November 26, 2025 • 25 mins
A mountaintop weekend can change your language; a hospital bed can change your life. Right after an energizing men’s conference with voices like Joby Martin and John Tyson, I came home, peeled off a sock, and found a small, angry spot on my ankle scar. One Spirit-led decision—don’t eat or drink—opened a door for same-day surgery, cultures, and a new road I didn’t want: MRSA, a PICC line, and weeks of IV antibiotics. What felt like lost progress turned into a deeper lesson on endurance, gratitude, and the kind of brotherhood you can lean on when strength runs out.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (01:43):
Welcome to The Lion Within Us, a podcast serving
Christian men who are hungry tobe the leaders God intends you
to be.
I'm your host, Chris Granger.
Let's jump in.
All right, fellas, meet episodetime.
Let's get right into it.
Okay.
So the scripture of the weekthis week's, even though it's
Thanksgiving, James, okay,chapter one, verses two and
three, which is kind of weirdverses to have before
Thanksgiving week, but that'sokay.
Consider it all joy, my brothersand sisters, when you encounter
(02:06):
various trials, knowing that thetesting of your faith produces
endurance.
Okay.
Love those verses.
There happen to be my lifeverses.
I think they're terrible lifeverses, but I can, you know, God
gave them to me, so there yougo.
And uh I unpack those verses atlength in this SKO episode for
this week.
So go back in your podcast feed,check that out.
And uh that's what we're allabout simplify and apply God's
(02:28):
word.
And again, I know I sound like abroken record, but you guys need
to hear it all over and over.
We do a daily SKO Monday throughFriday within the Lion Within Us
community.
Okay, so Monday through Friday,it's free, and the only way you
get to access it is go tothelionwithin.us, start your
daily spiritual kickoffexperience.
Okay?
All right.
This episode is gonna be alittle bit different.
(02:49):
Thanksgiving's tomorrow.
Totally get it.
All right, everybody's superpumped and super excited, and
we're talking about joy andtrials, and and and I want to
share this because I am thankfulin a lot of ways.
But I think this story hopefullywill be encouraging to you.
And if you listen to thepodcast, you know last week we
shared our episode about how wewent to the men's conference,
(03:11):
was able to hang out with PastorJoby, all the wonderful people
at 1122.
John Tyson was there, Jeff FoxRuby, Willie Robertson.
It was just incredible,incredible weekend.
And uh really grew and learnedso much about myself, about the
lion.
Uh God told me I'm a prophet.
(03:32):
I mean, it was all these thingsthat were happening there this
week.
It was amazing.
Mountaintop, right?
Just one of the highlights ofthe lion so far.
And there have been many, butthat was just a really good
moment, several moments there.
Um and then within I got homethat Sunday.
Great ride home, no traffic.
(03:54):
We just drove straight fromFlorida back to Carolina.
I helped my wife with somethings uh on the farm that
evening.
And I went from uh uh helpingher on the farm, walked into the
house, and noticed something wasgoing on with my right foot.
So just to kind of back up, onJuly 26th of the of 2025, I was
(04:18):
cutting a tree on the farm, andI was notching it.
Uh, there's a limb had fallendown.
So I was notching the knockingthe branches off to take the
limb completely down.
Something happened, and the limbitself broke free.
And when it did, it hit me frombehind on my right foot and
(04:38):
basically knocked my foot off myankle.
I mean, it's it was prettygruesome injury.
Uh you know, I'm I called theambulance immediately.
Uh 911, they showed up, Texas uhBecca to come outside.
I knew I was hurt bad.
My foot was literally hanging inmy boot.
A couple fun things from that,though, uh, when the ambulance
showed up, I was wearing steeltoe muck boots, and uh I asked
(05:02):
them to uh I was like, look,guys, we don't cut these boots
off.
We we pull these off.
So they were like, really withyour foot this way?
I'm like, hey, I can't feel it.
So we got the muck boots offsafely without cutting them.
The second funny thing with thisstory is uh two weeks before, my
daughters want to have amanicure and a pedicure night.
So I'm I'm being the dad that Iam.
(05:23):
I try to indulge them.
I let them have fun.
So then I ended up with uhflamingo pink toenails and
fingernails.
So fingernails had to go becauseobviously I have people that are
uh meet with on a regular basis.
I don't want to have pinkfingernails, but I let the
toenails ride for a while.
So I'm like, that'd be fine.
So the night before the injury,I told my wife, I'm like, I
(05:44):
gotta do something with thesetoenails.
Like, this is not good.
You know, so I'm sitting therewith my foot hanging off on a
gurney in an ambulance with biboveralls, a cowboy hat, soaking
wet of sweat, because I've beenworking since the sun was up.
And I realized about thosetoenails.
And the old boys in theambulance, they've got they was
(06:06):
like, I gotta cut your sock off.
And I stopped them.
I was like, all right, guys,before you take another step,
before you cut this sock off, Ijust need you to know that I
have daughters.
And they looked at me with thefunniest look, and they cut the
sock off.
And when they saw the toes, theyhad to get out the ambulance.
They just couldn't holdthemselves.
So, I mean, I can't, but theythey thought it was hilarious.
(06:28):
Uh, the doctors, the nurses, forthe next basically 14 to 16
hours, I spent explaining toeveryone in Duke Hospital why I
am sitting there with biboveralls and pink toenails.
But anyway, so I think I got thepoint across from those points.
So they they were able toreposition my foot, it's what
it's called.
I had to reposition ankle, whichI don't know what drugs they
(06:48):
gave me.
I was in a different world, Ican tell you that.
My wife did say I kept yellingat Jesus and salvation.
So apparently I was trying toshare the gospel, even though I
was basically out of my mind.
Got the foot repositioned, metwith the surgeon, had surgery on
August 6th.
Okay.
Ended up with two, like two orthree plates, I think two plates
and almost 20 screws to hold myfoot together.
(07:12):
And uh then physical therapystarted.
You know, there was lots of timewithout putting any weight on
it.
Then I was able to startphysical therapy, and I had
gotten to the point the weekbefore the conference in
October, where I actually ran inthe physical therapy's office,
in her in the therapist'soffice.
I've been doing lunges, squats,uh, reverse lunges, step-ups,
(07:35):
exercising every day to buildthe strength back in my foot.
Felt really good about it.
And it was kind of crazy.
The swelling just wouldn't goaway.
And we kept wondering, like, allright, maybe it's just
something's going on there.
And uh and and even thesurgeon's like, I'm not sure.
One of the screws that startedbacking out.
(07:56):
She's like, Well, I gotta takethat out eventually, but maybe
it's just gonna take time.
They were thinking maybe you cantake a year.
Well, as I kind of get back tothe story, I got home that
Sunday, that Sunday night.
I finished this working in thebarn with my wife, came inside,
took my sock off, and justsomething, it was about the size
of a nickel on the right side ofone of the incisions uh from the
(08:20):
surgery.
And that's the side that hadn'tnever really healed the best.
But it just kind of looked likeuh, it was just red and it just
kind of looked, it felt soft.
Like, well, I don't know whatthat is.
But the spirit whispered to methat night, said, Don't eat or
drink anything.
I was like, Okay.
So uh I didn't have anything,didn't drink my water.
(08:42):
I wish I never I never eatbreakfast, but I didn't even
drink water that morning.
I had and I all the crazy partis I already had an appointment
set for Monday morning.
It was set for like nine o'clockMonday morning.
I walk into the surgeon'soffice, look at her.
She's like, How you doing?
So I don't know, I got a littleweird spot here on my ankle.
What do you think?
So I pulled my sock off, and uhI heard the surgeon say words
(09:07):
that uh no one ever hopes theirsurgeon says.
Just to be honest with you.
She said, Oh, uh S H-I-T.
And she looked, and now it'sdead me in the dead in the eyes.
I'm like, well, that's not whatI was hoping you're gonna say.
She's like, Yeah, this isn'tgood.
She's like, here's what I wantyou to do.
I want you to leave here rightnow and go to the hospital.
(09:28):
And she says, Um, have you hadbreakfast?
I say, No, ma'am.
Have you anything to drink?
No, ma'am.
All right, I'm operating on youtonight.
Tonight?
Yep, as soon as I finish my uhrounds here and my clinics for
the day.
I'm coming to the hospitaltonight.
I don't have my kids.
She had her husband can helpher.
She said, The rest of the weekI'm pretty busy, but I'm open
(09:49):
tonight.
You want to have surgery?
Let's go.
So that's what we did.
We headed to the hospital.
I was in knit.
I had a CT and I was in a roomby lunch.
Okay.
It happened that fast.
They pulled blood cultures, andthen at 4 15, I was headed to
the OR.
His plans helped fellas, notmine.
(10:10):
And within a couple hours later,half the hardware that was in my
ankle originally was now out.
And at that point, the waitingbegins.
They were monitoring my vitals,they were checking, they had all
the things hooked up to me froma heartbeat, blood pressure, and
blood samples every, I thinkabout every eight hours.
(10:31):
They're taking blood samples,and I had I I looked like a uh
prize fighter.
I was so bruised up.
Doctors coming in and out allnight, and the whole time there
was an unknown of what reallywas going on.
I found it was prettyinteresting through all of this.
(10:51):
My family and the lion justpoured into me.
And I'm talking about regularcheck-ins, prayers.
I mean, I I put a prayer requestin in there uh in the lion
community about what was goingon.
And I don't even know how manyguys, I just know it felt like I
could feel the prayers from allover lifting me up, and and
(11:14):
ultimately um checking in on me.
Uh being me and stubborn as Iam.
I even did a daily SKO.
You guys hear me talk about thedaily SKO.
I'm not lying about this stuff.
This stuff happens live.
So I did a daily SKO live fromthe hospital.
Okay, so I tried to do it live.
Doctors kept coming in.
I ended up having to record itthroughout the day and then post
(11:36):
it, but we got it done, youknow.
And uh then just you're justsitting there waiting.
You don't know what to do.
You just know that it's notgood, you know, and at the same
time, she's like, I'm gonna comein and take the rest of the
hardware out on Thursday night.
She said, I think you can getout Friday.
I'm pretty sure you can, but wedon't know yet.
(11:58):
So, okay, so I did what you do.
Spent a lot of time praying, alot of time talking to God, a
lot of time writing for thelion, just doing stuff that I
could for the lion, justconnecting with other guys.
Uh, scared the hospital chaplainhalf to death.
She came in and wanted to knowuh, did I need to talk about
anything?
Did I need any encouragementspiritually?
And I my Bible's open on my onthe bed.
(12:21):
I got notes everywhere.
I'm typing.
I was literally writing a um astudy for the Bible app.
I said, I don't know my Bible.
I'm like, you mean this?
And I hold the Bible up.
I'm like, I'm doing, I'm writingfor the Bible right now.
Would you like to talk about it?
And she slowly backed out of theoff the uh room there and said
she wished she hoped that I hada good night.
So apparently I scared her alittle bit too much, Jesus, or
(12:42):
something.
I don't know.
But anyway, it happens.
But I found out Thursday that itwas a MRS staph infection.
So we finally had a diagnosis.
Um, we knew how to fight it, weknew the medicine that would
work uh the best.
And then I had surgery thatThursday night.
Um, you know, throughout theweek, my kids and my wife would
(13:03):
come check on me.
And so it was great to see them,but it was always tough when
they left.
You know, then when they wouldleave, you're just back alone.
You're by yourself in a hospitalgown, and you just don't know.
And that was my reality.
From the mountaintop of serving,you know, in Jacksonville to the
valley of being admitted in ahospital with uh infection that
(13:26):
at the time I didn't know whatit was.
And I felt like all the PT I haddone, all the progress I had
made was for nothing.
Because I mean, after the firstsurgery, she says you can't put
any weight back on that leg.
I'm like, well, that sucks.
So they determined the best wayto fight the infection was
(13:47):
through what's called a PICline.
I don't know what PIC standsfor.
It's P I C C.
You guys probably know.
I'm not sure.
Basically, it's a line that goesthat's installed uh in your in
your arm typically.
Mine's in my right arm.
Uh, if you guys are watching onYouTube, I got kind of showing
it right now.
It's in my right arm, and yougive yourself uh IV antibiotics.
(14:09):
And for me, it's six weeks.
So I'm at the time of thisrecording, I'm literally in the
first week or two weeks of doingthe IVs.
So I have quite a few, uh, evenpast Thanksgiving.
I'll be into the first week ofDecember before I'm finished.
But that's just this is what Ido.
You know, you install, uh, youum administer the IVs to
yourself uh on on a daily basis.
(14:33):
And I'm even sitting right nowrecording this, just praying
that it's gonna work.
You know, I mean, uh and and Ian infection is outside of my
control.
You know, there's only so much,I mean, I can eat right and try
to have a good mental attitudeand all that fun stuff, and but
there's so much out of mycontrol here with this.
And um they discharged me onFriday.
(14:58):
And you would think I'd bepumped up, and and and I was.
I was I was excited to bedischarged.
Don't don't don't misinterpretthat.
But I was also depressed.
I mean, there's some depressionthat really hit me hard.
Um and and my Rockstar wife, uh,hats off to her for just putting
(15:18):
up with my with my knucklehead.
And uh the way I was because Iwas just in a just in a funk,
man.
I got home, I couldn't doanything to help her.
I saw all that needed to bedone, and I felt completely
useless as a man.
And then uh we already had, I'mtelling you, God's hand, right?
We already had counseling.
(15:39):
We me and my wife, and we tellpeople about this, we have a uh
uh marriage coach that we meetwith once a month.
Uh he runs Uncovering Intimacy.
You guys have heard me talkabout uncovering intimacy.
His name's JD, love him.
He's part of the he's part ofthe Lion Within Us community as
well.
And he's out of Canada.
He runs our couple's night forus once a month.
(16:00):
But she and I meet with him, Itrust him, she trusts him, and
it was just really good for himto help us uh think through this
and and to come together andjust have a a place to um um
just unpack those ideas andthoughts, right?
In a safe environment.
(16:21):
And uh I I can tell you throughwith him and uh and just other
brothers in the community andthe lion and and just friends as
well, I don't know how you getthrough stuff like this without
God and without others thatother Christians that are
helping you.
And um, I mean the the realityof the situation, I'm still,
like I said, uh just trustingGod because the infection is
(16:43):
outside of my control.
Uh but I fully believe thehealing is gonna go for him, or
from him rather.
And as we go into Thanksgivingfor me this year, there's a lot
for me to stop and reflect on.
And uh it starts with my wifeand my family, you know, how
they've stepped in since myinjury, from from my parents to
(17:05):
my in-laws, to obviously my mywife and daughters, and and and
and just I can't put into wordswhat they've the love they've
shown me.
And it's not that they'vereplaced me.
Um they're doing for me for mewhat I can't do for myself.
(17:25):
I mean, they're walking out thegospel right now and then the
the lion guys, I I mean you guyshear me talk about our lion's
den community all the time.
I'm not blowing smoke.
Without them, I'm not sure how Iwould have shaken the
depression.
I I don't know.
But to have guys checking on youregularly, most of these guys
(17:47):
we've never met in person, butthere is a bond, there is a deep
relationship that is grown.
And uh I would just encourageyou, you know, not pluck plug in
our community because there'sother communities out there too.
I know the one thing, ours is isfull of sincere, loving, genuine
guys.
(18:08):
So I mean, hop in that.
For me, it's been life changing.
I mean, it's life changing.
So sitting here at Thanksgivingthe day before, I'm thankful for
my health.
You know, I'm not where I wantto be, but that's okay.
I have some pretty incrediblemotivation.
Uh uh every year on July 26th,prayerfully, good Lord willing,
(18:30):
and moving forward, I plan ondoing something challenging.
So because I don't want toforget this season and the
things that God has shown methrough this season.
I don't know if it's gonna be arace or one of those, you know,
uh like uh challenging workoutsor something, but I want to do
something.
Now look, if you want to do itwith me, I don't know what it's
gonna be yet.
Hey, just send me a note, okay,and we'll we'll figure it out,
(18:51):
you know, when that comes to be.
But I'm thankful for God uh forhis healing power.
Uh and and and I want to justremind remind myself of that and
uh do that every year.
And I'm thankful for this trial,you know.
Um again, I'm thankful forPastor Joby and his
(19:11):
encouragement to me when Ineeded the most, you know, and
how he's just poor.
I mean, I got an email from hima couple weeks ago, right before
the conference, because I wasreally feeling down on myself,
like I just don't know if weeven deserve to be there.
And he's like, bro, you areright where you need to be.
God has called you, he'sequipping you, and let's go.
So for for guys like that totake time out of their day, I
(19:33):
don't know what to say.
I'm thankful for the Bible app.
I mean, are you kidding me?
Uh we've touched 300,000,something like that.
It's something crazy.
I mean, it's a crazy number ofguys with our writing through
the Bible app.
That's all God.
And their team is incredible tobe supported.
So I just, you know, I'mthankful for that.
(19:54):
I'm thankful for you guys forlistening and for checking out
the lion.
Just for any way you'vesupported the lion ever, I'm
super thankful for it.
Uh, and I'm not just monetarily,guys.
Like I it because I can tellyou, it's lonely and it's super
daunting at times.
But then when I get a note ofencouragement or a text message
or an email, something likethat, it's needed.
(20:17):
And uh, as we wrap up thisThanksgiving special, I just
want to share that story forwhat I've gone through here.
And there's a long road aheadfor recovery, but I I fully
trust God.
But there's something we'vetalked about in the four before
in the past, and that's anencouragement.
That is uh I want to encourageyou to write a gratitude list.
Okay.
Uh so it depends on how long howold you are.
(20:37):
So me, I'm 44.
So whatever your number is,whatever your age is, just write
that down on a sheet of paper.
You know, one through whatever.
And then for each one, eachnumber, write something that you
are grateful for, you know, andthen take it a step further and
share that with your familyduring Thanksgiving, you know,
(21:00):
during the holiday season.
You know, I just think that's awhat a beautiful way to uh to
let others know how much youcare, that you love them.
And uh, it's a bold move, butbut but bro, you're built for
bold.
You're not built for mediocre.
I would ask that you keep me andmy family in the prayers uh as
(21:20):
we continue to navigatedisinfection and and recovery.
And um I'm super excited.
I'm I'm thinking about getting arowing machine.
I don't know if any of you guysrow, but one of our our our Lion
members, uh his name is Rob, isa super love that dude.
He's a big rower, and he'stalking about the uh the
benefits of rowing and howthat's really just such a great
(21:42):
workout for you.
So if any of you guys got a tipon a on a good rowing machine,
hit me up.
I'm just kidding, but seriously,I'm I'm looking forward to to
rehabbing that and uh hopefullymaybe we'll be able to get one
of those and add those to thefarm soon.
But but I just want to encourageyou guys.
Look, if you're going to aseason, if you're going to a
trial, if you're going throughsome some some difficult times,
(22:03):
you're not alone.
You know, just know that there'sresources out there.
We built the lion for you, forguys just like you who need that
encouragement.
And um it's available for you.
You just gotta take that firststep.
So, I mean, we've kind of talkedabout this week trials and
Thanksgiving.
The question was, how do yourespond with joy when trials
(22:24):
hit?
And for me, it's turning to Godand then trying to glorify him
through it.
And you know, I don't know whythe the tree moved the way it
did, and and and I mean it'sthrown off basically by the time
it's all said and done, uh, sixmonths or more, it's gonna be,
you know, a hurdle.
But I know he's taught me somuch through it.
(22:45):
And I'm wondering if the secondthe infection is because I
didn't listen to him the firsttime, you know.
So I'm trying to really beintentional about that, slow
down, be with my family more.
And uh that would be myencouragement to you over this
Thanksgiving holiday, you know.
So thank you for listening.
Uh, for you guys who are headinginto Thanksgiving, uh, enjoy it,
enjoy that time with family.
(23:06):
Uh be where your feet are, bro.
Like just be at the at the tablewith your family.
Don't worry about the phone oranything like that.
Um, when you when you startthinking about guys in your life
and and what you want to, howyou want to encourage them uh
coming leading up to Christmas,I would just ask you to consider
unleashing the line within, ourbook, you know, getting that and
(23:28):
and let that be a gift that youcould gift to another man.
Uh, they may find it superencouraging.
So again, that's on Amazon.
But either way, I just pray thatyou have a great Thanksgiving.
Thanks for hanging with us.
Thanks for listening.
Thanks for all the support andthe way that you guys support
the lion.
And we are gonna have a funFriday.
It's gonna be a little bitshorter one, but uh, hopefully
(23:49):
you guys are gonna enjoy that uhfor your black.
I guess it'd be your black funFriday or your fun black Friday.
That probably would be a betterway to say it.
But other than that, guys, thankyou for all the support.
Give us a rating review.
Thelionwithin.us is where youcan find that.
And if you wouldn't mind, justkeep me lifting in prayer so
that we can get this healing anduh hopefully be back uh on the
trail soon and uh out thererunning and doing the thing,
(24:12):
this the things that God'scalled me to do.
All right, fellas, have a greatday.
Enjoy that turkey.
Just keep unleashing the lionwith it.
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Welcome to The Lion Within Us, a podcast serving
Christian men who are hungry tobe the leaders God intends you
to be.
I'm your host, Chris Granger.
Let's jump in.
All right, fellas, meet episodetime.
Let's get right into it.
Okay.
So the scripture of the weekthis week's, even though it's
Thanksgiving, James, okay,chapter one, verses two and
three, which is kind of weirdverses to have before
Thanksgiving week, but that'sokay.
Consider it all joy, my brothersand sisters, when you encounter
(02:06):
various trials, knowing that thetesting of your faith produces
endurance.
Okay.
Love those verses.
There happen to be my lifeverses.
I think they're terrible lifeverses, but I can, you know, God
gave them to me, so there yougo.
And uh I unpack those verses atlength in this SKO episode for
this week.
So go back in your podcast feed,check that out.
And uh that's what we're allabout simplify and apply God's
(02:28):
word.
And again, I know I sound like abroken record, but you guys need
to hear it all over and over.
We do a daily SKO Monday throughFriday within the Lion Within Us
community.
Okay, so Monday through Friday,it's free, and the only way you
get to access it is go tothelionwithin.us, start your
daily spiritual kickoffexperience.
Okay?
All right.
This episode is gonna be alittle bit different.
(02:49):
Thanksgiving's tomorrow.
Totally get it.
All right, everybody's superpumped and super excited, and
we're talking about joy andtrials, and and and I want to
share this because I am thankfulin a lot of ways.
But I think this story hopefullywill be encouraging to you.
And if you listen to thepodcast, you know last week we
shared our episode about how wewent to the men's conference,
(03:11):
was able to hang out with PastorJoby, all the wonderful people
at 1122.
John Tyson was there, Jeff FoxRuby, Willie Robertson.
It was just incredible,incredible weekend.
And uh really grew and learnedso much about myself, about the
lion.
Uh God told me I'm a prophet.
(03:32):
I mean, it was all these thingsthat were happening there this
week.
It was amazing.
Mountaintop, right?
Just one of the highlights ofthe lion so far.
And there have been many, butthat was just a really good
moment, several moments there.
Um and then within I got homethat Sunday.
Great ride home, no traffic.
(03:54):
We just drove straight fromFlorida back to Carolina.
I helped my wife with somethings uh on the farm that
evening.
And I went from uh uh helpingher on the farm, walked into the
house, and noticed something wasgoing on with my right foot.
So just to kind of back up, onJuly 26th of the of 2025, I was
(04:18):
cutting a tree on the farm, andI was notching it.
Uh, there's a limb had fallendown.
So I was notching the knockingthe branches off to take the
limb completely down.
Something happened, and the limbitself broke free.
And when it did, it hit me frombehind on my right foot and
(04:38):
basically knocked my foot off myankle.
I mean, it's it was prettygruesome injury.
Uh you know, I'm I called theambulance immediately.
Uh 911, they showed up, Texas uhBecca to come outside.
I knew I was hurt bad.
My foot was literally hanging inmy boot.
A couple fun things from that,though, uh, when the ambulance
showed up, I was wearing steeltoe muck boots, and uh I asked
(05:02):
them to uh I was like, look,guys, we don't cut these boots
off.
We we pull these off.
So they were like, really withyour foot this way?
I'm like, hey, I can't feel it.
So we got the muck boots offsafely without cutting them.
The second funny thing with thisstory is uh two weeks before, my
daughters want to have amanicure and a pedicure night.
So I'm I'm being the dad that Iam.
(05:23):
I try to indulge them.
I let them have fun.
So then I ended up with uhflamingo pink toenails and
fingernails.
So fingernails had to go becauseobviously I have people that are
uh meet with on a regular basis.
I don't want to have pinkfingernails, but I let the
toenails ride for a while.
So I'm like, that'd be fine.
So the night before the injury,I told my wife, I'm like, I
(05:44):
gotta do something with thesetoenails.
Like, this is not good.
You know, so I'm sitting therewith my foot hanging off on a
gurney in an ambulance with biboveralls, a cowboy hat, soaking
wet of sweat, because I've beenworking since the sun was up.
And I realized about thosetoenails.
And the old boys in theambulance, they've got they was
(06:06):
like, I gotta cut your sock off.
And I stopped them.
I was like, all right, guys,before you take another step,
before you cut this sock off, Ijust need you to know that I
have daughters.
And they looked at me with thefunniest look, and they cut the
sock off.
And when they saw the toes, theyhad to get out the ambulance.
They just couldn't holdthemselves.
So, I mean, I can't, but theythey thought it was hilarious.
(06:28):
Uh, the doctors, the nurses, forthe next basically 14 to 16
hours, I spent explaining toeveryone in Duke Hospital why I
am sitting there with biboveralls and pink toenails.
But anyway, so I think I got thepoint across from those points.
So they they were able toreposition my foot, it's what
it's called.
I had to reposition ankle, whichI don't know what drugs they
(06:48):
gave me.
I was in a different world, Ican tell you that.
My wife did say I kept yellingat Jesus and salvation.
So apparently I was trying toshare the gospel, even though I
was basically out of my mind.
Got the foot repositioned, metwith the surgeon, had surgery on
August 6th.
Okay.
Ended up with two, like two orthree plates, I think two plates
and almost 20 screws to hold myfoot together.
(07:12):
And uh then physical therapystarted.
You know, there was lots of timewithout putting any weight on
it.
Then I was able to startphysical therapy, and I had
gotten to the point the weekbefore the conference in
October, where I actually ran inthe physical therapy's office,
in her in the therapist'soffice.
I've been doing lunges, squats,uh, reverse lunges, step-ups,
(07:35):
exercising every day to buildthe strength back in my foot.
Felt really good about it.
And it was kind of crazy.
The swelling just wouldn't goaway.
And we kept wondering, like, allright, maybe it's just
something's going on there.
And uh and and even thesurgeon's like, I'm not sure.
One of the screws that startedbacking out.
(07:56):
She's like, Well, I gotta takethat out eventually, but maybe
it's just gonna take time.
They were thinking maybe you cantake a year.
Well, as I kind of get back tothe story, I got home that
Sunday, that Sunday night.
I finished this working in thebarn with my wife, came inside,
took my sock off, and justsomething, it was about the size
of a nickel on the right side ofone of the incisions uh from the
(08:20):
surgery.
And that's the side that hadn'tnever really healed the best.
But it just kind of looked likeuh, it was just red and it just
kind of looked, it felt soft.
Like, well, I don't know whatthat is.
But the spirit whispered to methat night, said, Don't eat or
drink anything.
I was like, Okay.
So uh I didn't have anything,didn't drink my water.
(08:42):
I wish I never I never eatbreakfast, but I didn't even
drink water that morning.
I had and I all the crazy partis I already had an appointment
set for Monday morning.
It was set for like nine o'clockMonday morning.
I walk into the surgeon'soffice, look at her.
She's like, How you doing?
So I don't know, I got a littleweird spot here on my ankle.
What do you think?
So I pulled my sock off, and uhI heard the surgeon say words
(09:07):
that uh no one ever hopes theirsurgeon says.
Just to be honest with you.
She said, Oh, uh S H-I-T.
And she looked, and now it'sdead me in the dead in the eyes.
I'm like, well, that's not whatI was hoping you're gonna say.
She's like, Yeah, this isn'tgood.
She's like, here's what I wantyou to do.
I want you to leave here rightnow and go to the hospital.
(09:28):
And she says, Um, have you hadbreakfast?
I say, No, ma'am.
Have you anything to drink?
No, ma'am.
All right, I'm operating on youtonight.
Tonight?
Yep, as soon as I finish my uhrounds here and my clinics for
the day.
I'm coming to the hospitaltonight.
I don't have my kids.
She had her husband can helpher.
She said, The rest of the weekI'm pretty busy, but I'm open
(09:49):
tonight.
You want to have surgery?
Let's go.
So that's what we did.
We headed to the hospital.
I was in knit.
I had a CT and I was in a roomby lunch.
Okay.
It happened that fast.
They pulled blood cultures, andthen at 4 15, I was headed to
the OR.
His plans helped fellas, notmine.
(10:10):
And within a couple hours later,half the hardware that was in my
ankle originally was now out.
And at that point, the waitingbegins.
They were monitoring my vitals,they were checking, they had all
the things hooked up to me froma heartbeat, blood pressure, and
blood samples every, I thinkabout every eight hours.
(10:31):
They're taking blood samples,and I had I I looked like a uh
prize fighter.
I was so bruised up.
Doctors coming in and out allnight, and the whole time there
was an unknown of what reallywas going on.
I found it was prettyinteresting through all of this.
(10:51):
My family and the lion justpoured into me.
And I'm talking about regularcheck-ins, prayers.
I mean, I I put a prayer requestin in there uh in the lion
community about what was goingon.
And I don't even know how manyguys, I just know it felt like I
could feel the prayers from allover lifting me up, and and
(11:14):
ultimately um checking in on me.
Uh being me and stubborn as Iam.
I even did a daily SKO.
You guys hear me talk about thedaily SKO.
I'm not lying about this stuff.
This stuff happens live.
So I did a daily SKO live fromthe hospital.
Okay, so I tried to do it live.
Doctors kept coming in.
I ended up having to record itthroughout the day and then post
(11:36):
it, but we got it done, youknow.
And uh then just you're justsitting there waiting.
You don't know what to do.
You just know that it's notgood, you know, and at the same
time, she's like, I'm gonna comein and take the rest of the
hardware out on Thursday night.
She said, I think you can getout Friday.
I'm pretty sure you can, but wedon't know yet.
(11:58):
So, okay, so I did what you do.
Spent a lot of time praying, alot of time talking to God, a
lot of time writing for thelion, just doing stuff that I
could for the lion, justconnecting with other guys.
Uh, scared the hospital chaplainhalf to death.
She came in and wanted to knowuh, did I need to talk about
anything?
Did I need any encouragementspiritually?
And I my Bible's open on my onthe bed.
(12:21):
I got notes everywhere.
I'm typing.
I was literally writing a um astudy for the Bible app.
I said, I don't know my Bible.
I'm like, you mean this?
And I hold the Bible up.
I'm like, I'm doing, I'm writingfor the Bible right now.
Would you like to talk about it?
And she slowly backed out of theoff the uh room there and said
she wished she hoped that I hada good night.
So apparently I scared her alittle bit too much, Jesus, or
(12:42):
something.
I don't know.
But anyway, it happens.
But I found out Thursday that itwas a MRS staph infection.
So we finally had a diagnosis.
Um, we knew how to fight it, weknew the medicine that would
work uh the best.
And then I had surgery thatThursday night.
Um, you know, throughout theweek, my kids and my wife would
(13:03):
come check on me.
And so it was great to see them,but it was always tough when
they left.
You know, then when they wouldleave, you're just back alone.
You're by yourself in a hospitalgown, and you just don't know.
And that was my reality.
From the mountaintop of serving,you know, in Jacksonville to the
valley of being admitted in ahospital with uh infection that
(13:26):
at the time I didn't know whatit was.
And I felt like all the PT I haddone, all the progress I had
made was for nothing.
Because I mean, after the firstsurgery, she says you can't put
any weight back on that leg.
I'm like, well, that sucks.
So they determined the best wayto fight the infection was
(13:47):
through what's called a PICline.
I don't know what PIC standsfor.
It's P I C C.
You guys probably know.
I'm not sure.
Basically, it's a line that goesthat's installed uh in your in
your arm typically.
Mine's in my right arm.
Uh, if you guys are watching onYouTube, I got kind of showing
it right now.
It's in my right arm, and yougive yourself uh IV antibiotics.
(14:09):
And for me, it's six weeks.
So I'm at the time of thisrecording, I'm literally in the
first week or two weeks of doingthe IVs.
So I have quite a few, uh, evenpast Thanksgiving.
I'll be into the first week ofDecember before I'm finished.
But that's just this is what Ido.
You know, you install, uh, youum administer the IVs to
yourself uh on on a daily basis.
(14:33):
And I'm even sitting right nowrecording this, just praying
that it's gonna work.
You know, I mean, uh and and Ian infection is outside of my
control.
You know, there's only so much,I mean, I can eat right and try
to have a good mental attitudeand all that fun stuff, and but
there's so much out of mycontrol here with this.
And um they discharged me onFriday.
(14:58):
And you would think I'd bepumped up, and and and I was.
I was I was excited to bedischarged.
Don't don't don't misinterpretthat.
But I was also depressed.
I mean, there's some depressionthat really hit me hard.
Um and and my Rockstar wife, uh,hats off to her for just putting
(15:18):
up with my with my knucklehead.
And uh the way I was because Iwas just in a just in a funk,
man.
I got home, I couldn't doanything to help her.
I saw all that needed to bedone, and I felt completely
useless as a man.
And then uh we already had, I'mtelling you, God's hand, right?
We already had counseling.
(15:39):
We me and my wife, and we tellpeople about this, we have a uh
uh marriage coach that we meetwith once a month.
Uh he runs Uncovering Intimacy.
You guys have heard me talkabout uncovering intimacy.
His name's JD, love him.
He's part of the he's part ofthe Lion Within Us community as
well.
And he's out of Canada.
He runs our couple's night forus once a month.
(16:00):
But she and I meet with him, Itrust him, she trusts him, and
it was just really good for himto help us uh think through this
and and to come together andjust have a a place to um um
just unpack those ideas andthoughts, right?
In a safe environment.
(16:21):
And uh I I can tell you throughwith him and uh and just other
brothers in the community andthe lion and and just friends as
well, I don't know how you getthrough stuff like this without
God and without others thatother Christians that are
helping you.
And um, I mean the the realityof the situation, I'm still,
like I said, uh just trustingGod because the infection is
(16:43):
outside of my control.
Uh but I fully believe thehealing is gonna go for him, or
from him rather.
And as we go into Thanksgivingfor me this year, there's a lot
for me to stop and reflect on.
And uh it starts with my wifeand my family, you know, how
they've stepped in since myinjury, from from my parents to
(17:05):
my in-laws, to obviously my mywife and daughters, and and and
and just I can't put into wordswhat they've the love they've
shown me.
And it's not that they'vereplaced me.
Um they're doing for me for mewhat I can't do for myself.
(17:25):
I mean, they're walking out thegospel right now and then the
the lion guys, I I mean you guyshear me talk about our lion's
den community all the time.
I'm not blowing smoke.
Without them, I'm not sure how Iwould have shaken the
depression.
I I don't know.
But to have guys checking on youregularly, most of these guys
(17:47):
we've never met in person, butthere is a bond, there is a deep
relationship that is grown.
And uh I would just encourageyou, you know, not pluck plug in
our community because there'sother communities out there too.
I know the one thing, ours is isfull of sincere, loving, genuine
guys.
(18:08):
So I mean, hop in that.
For me, it's been life changing.
I mean, it's life changing.
So sitting here at Thanksgivingthe day before, I'm thankful for
my health.
You know, I'm not where I wantto be, but that's okay.
I have some pretty incrediblemotivation.
Uh uh every year on July 26th,prayerfully, good Lord willing,
(18:30):
and moving forward, I plan ondoing something challenging.
So because I don't want toforget this season and the
things that God has shown methrough this season.
I don't know if it's gonna be arace or one of those, you know,
uh like uh challenging workoutsor something, but I want to do
something.
Now look, if you want to do itwith me, I don't know what it's
gonna be yet.
Hey, just send me a note, okay,and we'll we'll figure it out,
(18:51):
you know, when that comes to be.
But I'm thankful for God uh forhis healing power.
Uh and and and I want to justremind remind myself of that and
uh do that every year.
And I'm thankful for this trial,you know.
Um again, I'm thankful forPastor Joby and his
(19:11):
encouragement to me when Ineeded the most, you know, and
how he's just poor.
I mean, I got an email from hima couple weeks ago, right before
the conference, because I wasreally feeling down on myself,
like I just don't know if weeven deserve to be there.
And he's like, bro, you areright where you need to be.
God has called you, he'sequipping you, and let's go.
So for for guys like that totake time out of their day, I
(19:33):
don't know what to say.
I'm thankful for the Bible app.
I mean, are you kidding me?
Uh we've touched 300,000,something like that.
It's something crazy.
I mean, it's a crazy number ofguys with our writing through
the Bible app.
That's all God.
And their team is incredible tobe supported.
So I just, you know, I'mthankful for that.
(19:54):
I'm thankful for you guys forlistening and for checking out
the lion.
Just for any way you'vesupported the lion ever, I'm
super thankful for it.
Uh, and I'm not just monetarily,guys.
Like I it because I can tellyou, it's lonely and it's super
daunting at times.
But then when I get a note ofencouragement or a text message
or an email, something likethat, it's needed.
(20:17):
And uh, as we wrap up thisThanksgiving special, I just
want to share that story forwhat I've gone through here.
And there's a long road aheadfor recovery, but I I fully
trust God.
But there's something we'vetalked about in the four before
in the past, and that's anencouragement.
That is uh I want to encourageyou to write a gratitude list.
Okay.
Uh so it depends on how long howold you are.
(20:37):
So me, I'm 44.
So whatever your number is,whatever your age is, just write
that down on a sheet of paper.
You know, one through whatever.
And then for each one, eachnumber, write something that you
are grateful for, you know, andthen take it a step further and
share that with your familyduring Thanksgiving, you know,
(21:00):
during the holiday season.
You know, I just think that's awhat a beautiful way to uh to
let others know how much youcare, that you love them.
And uh, it's a bold move, butbut but bro, you're built for
bold.
You're not built for mediocre.
I would ask that you keep me andmy family in the prayers uh as
(21:20):
we continue to navigatedisinfection and and recovery.
And um I'm super excited.
I'm I'm thinking about getting arowing machine.
I don't know if any of you guysrow, but one of our our our Lion
members, uh his name is Rob, isa super love that dude.
He's a big rower, and he'stalking about the uh the
benefits of rowing and howthat's really just such a great
(21:42):
workout for you.
So if any of you guys got a tipon a on a good rowing machine,
hit me up.
I'm just kidding, but seriously,I'm I'm looking forward to to
rehabbing that and uh hopefullymaybe we'll be able to get one
of those and add those to thefarm soon.
But but I just want to encourageyou guys.
Look, if you're going to aseason, if you're going to a
trial, if you're going throughsome some some difficult times,
(22:03):
you're not alone.
You know, just know that there'sresources out there.
We built the lion for you, forguys just like you who need that
encouragement.
And um it's available for you.
You just gotta take that firststep.
So, I mean, we've kind of talkedabout this week trials and
Thanksgiving.
The question was, how do yourespond with joy when trials
(22:24):
hit?
And for me, it's turning to Godand then trying to glorify him
through it.
And you know, I don't know whythe the tree moved the way it
did, and and and I mean it'sthrown off basically by the time
it's all said and done, uh, sixmonths or more, it's gonna be,
you know, a hurdle.
But I know he's taught me somuch through it.
(22:45):
And I'm wondering if the secondthe infection is because I
didn't listen to him the firsttime, you know.
So I'm trying to really beintentional about that, slow
down, be with my family more.
And uh that would be myencouragement to you over this
Thanksgiving holiday, you know.
So thank you for listening.
Uh, for you guys who are headinginto Thanksgiving, uh, enjoy it,
enjoy that time with family.
(23:06):
Uh be where your feet are, bro.
Like just be at the at the tablewith your family.
Don't worry about the phone oranything like that.
Um, when you when you startthinking about guys in your life
and and what you want to, howyou want to encourage them uh
coming leading up to Christmas,I would just ask you to consider
unleashing the line within, ourbook, you know, getting that and
(23:28):
and let that be a gift that youcould gift to another man.
Uh, they may find it superencouraging.
So again, that's on Amazon.
But either way, I just pray thatyou have a great Thanksgiving.
Thanks for hanging with us.
Thanks for listening.
Thanks for all the support andthe way that you guys support
the lion.
And we are gonna have a funFriday.
It's gonna be a little bitshorter one, but uh, hopefully
(23:49):
you guys are gonna enjoy that uhfor your black.
I guess it'd be your black funFriday or your fun black Friday.
That probably would be a betterway to say it.
But other than that, guys, thankyou for all the support.
Give us a rating review.
Thelionwithin.us is where youcan find that.
And if you wouldn't mind, justkeep me lifting in prayer so
that we can get this healing anduh hopefully be back uh on the
trail soon and uh out thererunning and doing the thing,
(24:12):
this the things that God'scalled me to do.
All right, fellas, have a greatday.
Enjoy that turkey.
Just keep unleashing the lionwith it.
If you're tired of going at italone, we understand every man
needs wise counsel, but findingit can be quite the challenge.
That's why we build ourleadership masterminds.
(24:33):
This isn't just more content,guys.
It's real discipleship with aconsistent rhythm.
Small cohorts of no more thanseven guys, honest hot seat
subjects, and biblical counselthat turns good intentions into
active.
You'll get accountability,clarity, and a circle of
brothers who will challenge youand carry you on.
(24:57):
We open up new options regularlyso there's room to find the
right fit.
It's not always easy, but it isworth it.
The first step is simple.
Take the leadership mass amountassessment.
No pressure, no hype, justthoughtful questions to help you
see where you are, where God isleading you, and whether this is
(25:20):
a good option for your nextstep.
Hey, if it's a fit, we're gonnafollow up with details.
And if it's not, we'll point youto resources to help you keep
growing.
Either way, you move forward.
So if you're ready to take theassessment, head over to
thelionwithin.uslash mastermind.
So that's thelionwithin.us slashmastermind to get moving today.
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