Transcription
I had a um ventricular fibrillation. So, my heart completely stopped and I fell over dead on the ice and my heart wasn't beating and I wasn't breathing. I saw what was going on, but really didn't recognize that was me. And then then in and then in a split moment, I was standing just in this light like all all white everywhere. Um, and it just encapsulated you. It surrounded you. It filled you up. It penetrated through you. And in that moment, I knew I was standing in the presence of our our God. And at that moment, I was so in awe of the presence of the Lord. Sorry, I just get emotional because it's so amazing. God's love is so amazing. It was God. I knew it was him. My thought was, you know, what about all this theology, you know, men think men talk about when you die, you know, and I just kind of heard God's response, and his response was, "Well, that theology."
This is Beyond with Heather Tash, where we examine near-death experiences and life itself, hopefully making this life a little better. Hello everybody. Welcome and hello to my guest Billy Gafa. Hi Billy.
Hi. How are you?
I am wonderful. And I'm so happy to have you here today. So often when people hear near-death experiences, they say, "Well, you know, was a person really dead?" And and what I love about your story is you had about two pe two 200 people witness that you were dead. You also had a doctor um confirm that you were dead for I think over 15 minutes.
Yeah, in that area.
Yeah. So, it's it's such an incredible story. So, please take us to that day in April of 2022 when you were about to begin a hockey game.
Yeah. So, um that day I was um getting ready for our hockey game. It was the city finals um you know for our hockey uh uh game and it was really the first time that they were going to have fans since it was right after COVID um you know with the whole thing with the co and um so everybody kind of was excited and everybody got to come see the hockey game and it's a the Aspen City hockey league. We have three different um uh you have the A and the B and the C league and I'm in the B league. So, we were getting ready and I well I also teach ski. So, I was teaching skiing that day. I came home. Um, and I talked to my family. I was talking to my wife and my daughter's like, "You guys going to come play watch me play hockey?" And uh, usually my my my wife might come, but my daughter never comes because she plays hockey, too. Why would she want to sit in the hockey rink and watch her old man play hockey, right? So, I put on a funky suit and uh I asked them if they wanted to play come watch and um my daughter's like maybe and and she ended up actually coming to the game. Uh she never really does. She she said maybe and then my wife confirmed with her later when I was already gone. But I go to the rink and you know we're all getting uh you know amped up to play and we're in the locker room and um thing is I never really prayed with my team before. And in that locker room at that moment I felt God say to me, you know, you need to pray. And we're in the locker room and guys are cracking beers and doing shots of fireball because it's a beer league hockey. Now, I I don't partake in that before the game because I just can't handle it, you know. Um, but you know, in the locker room, I said, you know, guys, I I I pray in the name of Jesus. I know some guys aren't believers, but I hope that's okay. And for that moment, just that moment, everybody was put down what they were doing. The music stopped and everybody focused on me. And I just prayed in the name of Jesus, a simple prayer for protection. And that was it. And it was just kind of amazing that I felt a need for prayer. Um, and then we go out there and we were playing the game and sometime halfway through the third period is when I collapsed on the ice and I died. And people ask me, well, did you, you know, when you died, did you feel dead? I I never felt like I died, you know. I felt taken somewhere else. I felt in a different place. And when it all went down, I was standing in a light that I can't describe it in any way, shape, or form. Um, I I've always put it this way. I I It's like trying to describe the color blue to a blind man that's never seen. It's a light that is so intense. It's so warming and beautiful. And when you're standing there, you're you're full of love. You are encapsulated with the the love of God. And when I think about it, it just brings me back to that. But you know when I fell best the way I closing my eyes and remembering this the best way to describe it is like I was pulled away from my body and I was standing in the other room and I saw what was going on but really didn't recognize that was me and then then in and then in a split moment I was standing just in this light like all all white everywhere. Um and it just encapsulated you. It surrounded you. It filled you up. It penetrated through you. And in that moment, I knew I was standing in the presence of our our God, our Lord, and our Savior. And um and I was just standing there. And I just remember just feeling so loved and like drowning in a sea of it and a warmth. And I knew that God was around me somewhere. I just didn't know where. It was just everywhere. Couldn't explain it. Um, and then I had a thought, you know, and I and and when I when I say I was thinking, you know, I was just thought I was there by myself and and I and I had an answer. Somebody started talking to me and it was God. I knew it was him. And my thought was, you know, what about all this theology? You know, men think men talk about when you die, you know, and I just kind of heard God's response and his response was, "Well, that theology, that's just silliness. Do you remember what Jesus when Jesus was asked about the most important commandments, the two most comp most important commandments?" And I was like, "Yeah." And God said, you know, love your God with all your heart, all your spirit, and all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself, and all things will will fall under that. And when that was spoken to me, when that was spoken to me, it was like everything made sense. It was so simple. That's the best way to describe it. It was just, it all made sense. Um, and yeah, I mean, I was like, "Wow, and all my senses seemed like they were alive. Like I could smell God and I could taste him." And when I say taste, it's the sweetest taste. It's the most amazing taste. And you know that it is good because it's like it's like everything is just like flowing through you. You're just like so alive at that moment. And you could smell him. This was a sweet sweet smell. And um I could tell the difference between God the Father and the Holy Spirit. And I felt the Holy Spirit sitting to my right here. And it was just absolutely amazing. And on the other side of the lake, standing in a bubble, there was a bubble just outside it, like just in the shadows. And in that bubble was all was going on in on the ice. I could see the action that was happening. I could see my body on the ice, but I didn't really recognize it was me, and it didn't matter at that moment. Nothing really else nothing else mattered. And it's so funny cuz uh uh one of the refs that were on the ice wrote a article the next day in the paper and it said nothing else mattered. And it honestly it it's so apppropo that he named it that because that's how I felt. Nothing else mattered at that moment. I was in the presence of God. I was standing in the light and and I was filled with absolute love and peace. And the best way to describe that feeling is I don't know a a safe place, you know, I was there, you know. So, as I was looking at this bubble, I could see like a shadow. Like if you could imagine sun setting or sun rising, you know, it seemed like the shadow was kind of coming up over the bubble and the sun was setting on this bubble. But I felt the Holy Spirit say, you know, you need to go back. Not in any words, but I was led back and I started walking towards the bubble. And as I started walking towards the bubble was just outside the light, the shadow started to recede as if the sun was rising. And the bubble and all around it started to become lighter and the darkness that was over the bubble started to recede and trickle to the ground. And it grew thick like mud or like oil. And as I got to the bubble, that mud and that oil like it seemed like a snake. It just like slivered into the ground and then it just became bright light all around that bubble. And that's when I saw into the bubble and I saw my body and I recognized that was me. And as soon as I recognized that was me, I woke up in the hospital. And when I woke up, I just felt so at peace and so at love and um knew that that at that moment God was absolute and that God was real.
Meanwhile, what was happening on the ice?
Were people doing CPR?
Yeah.
So, what happened was I I I had a um ventricular fibrillation. So, my heart completely stopped. And I fell over dead on the ice and my heart wasn't beating and I wasn't breathing. And so on the ice, people were rushing around. Um, one of the ladies went to go get the defiill to put it on me. Um, and they got it on me and it and they had to shock me like four times. Uh at that moment um my wife and my daughter who were at the game were like trying to get on the ice and all my hockey friends and goons were holding her back cuz they didn't want to see her to see me dead. I mean I turned I went from being this color I remember the the people saying oh your color is so much better because I went from this to like an ash color to absolutely pale. um because there's no oxygen in my system, nothing. Um and then they did four shocks of the um AED, which ended up on the four shock bringing my heart back into rhythm or some rhythm. And that's when the um EMT showed up and started doing their stuff. And at first, nobody knew what to do. It was like I was laying on the ice. Um Eddie the goalie came out who actually had just taken his CPR classes two days earlier and recognized my heart wasn't beating at that very moment. Anthony, one of my uh friends who played the goalie in the first game, actually left the building, he felt like he needed to come back. And when he came back, he's he's a um police officer and a sheriff uh deputy and he's done CPR and three other people that did not make it. and he recognized that I made what you call an agonal breath. It's your last breath. And he saw that and when he saw that he ran out and he's actually the one that started doing CPR with me along with the goalie and then several other people came out. There was a nurse that was going to play in the game afterwards. She came running out and started doing CPR on me. So, I had a team of people like there and then there was a doctor in the stands that came out and started giving me breaths. And then my friend Ben who I play um hockey with. He's on my line. He actually came over and started praying over me and they're like, "No, dude, you got to give me space." And he's like, "No, I know exactly what to do here." And his story is amazing too because prior to this game, like two years prior to the game, he had a vision that he was actually at a sporting event and he prayed over somebody and they came back to life. So no coincidence there. And then um with my whole my wife's whole backstory about her visions and all that um it it's just amazing. And um the thing is he could not pray. He just kept on saying the name Jesus. The name Jesus. Which brings me to the vision I had. Um like after all of this happened, people were giving me books about uh near-death experiences and afterlife experiences and this that and the other. And um I I'd say about two weeks after I I was praying and then in my prayer time I was asking God. And I said, "God, you know, all these people saw Jesus, but I didn't see Jesus at this very moment." And you know, when you lay in bed and you're you just woke up in the morning, but you're laying in bed and you're still having kind of visions and dreams. God brought me back to that moment and it was strong and I had all the feelings just like I did there. And at that moment, I was so in awe of the presence of the Lord. Sorry, I just get emotional because it's so amazing. God's love is so amazing. When I was there, you know, he brought me back to that and I felt all that again. And I He said, "Look in the bubble." And when I was looking through the bubble, I saw Jesus on the other side. And he was standing and as people were praying or as as Ben was praying over me and as people were doing all what they were doing, he was there just guiding people. And he goes, "Jesus was always there. He's always been with you." He came down because he was there because all Ben could say was Jesus. All my wife, my wife is a war parent. All she could say was Jesus. And it's not a coincidence that that what happened. So God reminded me that Jesus is always there.
Your wife also asked you whether you saw her and you were able to verify the things that she was experiencing.
Yeah. Um gosh, it just all plays like a movie in my head when I was standing there in the light. I remember kind of like before I was drawn back into the light or wherever, however it happened, I remember just kind of like not that I was lost, but I was moving around the rink, you You know, I was on the other side of the glass and I remember hear people hear hearing people talk. And I remember standing next to my wife and a gentleman or some, you know, male voice was saying, "It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay. He's going to be okay." And my I was felt like I was I was standing next to my wife and I didn't know who was standing like somebody behind me was saying that. Um and it turns out that my wife is like, "Yeah, that's exactly what happened. my friend Tiger was standing next to her um comforting her, telling her it was going to be okay, you know, and that's just just crazy that I was standing there and that she was standing there and he was saying those exact words. Um and I remember standing and and having visions of being just around that and seeing people move and and surround me. Um, and it was funny. I described the situation after the event without seeing any pictures of where people were standing and they're like, "Yeah, I was here and he was there." And it's just, you know, it's not a coincidence. And I just felt like I was walking around. Even my goalie was saying that even after the experience, you said he went to bed that night and had a dream that I was walking around outside my body telling everybody in the hockey rink that I would be okay. So that's kind of crazy.
That is just incredible. Yeah.
How attached were you to your body and just your life in general?
Like when I was there,
you were having your experience.
Well, I didn't feel like attached at all. I guess that's the best way to put it, you know. Um be it seemed like so much happened like hours of events on the other side but yet it only happened in 15 minutes. You know what I mean? And one of those is like you know I didn't feel like I was attached. I felt so alive where I was. I felt like that was more real than actually where we are today where I am today. I felt like that was home and um where we are now today is just like a movie. I guess the best way to put it. Um I feel like that's where we belong as opposed to where we are today.
You describe the light and that God was around you. Was God the light?
I think so. I believe so. I believe that he is the light. Um Jesus is the light. He is the way. I mean, yeah. And it encapsulates you. It it moves through you. It it just comes out of you. I don't want to explain it. There's no explanation for it, but you know, you'll know. You know, when you're there, you'll you'll know. So, and I want people to experience God. I want people to know he is real.
The peace that you felt, can you describe that more?
best way to describe it is the way that um the Bible describes it. It's a peace beyond all understanding. And that's the best way I could put it is it's it's such a peace. You just feel so at home. You feel so loved. The peace is like love. Love beyond all understanding. peace beyond all understanding and um you know that's where you belong.
You were able to distinguish between God and the Holy Spirit. What is the difference between the two of them?
I would say God, you know that he's to put it in layman ter honcho. He's the guy in charge. I guess that's way best way to put it. And then the Holy Spirit is like so mothering. It's it's just like Jesus said he's going to send your helper. The helper very very mothering, very guiding is the best way to put it. Guided me back. Like as I was walking, I was still having a conversation with God. I can't remember all the things I said. I do remember one thing. He left me with Isaiah 43 and I had to go back and read it and it says, "You will be redeemed." um you know in short of it um he said just you know remember these things remember the it was hard to remember everything but that I came away with and I think the Holy Spirit was guiding me and he was like they're one all in one but separate but I could tell the difference between God the father God the spirit
one of the things I find the most interesting is that when you ask God about theology. God said, "Man's theology is just silliness."
Yeah.
So, what exactly does that mean?
Well, I'm not saying that, hey, his word is his word. He made it cuz when I said that, it wasn't meaning that, hey, his word isn't truth. Okay? So, like that was in my heart. His word is truth. So he understood or I understood like when he said that man's theology is silliness. He understood that absolutely his word is his word. His theology is true. His word is true. His word goes out and does not come back void. And he understood that. He's just talking about like when we make things up about I don't know like when I was standing there I'm like what about all this you know where's the steps to heaven? Where's the you know the pearly gates? that kind of thing, you know, that's that's what I was talking about, you know, and and and you know, our interpretations sometimes aren't, you know, what God meant means. His his word is his word. His truth is his truth. The one thing he said that I hear from so many near-death experiencers is, you know, he talked about love. And, you know, he said, you know, love your God with all your heart and also to love your neighbor as yourself, and everything else will fall into place. And I really found that to be interesting as well because it's so often that is what's emphasized.
Yeah. And it's true. And it when you're standing it just everything like everything falls under that and it just makes so much sense when you're there. It's so simple yet when we're here on this side it's we convolute it so hard you know and I don't know else how else to put it. God is God is good. He wants the best for us. You know we ask for uh you know food. He doesn't give us a snake or a stone in that matter. He gives us love. He gives us abundance. Um gosh, it just, you know, when I think about it, how my wife was praying and she couldn't say nothing but Jesus. And when Ben was praying, he could say nothing but Jesus and Jesus came. I just keep on thinking, "Knock and the door will be answered. Seek and you will find." Well, they were just knocking. They were asking and and he was there.
So considering that God said this about theology, did it alter your religious views or your beliefs at all after you came back?
Um I wouldn't say it altered it as opposed to it strengthened my belief that God is real. You know how many times and and we all I mean I I don't know as for me and I'll speak from my heart. I can't speak for everybody else. How many times have we questioned God, is is God real? You know, um I mean, sitting in church when we're praying and we get that doubt. I don't know where it comes from, but I've I've had it bubble up in me so many times before this, but since that, I don't doubt God is real. Without a doubt, he is real. Without a doubt, he is there. Without a doubt, heaven is real.
And that kind of brings up an interesting thing because you did have doubts and yet you were clearly welcomed in. And so maybe it's not quite as rigid as some people think.
Well, yeah, maybe. I mean I think you know I truly believe that Jesus is our Lord and our Savior and I believe that he is the way and he is the light life and um you know and I I I truly believe that but God has mercy on who God will have mercy on. You know what I mean? Um we will stand in in the presence of God all of us. I guarantee it one day and I guarantee that we will all claim that he Jesus is is the Lord and the Savior. I guarantee it because of where I was standing. Um and then you know I I think heaven and this is just my opinion. I think heaven is filled with all those that believe. Um and if we have that point I mean we'll all have that point in our life or there I don't know but we all have that point in life to say that if Jesus is real if Jesus is our Lord and Savior to proclaim him king or not. So yeah
as the saying goes there's no atheists in the foxholes.
Yeah. No.
I I think what you're saying is interesting, too, because so many of us know people that are agnostic and atheists, and I'm getting the impression that you're thinking eventually everybody is going to know God and is is going to be before God and and and get it, if that's the way to put it.
I mean, I can't answer that for sure. I mean, I'm not a theologian myself. Um, but uh, you know, I know from where I was standing and where I was, we just got to keep it simple that if you love God with all your heart, if you love God with all your spirit, if you love God with all your mind and you love your neighbor as yourself, I think all when he says all things will fall underneath that, the Holy Spirit, I believe, will talk to you and guide you in the that we need to be guided. I mean, I really believe that, you know, when I stand there and I think about when Jesus was standing next to me and my o over me on my dead body, that he did come back. He didn't only come back for me. He came back for all of us. He died on the cross for all of us. He took the nails to the cross for all of us. And you know, I think that's why I could stand in front of God and stand in the light. I, you know, yeah, I don't I don't have all the answers. I just know where I was and how I felt.
And yet, it's so fascinating to hear what you experienced. You saw a shadow around this bubble. And I was curious, what exactly was that shadow?
I think that was the curtain closing. I think that was death.
Okay.
I felt like that was death. Absolutely. like the there's the light and then there's the darkness. Okay. And I think that was the, you know, the curtain falling on my life and I had a choice at that point to stay or go back, you know, and maybe that was the time. I don't know. or it's funny that you mentioned that because the day that I died and I can go back and I don't think I've talked about this on other podcasts or maybe I did. I don't know. Um I could smell death. I didn't know that's what it was that day of my death what day I died. But it was a rotten smell. I could smell something. Something wasn't right that day. and something was and and and like now I could smell it. I could feel something off, something not right. But when I go back and I think about it, I think that shadow was what I was smelling. I think that death was what I was smelling. Um because I didn't feel right. And that's why I think I was prompted to pray that day with with my team.
It's interesting how um scent played such a big role in your near-death experience with just both. You said you could smell the death, but then you also said God had this amazing smell as well.
Sweet, sweet, sweet smell. You know, they say God taste God, know he's good. Smell him, know he's good. I mean, taste him. Know he's Yeah. It's It's amazing.
Where do you think you were? Were you in like a did you just kind of step out of this dimension into another one?
I think I was at the footsteps of heaven and I was just I think the the best way to put I was just in the presence of God and I believe that if I would have turned around maybe I would have saw the steps to heaven or if I would have saw God's face. I don't think I would want to have come back. So, I think that God guarded me from that because he knew that I needed to be here because my my job isn't done. I really feel like after all this happened, my my mission in life is just to let know God people let people know that God exists. God is real. That's it.
How are you different today than you were before this experience? Do you live differently?
Um, I wouldn't say a ton changed in my daily life. You know, I still work. I still coach, but I love people a lot more. I see people with God's eyes a lot more. Um, yeah, his love just flows through me. And I could say that that's one thing. And another thing is fear. I don't fear dying. I'm ready. You know, not that I want to die, not that I want to be morbid. I definitely but my mission here is to you know I think to spread the love of God to give people uh hope and let them know that God is real let them know that Jesus is real and that he God for us and he is here for us just like he came over he you know I I don't know how to explain it he he died for us so we could live
it's so interesting to me that near-death experiencers always come back and they always talk about this love and how, you know, incredible God's love is and and how important it is to love. And yet, I do think that sometimes that's one of the things we forget the most in this society. Even people who have a faith, sometimes that's not as big a part of it as it should be.
Yeah. Why is that?
Why is that? Well, and how do you think you said that you would love it if people could experience this. So, how do you think the world would change if everyone had an experience like you did?
I don't think there'd be war or hate or, you know, I I think we would all have the mind of Christ at that point. I think we would you know I think we would surrender to his love in such a way that we would love each other because when you feel the absolute love of God you can't help but have the abs to spread that to give that to to live that to serve people's because you want them to have the best just like God wants the best for us
and I love that you gave such a nice description at the beginning of God and and being in that presence because I think many of us just crave, you know, that sense of of what you experienced and I felt like you did such a nice job of just relaying that to all of us.
Yeah. Thank you. One thing else that was crazy too is that when you went to a doctor afterward, he asked you about your first heart attack.
Yeah, that's a that's another crazy thing. That's kind of the backstory to this. So, you know, they were telling me that I had a total occlusion of my right artery, which is still like that. I live on left my left artery only, and that's a miracle in itself. um because they saw in the in the uh lower interior of my heart damage as if I had a heart attack. And so he was asking me, "Did you ever feel like you had a heart attack before?" And it brought me back and I remembered having a dream one night when I was asleep of dying of a heart attack. And when I died of that heart attack, I you know the typical you go through the you see the tunnel and you go through the light and you see the light. Well, I felt like I did that and it felt like a dream cuz I was sleeping but I felt God's finger said not yet. And it was like a finger and it was just all light and he touched me right here. Boom. And that's when I felt a shock and I woke up and I was sweating and I woke up my wife and I was telling her I think I had a heart attack but you know God said not yet. I gave her the whole story and I just tossed it up. I didn't think about it. I just tossed it up as a dream you know but now that it was proven that I did have a heart attack from the damage I saw. I got to say that was real. Not yet. Because God had planned all this. He put this all together for that moment. And so what had happened was, and this was all over COVID, I wasn't feeling the greatest. I had um shortness of breath. I remember back in October. So shortly after that happened, I was trying to do exercises and stuff like that and I didn't feel great. And I just kept pushing through it. I'm like, I'm just having COVID lungs. And that's what I tossed it up to. And so I just kept pushing through it, pushing through it. And what did end up happening is my left artery grew what you call collateral arteries. And and so it grew its own bypass. Basically, that's the best way to put it. Um that's why they haven't put a stint in my heart or anything. They only put a defiill in me in case it happens again. It'll shock me. um because they don't want to damage the good new uh veins that my heart group. So that's a kind of a miracle in itself. It's crazy how our body is. Um and it only h it happens about 10% of the time to people where they could grow collateral arteries or grow veins, but it usually happens with people that are a lot younger than me, like kids, like teenagers or babies or whatever. Um I don't know the whole science behind it but yeah that's that I think a miracle that the first miracle that happened in me. Oh and then then that.
So your wife also didn't she have a dream preceding this where she also saw a tunnel?
Yeah. Well yeah. So she had a vision. Um she woke me up like like one day and she had a vision in her prayer time and she was when she had that vision she was scared and she said God what is this and and God explained to her look you know um one day you will be in my presence but but do not be afraid. And so she thought that vision was for her. Um, and she told me that vision the day that she had it in her prayer time where we got up. I'm having my coffee. And as she was telling me that and she finished telling me that, I said, "Honey, if anybody's got to go through that, you will not go through that. I will."
Coincidence, you know,
right?
And she's like, "Hm." And then on the day that it happened, she was in her she has a studio in her behind her house, a she-shed we'll call it, where she paints and she's finishing up a painting. And she didn't even know what to call this painting, but she decided she that day she was brought back to that vision and she was like, "Oh, wow." And she uh crazy enough she ends up calling the painting My Heart's Content.
Interesting. Um, and you know, she she was reminded of that that vision and that dream. And then when she was at the hockey game, it was crowded. She couldn't find any place to sit down. And so she sits down with my daughter in front uh behind the goalie and behind the goalie there's a netting. If the puck comes off the ice, it won't hit the people in the audience. Well, she was sitting right there and there was a little tear in the um netting and she thought to herself, "Well, if the puck goes through there, it'll hit me right in the head and I could die." And she goes, "Is is this it, God? Is this where I'm going to die?" Uh, crazy enough, that was when that all went down. And yeah, I mean you you got to hear her side of the story about how she went through these visions and how God spoke to her through that and how when she ran to the ice and they wouldn't let her on, she just felt also at at one moment she felt panic and and fear, but then at one moment she felt and I believe she felt the peace I was standing in. She felt an absolute peace as well. and she knew and she was reminded of that dream and she God said do not fear and she did not fear and that's when all she could say was Jesus and she felt a peace she says that she's never felt before.
It's interesting that there were so many other connections, you know, with your wife and then also with the person that had left the building and then just had a sense that, you know, he needed to come back in and your other friend had had a vision and so he knew that his job was supposed to be to pray. The fact that before the hockey meet for the first time, you prayed um with your team. I mean, there were just so many interesting things that connected this. And then also the fact that there were, you know, a couple hundred people around you that I'm sure this also deeply impacted.
Yeah. Yeah. And I know that there's people that are like, "Ah, you know, that's just this or that." And they have a scientific explanation for it. Maybe, you know, but I know where I was standing. I know what I felt. I know.
Yeah. I think that's the interesting thing too is, you know, I we all come to um things at our own time and when people are skeptical, you know, it's just maybe not they're not ready for the information, but there are so many people that do hear stories like yours. And I think it's really little by little it's changing the world because it's rippling out to them and then they you know because of it they're more loving and kind and then you know that kind of ripples out to other people. So I do think these stories are so important despite the fact that there are some skeptics out there.
Yeah. And I think then in due time they'll experience something. No doubt about it. They'll they'll face God one day. We all will.
For somebody out there that's just worried about a loved one who's passed or they're worried about themselves, can you is there any encouragement that you can give them about, you know, what comes next?
I mean, I can't I was asked this before and it's it's and I've mowled over this. I can't I don't know if I can guarantee they will be where I was. I don't know.
I I can guarantee that if you if I I feel like I can guarantee that if you know Jesus, if you have Jesus in your heart,
he's he's the way.
And I guarantee that you will face Jesus one day. You will face God one day. And he's there for you. I guarantee he will be standing there with you. I can guarantee that there's a God. I can guarantee that there's a light. Um, I've heard stories about people going the other way. I I don't know uh what everybody's experience is going to be after they die. I can just give you hope that there is a God, that Jesus is real, and that the Holy Spirit is real. And if you seek them out, I guarantee that they will find you. If you knock, I guarantee the door will be answered.
I love hearing you what you experienced and and there so many other people too, what they've experienced because I really think uh among all of you, it really helps us to get a clearer picture and um and I think a lot of people are very appreciative that you are willing to kind of step out there and to share um everything that you've shared with us today. Do you have any advice for some of us just trying to get by in life? You know, what are some things that uh because of this experience that you would uh share with us on just living a better life?
I'm not going to say that this life, don't take this the wrong way. Not saying that this life doesn't matter because I think what we do in this life can and will affect the next life. Um, but it's just like Jesus said, you know, love your God with all your heart, all your spirit, all your mind, love your neighbor as yourself. I think that's it in a nutshell. And so my advice would be if we follow God, we do those things, if we will obey him and and we will obey in his commandments and his commandments and we will abide in him and we will love each other and we will just give God a chance. Give Jesus a chance. So, Heather, I get that question a lot and I'm trying to I I'm trying I I don't have a clear answer for people except that
I really believe that if you do believe if you receive Jesus in your heart, it's almost like that's that's the way.
Howard Storm, he had asked God, you know, what's the right religion? And
he said, whatever brings you closest to God. And I always found that to be very interesting. When you were talking to Jesus, he said that the best religion is one that brings you closest to God.
Yes.
So why does it make sense that Jesus would say that? Well, because Jesus being a respector of our person fully understands that we are all very much shaped by our culture.
I think that's what maybe what God was saying about theology, like we're all so wrapped up in religion.
Mhm.
That we're forgetting about God. If that makes any sense.
It makes a lot of sense to me. I don't know how to explain it. It's like when I thought of the theology, I was thinking theology, you know, God's theology, there's this religion, there's that religion. But I wasn't talking about God's word. And that was in my heart because God's I really believe like after this, it's also I feel like God's word is here. Never really thought about it. It's always been here, but now it's been it's here. It's his word is here. Um, so God knew what I was speaking. He knew my heart. Even though I was speaking these words, he knew my intentions of my words along with what I was saying. He knows our hearts. I guess that's the best way to put it. It's so crazy. It's like you're one with God at that point. It's almost like you guys are you're just so tethered to him. You're so connected. It's it's it's just absolutely amazing.
It's wonderful to look forward to that. you have a documentary out there um that that somebody did. It's just beautiful. Can you tell us a little bit more about that and where people can find that?
Yeah, so if you want to go to the YouTube channel, Not So Boring Bible, um you'll scroll down and you'll find um a documentary on the other side of light. Um it's just a 22minute video. Um 22 minutes long that is a uh basically goes into more in depth in the side stories and all that surrounded it. Um all the I'll say coincidences, but they weren't coincidences that that that happened to allow me to be alive today, you know, to be here with you talking. So yeah, I'm
glad you are.
Yeah. And it's crazy that the video is 22 minutes long because not long after I had my accident or my thing, my niece um who is an was an incredible hockey player and she's back playing now. She had a car accident March 25th of last year and was in a coma for I can't tell you how long. and she had some similar experiences that I had. She shouldn't be alive. She was thrown out of her car 85 ft on a interstate into the opposite traffic going the other way and she's alive today and she's back. She's playing hockey, not at the level like she was well on her way to be a division one hockey player in college. And you know, God has a different path for her. And you know, sorry I cry about it because you know, God sometimes interrupts our lives because he knows that we need to be doing something different, you know, and I think that God, she's an incredible witness, too. you know, she doesn't stare share her story much, but yeah, it's crazy.
If somebody wants to get in touch with you, are you on Facebook or what's the best way for somebody to connect?
Yeah, I would say if you want to get in touch with me just on Facebook, uh Messenger, reach out. I'll be happy to to um uh talk to you there. That would be awesome. Any questions, anything. So
before we leave, can you just leave us with, you know, of all the things that you've shared today, is there one thing that you really hope that people take away from our conversation?
Yeah. I mean, I would say that one thing that would I would love for people to take away from this is know that God is real and for you to seek him out. And I guarantee he will answer you. Um, and if you seek him out as as as Jesus said, you know, seek and you will find. Um, I guarantee you will find. And I guarantee that if you seek him out and and you look for him, your life will be impacted and changed for the rest of your life in a good way.
I love that. Thank you so much, Billy. It has been such a pleasure talking to you and hearing your incredible story.
Thank you. Thank you, Heather. So I cry about it a little bit.
Wasn't that a cool experience? And there was just so much to Billy's story. I loved how so many things connected to it and then all the things that he saw and experienced. I just thought, you know, what he heard from God, all of that was just so fascinating. And I would love to know your thoughts on the things that we talked about. If there was one thing that really stood out to you or one thing new that you learned or one thing you're just like that was interesting and I'll consider it. Anything like that, I really would love to hear it. So, please jot that in the comments and then if you enjoyed it, please give it a like as well. I really enjoyed talking to Billy. Just a really genuine person. I will have a link to his documentary. I will put that in the description. Of course, you can also find there a link to all of my past episodes. So, while you're waiting for the next one, please check out some of my older ones. And I tell you, I've got so many great guests that are there. Um, so I really hope you'll go through the list and you'll watch all of them. In the description, I'll also have information there on if you want to buy any merchandise, that kind of thing. Otherwise, um, membership information, too. I just want to give a big shout out and thank you to all of the people that are members here, um, on my channel. It's just an extra way you can support me. not necessary, but I'm grateful for those of you that do. And I'm also grateful for all of you that just show up here week after week, that you watch to the end, that you leave comments, all that stuff. Bubby's over here meowing. Um, I guess he's not going to be up on top today, but he is meowing. Oh, here he comes. He always likes to be in this part of the show. So, I just want to say thank you everybody for being here today. I hope you have a wonderful day. Make sure to come looking for me next week. I do have new episodes that are out every single Thursday and I've got a great guest that is coming up. You have a wonderful day. Take care. Thanks for joining me on Beyond with Heather Tesh. Please add comments and questions you'd like future guests to answer. Also, if you liked what you heard, please hit the thumbs up button and subscribe. That'll help keep this podcast going. You can also go to Beyond with Heather Tesh to look for more episodes.