Boston. His practice has exploded, as you can imagine. Um, he has had to hire doctors to work under him to be able to manage the incredible volume. He's doing amazing. He's brilliant. Uh, and he does so much for those children. They have the Annabelle Beam Research, Motility and Care Fund. So they're working. Try to find a cure. They're working.

Speaker A: That's so amazing because God has done so much because of the story. Now, have other people gotten healed or found a cure for their sickness because of, you know, the research? I'm assuming there's been more research done.

Speaker B: Not yet. There is still no cure. Um, and it's still a very awful disorder. It is typically a life sentence, and it's awful. But it has given so many hope. Just that alone is so encouraging that they are doing more research and more investigating because understandably, so, so much goes into cancer, but very little goes into gastroenterology.

Speaker A: Yeah. Well, thank you so much, Christy, for being here. Now, where can people find you if they want to get the book or want to just know what's going on with you and your family?

Speaker B: Yes. Okay, so I have a website and it's, you know, www.christybeam.com. and I am on Facebook. Christy, uh, Bean Miracles from Heaven. And then on Instagram, just Christy Bean. So. And we. I post pictures of the family and, you know, what, all kind of how everyone's doing and what we're doing and updates and, um. But, um. But yeah, that's where you can find us.

Speaker A: Thanks so much for listening today. Don't forget to join my weekly mailing list and download your free planner today. If you enjoyed this episode, would you do me a favor and share it with another mom who could use this blessing? As you know, my podcast is meant to encourage mothers, so any support from you would be so appreciated. Until next time.