"Heaven is For Real. . . My Daddy's Glimpse"
by Jackie Beck Barrett
Looking for a good book to read? I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Heaven is For Real: A
Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo. I
believe that Dad saw glimpses of heaven, some quite similar to the ones described in
this little book.
The most vivid glimpses happened over a period of five weeks while Dad was in the
hospital during March and April of 2009. I wrote of these experiences back then.
My dad (Tom Beck) is a very large man, whose body has been weakened over the
years by rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, melanoma cancer, and a myriad of heart
conditions. He has lived through two open heart surgeries (quadruple bypass and
aortic valve replacement) and several stent placements.
In March and April, he was hospitalized for abdominal pain which was thought to be
related to his gall bladder. A team of specialists reviewed his tests and had a surgery
plan in place which included a "down to the minute" schedule for how long he could
be kept under anesthesia in order to have his gall bladder removed. Before they
could find a surgeon willing to operate on him under these grueling conditions, he
began improving. (God answers prayers.) As it turns out, he never had the surgery!
Each test procedure weakened him more, and for many days he could not sit up in
bed without assistance. He was in severe pain at times, but could only have a limited
amount of pain medication because of the interaction these medications have with the
other 23 prescription medications that he takes on a daily basis.
I sat beside my daddy each night at the hospital so that my mother could go home and
rest in her own bed. My only sibling, a sister nine years my junior, was not able to
help with the hospital stay because she was undergoing daily radiation treatments for
breast cancer. (She had a double mastectomy in October, 2008.)
During these nights at the hospital, between the routine wake-ups for vital signs,
blood sugar tests, and lab calls for more blood draws, Daddy tried to rest. Often he
would be sleeping soundly -- snoring loudly -- then sit straight up in the bed (without
assistance) and start talking. I think he was seeing Heaven.
The first episode started with him sitting up in bed asking, "Jackie, where are we?" I
replied that we were in the hospital. His response was, "You might be in a hospital,
but I'm not. It's beautiful here. Everyone is smiling and nobody is hurting. The
streets are shiny gold. It sure is pretty here." Then he laid back down and went to
sleep.
Another night, he repeated the same scenario where he sat up in bed in the midst of a
deep sleep and said, "Jackie, do you know why we had so many problems on
Earth?" (Notice the word HAD...) I replied, "No. Why?" He replied, "Just listen to
the song they're singing." I couldn't hear the song they were singing, so I asked him to
tell me what was going on. He said that the angel choir was singing "What a Friend
We Have in Jesus." And he began singing all of the verses of this famous hymn with
the angel choir.
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.
Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer.
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.
When he finished singing, he reiterated his initial question, "Jackie, do you know why
we had so many problems on Earth?" And he answered himself, "Because we didn't
take EVERYTHING to the Lord in prayer." Then he laid back down and went to
sleep. The third episode occurred much the same way. He sat up and said, "Look at
them cows!" I replied that I didn't see any cows. He stated that there were cows of
every breed segregated in pastures of the most beautiful rolling green hills. All the
cows were "fat and pretty." (My dad's rural, agrarian upbringing is showing through
here!) He stated that there was nothing as peaceful or as beautiful as cows grazing on
bright green pastures. He said that everywhere he looked, there were cows all
around. Then he said, "You know, Jackie, your father owns the cattle on a thousand
hills." And he went back to sleep.
On yet another night, at a point where he was at his weakest, Daddy sat straight up in
the bed and started waving, as if he saw people he knew. He had the biggest smile on
his face! I asked him who he saw. He replied, "There's Dub, Jim, Elsie, Arvel ... and
there's Mama!" (These are the names of his siblings who have gone on to their
eternal resting place ... and of course, his mother!) Without further words, he laid
back down and went to sleep.
The last episode occurred just a couple of days before he came home from the
hospital. I guess he was feeling better, so he was thinking of work. ... He sat straight
up and said, "I never thought that I'd see you here!" I asked who he was surprised to
see. He said, "Just get out of the way! I'll stack those tires so that they won't fall
over." (Daddy worked for 37 years in the warehouse at Sears Roebuck and
Company in downtown Dallas.) Again, I asked to whom he was speaking. His reply
was, "K.D. Love." Then he said, "If you would just leave things alone, everything
would be OK out here." With that, he went back to sleep. When he woke up the next
morning, I asked him about K.D. Love. He told me that Mr. Love was his old boss
who "messed up more than he ever fixed" at Sears. I told him about what he had said
about the tires, etc. He didn't remember anything about the episode. Since coming
home from the hospital, I've talked with him about all of these experiences. He
doesn't remember any of them except the cows. The cattle on a thousand hills seem
to be indelibly etched on his brain. He still talks about the "prettiest, fattest cows"
that he saw while in the hospital. I believe that my dad was seeing into Heaven.
The Bible tells us that Heaven is beautiful; that there are streets of gold; and that
there is no pain. Can't you just imagine the angelic choir singing "What a Friend We
Have in Jesus?" Psalm 50:10 speaks of God the Father owning the cattle on a
thousand hills. But perhaps, best of all, we will know each other there! I can just
imagine my uncles, aunt and grandmother looking down on him in the hospital bed,
extending their arms out to hug him and welcome him home. I can't wait to see them
again someday soon! But, God is not finished with my Dad yet. Today, he is home
from the hospital and adjusting to his new lifestyle of living with an oxygen tank
24/7. Like he has said before each surgery he's endured, "If I make it through, then
that's OK. God isn't finished with me yet. If I don't make it, that's OK, too. I know
where I'm going and everything will be OK there. I won't be in any more pain."
===============================================================
Fast forward to June, 2012. . .
In 2011, Dad endured emotional pain that hurt him more than ANY of his physical
ailments when he lost Mom and Julia exactly eight weeks apart. On August 11, Mom
had a “fender bender” and died due to a hemorrhagic stroke on August 29. Julia was
still battling cancer and missed a couple of treatments during the time that she was in
Fort Worth spending time with Dad and helping with Mom’s memorial service
planning. Unfortunately, the cancer spread with a vengeance and she passed away on
October 24. I have NEVER seen my daddy cry so much in all my life. Each day was
a struggle. He was absolutely lost without Mom. Dad’s health began rapidly
declining in February, 2012. He was hospitalized twelve times between February and
June. His last hospital stay was due to gall bladder problems … the same problem
he was having back in 2009 when I wrote the first part of this journal. The doctors
said that his gall bladder was “rotten” and had to be removed. However,the
cardiologist said that his heart was too weak to withstand the surgery. I stayed with
Dad night and day at the hospital, because he never wanted to be alone. Once again,
I think Dad had some glimpses of heaven. On two different occasions he got this far-
off look in his eyes and said,“Everyone here is singing!” I was the only one there
with him, and I was NOT singing!
Another time, he got that big smile on his face and said, “Momma! I want a glass of
water!” I went to his bedside and offered him a drink, but he told me that Momma
already got it for him. (He often called my mother (his wife) “Momma”, so I am not
sure whether or not he got his drink of water from HIS mother or MY mother!) The
last thing Dad said, again with that dreamy look in his eyes was, “Everyone here is
singing! La! La! La!” Attempts to fight the infection with IV antibiotics were
unsuccessful, and his official cause of death was sepsis: infection spread throughout
the body. He finally got to GO to heaven around supper time on Thursday, June 12,
2012.
I miss him so much!
Jackie Barrett
A special THANK YOU to Ginger Robinson -- my dear friend and wise counselor –
because it was she who encouraged me to write these stories down back in 2009.
by Jackie Beck Barrett
Looking for a good book to read? I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Heaven is For Real: A
Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo. I
believe that Dad saw glimpses of heaven, some quite similar to the ones described in
this little book.
The most vivid glimpses happened over a period of five weeks while Dad was in the
hospital during March and April of 2009. I wrote of these experiences back then.
My dad (Tom Beck) is a very large man, whose body has been weakened over the
years by rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, melanoma cancer, and a myriad of heart
conditions. He has lived through two open heart surgeries (quadruple bypass and
aortic valve replacement) and several stent placements.
In March and April, he was hospitalized for abdominal pain which was thought to be
related to his gall bladder. A team of specialists reviewed his tests and had a surgery
plan in place which included a "down to the minute" schedule for how long he could
be kept under anesthesia in order to have his gall bladder removed. Before they
could find a surgeon willing to operate on him under these grueling conditions, he
began improving. (God answers prayers.) As it turns out, he never had the surgery!
Each test procedure weakened him more, and for many days he could not sit up in
bed without assistance. He was in severe pain at times, but could only have a limited
amount of pain medication because of the interaction these medications have with the
other 23 prescription medications that he takes on a daily basis.
I sat beside my daddy each night at the hospital so that my mother could go home and
rest in her own bed. My only sibling, a sister nine years my junior, was not able to
help with the hospital stay because she was undergoing daily radiation treatments for
breast cancer. (She had a double mastectomy in October, 2008.)
During these nights at the hospital, between the routine wake-ups for vital signs,
blood sugar tests, and lab calls for more blood draws, Daddy tried to rest. Often he
would be sleeping soundly -- snoring loudly -- then sit straight up in the bed (without
assistance) and start talking. I think he was seeing Heaven.
The first episode started with him sitting up in bed asking, "Jackie, where are we?" I
replied that we were in the hospital. His response was, "You might be in a hospital,
but I'm not. It's beautiful here. Everyone is smiling and nobody is hurting. The
streets are shiny gold. It sure is pretty here." Then he laid back down and went to
sleep.
Another night, he repeated the same scenario where he sat up in bed in the midst of a
deep sleep and said, "Jackie, do you know why we had so many problems on
Earth?" (Notice the word HAD...) I replied, "No. Why?" He replied, "Just listen to
the song they're singing." I couldn't hear the song they were singing, so I asked him to
tell me what was going on. He said that the angel choir was singing "What a Friend
We Have in Jesus." And he began singing all of the verses of this famous hymn with
the angel choir.
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.
Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer.
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.
When he finished singing, he reiterated his initial question, "Jackie, do you know why
we had so many problems on Earth?" And he answered himself, "Because we didn't
take EVERYTHING to the Lord in prayer." Then he laid back down and went to
sleep. The third episode occurred much the same way. He sat up and said, "Look at
them cows!" I replied that I didn't see any cows. He stated that there were cows of
every breed segregated in pastures of the most beautiful rolling green hills. All the
cows were "fat and pretty." (My dad's rural, agrarian upbringing is showing through
here!) He stated that there was nothing as peaceful or as beautiful as cows grazing on
bright green pastures. He said that everywhere he looked, there were cows all
around. Then he said, "You know, Jackie, your father owns the cattle on a thousand
hills." And he went back to sleep.
On yet another night, at a point where he was at his weakest, Daddy sat straight up in
the bed and started waving, as if he saw people he knew. He had the biggest smile on
his face! I asked him who he saw. He replied, "There's Dub, Jim, Elsie, Arvel ... and
there's Mama!" (These are the names of his siblings who have gone on to their
eternal resting place ... and of course, his mother!) Without further words, he laid
back down and went to sleep.
The last episode occurred just a couple of days before he came home from the
hospital. I guess he was feeling better, so he was thinking of work. ... He sat straight
up and said, "I never thought that I'd see you here!" I asked who he was surprised to
see. He said, "Just get out of the way! I'll stack those tires so that they won't fall
over." (Daddy worked for 37 years in the warehouse at Sears Roebuck and
Company in downtown Dallas.) Again, I asked to whom he was speaking. His reply
was, "K.D. Love." Then he said, "If you would just leave things alone, everything
would be OK out here." With that, he went back to sleep. When he woke up the next
morning, I asked him about K.D. Love. He told me that Mr. Love was his old boss
who "messed up more than he ever fixed" at Sears. I told him about what he had said
about the tires, etc. He didn't remember anything about the episode. Since coming
home from the hospital, I've talked with him about all of these experiences. He
doesn't remember any of them except the cows. The cattle on a thousand hills seem
to be indelibly etched on his brain. He still talks about the "prettiest, fattest cows"
that he saw while in the hospital. I believe that my dad was seeing into Heaven.
The Bible tells us that Heaven is beautiful; that there are streets of gold; and that
there is no pain. Can't you just imagine the angelic choir singing "What a Friend We
Have in Jesus?" Psalm 50:10 speaks of God the Father owning the cattle on a
thousand hills. But perhaps, best of all, we will know each other there! I can just
imagine my uncles, aunt and grandmother looking down on him in the hospital bed,
extending their arms out to hug him and welcome him home. I can't wait to see them
again someday soon! But, God is not finished with my Dad yet. Today, he is home
from the hospital and adjusting to his new lifestyle of living with an oxygen tank
24/7. Like he has said before each surgery he's endured, "If I make it through, then
that's OK. God isn't finished with me yet. If I don't make it, that's OK, too. I know
where I'm going and everything will be OK there. I won't be in any more pain."
===============================================================
Fast forward to June, 2012. . .
In 2011, Dad endured emotional pain that hurt him more than ANY of his physical
ailments when he lost Mom and Julia exactly eight weeks apart. On August 11, Mom
had a “fender bender” and died due to a hemorrhagic stroke on August 29. Julia was
still battling cancer and missed a couple of treatments during the time that she was in
Fort Worth spending time with Dad and helping with Mom’s memorial service
planning. Unfortunately, the cancer spread with a vengeance and she passed away on
October 24. I have NEVER seen my daddy cry so much in all my life. Each day was
a struggle. He was absolutely lost without Mom. Dad’s health began rapidly
declining in February, 2012. He was hospitalized twelve times between February and
June. His last hospital stay was due to gall bladder problems … the same problem
he was having back in 2009 when I wrote the first part of this journal. The doctors
said that his gall bladder was “rotten” and had to be removed. However,the
cardiologist said that his heart was too weak to withstand the surgery. I stayed with
Dad night and day at the hospital, because he never wanted to be alone. Once again,
I think Dad had some glimpses of heaven. On two different occasions he got this far-
off look in his eyes and said,“Everyone here is singing!” I was the only one there
with him, and I was NOT singing!
Another time, he got that big smile on his face and said, “Momma! I want a glass of
water!” I went to his bedside and offered him a drink, but he told me that Momma
already got it for him. (He often called my mother (his wife) “Momma”, so I am not
sure whether or not he got his drink of water from HIS mother or MY mother!) The
last thing Dad said, again with that dreamy look in his eyes was, “Everyone here is
singing! La! La! La!” Attempts to fight the infection with IV antibiotics were
unsuccessful, and his official cause of death was sepsis: infection spread throughout
the body. He finally got to GO to heaven around supper time on Thursday, June 12,
2012.
I miss him so much!
Jackie Barrett
A special THANK YOU to Ginger Robinson -- my dear friend and wise counselor –
because it was she who encouraged me to write these stories down back in 2009.
