'Miracles From Heaven' Girl Annabel Beam Talks Real Life Experience in Heaven (Interview)
DALLAS – While on the road promoting the upcoming film "Miracles From Heaven" about their life, the Beam family opened up about Heaven, keeping the faith in times of crisis and more.
"Miracles From Heaven" narrates the real-life story of 12-year-old Annabel Beam (Kylie Rogers), who is the daughter of Kevin (Martin Henderson) and Christy Beam (Jennifer Garner). Anna suffered from a pseudo-obstruction motility disorder for years and was unable to eat, using feeding tubes for nutrition. One day, after a near-death fall from a tree, she is subsequently cured of her disorder – a miracle that Anna said she was told would happen by Jesus himself while unconscious and in Heaven.
When asked if "Miracles From Heaven" really captured her experience in Heaven, Anna flat out said "No!"
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"In my experience I didn't have to go through a journey to go to Heaven," she told The Christian Post. "I was just kind of there."
"Miracles from Heaven," which hits theaters March 16, portrays Heaven as somewhat of a magical forest with brilliant colors and butterflies. Anna maintains that she did not in fact see those things.
"In my experience it was bright and [there] wasn't fields and things like that," she revealed.
Watch CP's full interview with the Beam family below.
Although the movie took theatrical liberties in its portrayal of Heaven, it does give viewers an accurate glimpse into the pain the Beam family suffered. Kevin, Anna's father, explains how he kept his faith while navigating through the rough times.
"It was a daily reset for me and I feel like on the surface I had to be incredibly strong, first off for Anna because she was going through so much physically on a daily basis, that I needed to be strong for her and then for the entire family," he said.
Kevin is portrayed in the movie as the calm parent who keeps his faith throughout everything and does whatever he can to support his family, but he says in real life things were a bit different.
"It doesn't come across in the movie but they were there for me way more than I was there for them – our family, we just fed off of each other," Kevin assured. "This would be my week to have just a really hard week and Christy would be right there for me, Abby, Addeline even Anna! There's times when she's comforting me when I was trying to comfort her."
"Ultimately it was a daily reset to say, 'my family needs me to be strong.' It doesn't mean that I wasn't challenged, it doesn't mean that I didn't question why things were happening but I ultimately didn't question the source." The father of three continued, "I knew that God was ultimately in control. Never did I imagine that the outcome would be as beautiful as it was but I knew that God knew."
Abigail (Abby) is the eldest Beam daughter and was present at the time of Anna's miraculous fall. After watching the movie, it is evident that all of the family members were seemingly affected by Anna's condition, but Abby maintains that it was much worse having to live it out.
"It was hard to watch for sure. That whole time period was just so hard. In the movie it happens a lot quicker than it actually did in our lives. It actually went on for a period of a few years of when she was sick. So it was such a large section of my life that I don't really think about as much, because it was so hard," the 16-year-old sibling said. "Seeing it on screen was hard. Also, I just left feeling my faith so reassured. I'm just so excited for other people to see it and hopefully leave with that same sense of just faith that God is real and God is there."
In the faith-based flick, Christy Beam fights until the end to get answers on her daughter's condition but at one point loses peace and becomes angry with God.
"I look back right now and reflect on that time when I was so angry and frustrated and the sweetest thing about that is, as angry and as frustrated as I got at Him, He never, ever, ever was angry or frustrated at me and always showed His love through others to me. So never at any time was I alone," Christy said of God and her experience.
She added, "Even when I thought that I was alone and in a dark place, He was still reaching and loving me through the arms and the hands and the help and prayers [of] other people."
Now with a book out and a movie on the horizon, Christy and her family have been propelled into full-time ministry, spreading the message of hope in eternity through those platforms. Christy admits that she is still baffled.
"I know that my platform has become that of the encourager, I never thought that I would be the encourager to others," Christy stated, "Just that God is not only real but that He is faithful, during those times when you feel like there's silence or darkness. There are acts of faithfulness all around you."
"That has become my platform and my ministry to help people come to that understanding that it may be dark and it may be a struggle but look at Him reaching you through so many other avenues that you're missing because your head is down, but look up," she concludes.
For more information on "Miracles from Heaven," visit sonypictures.com
