Welcome to The Lion Within Us, a podcast serving Christian men who are hungry to be the leaders God intends you to be. I'm your host, Chris Granger. Let's jump in. All right, fellas, meet episode time. Let's get right into it. Okay. So the scripture of the week this week's, even though it's Thanksgiving, James, okay, chapter one, verses two and three, which is kind of weird verses to have before Thanksgiving week, but that's okay. Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Okay. Love those verses. There happen to be my life verses. I think they're terrible life verses, but I can, you know, God gave them to me, so there you go. And uh I unpack those verses at length in this SKO episode for this week. So go back in your podcast feed, check that out. And uh that's what we're all about simplify and apply God's word. And again, I know I sound like a broken record, but you guys need to hear it all over and over. We do a daily SKO Monday through Friday 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 to thelionwithin.us, start your daily spiritual kickoff experience. Okay? All right. This episode is gonna be a little bit different. Thanksgiving's tomorrow. Totally get it. All right, everybody's super pumped and super excited, and we're talking about joy and trials, and and and I want to share this because I am thankful in a lot of ways. But I think this story hopefully will be encouraging to you. And if you listen to the podcast, you know last week we shared our episode about how we went to the men's conference, was able to hang out with Pastor Joby, all the wonderful people at 1122. John Tyson was there, Jeff Fox Ruby, Willie Robertson. It was just incredible, incredible weekend. And uh really grew and learned so much about myself, about the lion. Uh God told me I'm a prophet. I mean, it was all these things that were happening there this week. It was amazing. Mountaintop, right? Just one of the highlights of the lion so far. And there have been many, but that was just a really good moment, several moments there. Um and then within I got home that Sunday. Great ride home, no traffic. We just drove straight from Florida back to Carolina. I helped my wife with some things uh on the farm that evening. And I went from uh uh helping her on the farm, walked into the house, and noticed something was going on with my right foot. So just to kind of back up, on July 26th of the of 2025, I was cutting a tree on the farm, and I was notching it. Uh, there's a limb had fallen down. So I was notching the knocking the branches off to take the limb completely down. Something happened, and the limb itself broke free. And when it did, it hit me from behind on my right foot and basically knocked my foot off my ankle. I mean, it's it was pretty gruesome injury. Uh you know, I'm I called the ambulance immediately. Uh 911, they showed up, Texas uh Becca to come outside. I knew I was hurt bad. My foot was literally hanging in my boot. A couple fun things from that, though, uh, when the ambulance showed up, I was wearing steel toe muck boots, and uh I asked 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 with your foot this way? I'm like, hey, I can't feel it. So we got the muck boots off safely without cutting them. The second funny thing with this story is uh two weeks before, my daughters want to have a manicure and a pedicure night. So I'm I'm being the dad that I am. I try to indulge them. I let them have fun. So then I ended up with uh flamingo pink toenails and fingernails. So fingernails had to go because obviously I have people that are uh meet with on a regular basis. I don't want to have pink fingernails, 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 gotta do something with these toenails. Like, this is not good. You know, so I'm sitting there with my foot hanging off on a gurney in an ambulance with bib overalls, a cowboy hat, soaking wet of sweat, because I've been working since the sun was up. And I realized about those toenails. And the old boys in the ambulance, they've got they was 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, I just need you to know that I have daughters. And they looked at me with the funniest look, and they cut the sock off. And when they saw the toes, they had to get out the ambulance. They just couldn't hold themselves. So, I mean, I can't, but they they thought it was hilarious. Uh, the doctors, the nurses, for the next basically 14 to 16 hours, I spent explaining to everyone in Duke Hospital why I am sitting there with bib overalls and pink toenails. But anyway, so I think I got the point across from those points. So they they were able to reposition my foot, it's what it's called. I had to reposition ankle, which I don't know what drugs they gave me. I was in a different world, I can tell you that. My wife did say I kept yelling at Jesus and salvation. So apparently I was trying to share the gospel, even though I was basically out of my mind. Got the foot repositioned, met with the surgeon, had surgery on August 6th. Okay. Ended up with two, like two or three plates, I think two plates and almost 20 screws to hold my foot together. And uh then physical therapy started. You know, there was lots of time without putting any weight on it. Then I was able to start physical therapy, and I had gotten to the point the week before the conference in October, where I actually ran in the physical therapy's office, in her in the therapist's office. I've been doing lunges, squats, uh, reverse lunges, step-ups, exercising every day to build the strength back in my foot. Felt really good about it. And it was kind of crazy. The swelling just wouldn't go away. And we kept wondering, like, all right, maybe it's just something's going on there. And uh and and even the surgeon's like, I'm not sure. One of the screws that started backing out. She's like, Well, I gotta take that out eventually, but maybe it's just gonna take time. They were thinking maybe you can take a year. Well, as I kind of get back to the story, I got home that Sunday, that Sunday night. I finished this working in the barn with my wife, came inside, took my sock off, and just something, it was about the size of a nickel on the right side of one of the incisions uh from the surgery. And that's the side that hadn't never really healed the best. But it just kind of looked like uh, it was just red and it just kind of looked, it felt soft. Like, well, I don't know what that is. But the spirit whispered to me that night, said, Don't eat or drink anything. I was like, Okay. So uh I didn't have anything, didn't drink my water. I wish I never I never eat breakfast, but I didn't even drink water that morning. I had and I all the crazy part is I already had an appointment set for Monday morning. It was set for like nine o'clock Monday morning. I walk into the surgeon's office, look at her. She's like, How you doing? So I don't know, I got a little weird spot here on my ankle. What do you think? So I pulled my sock off, and uh I heard the surgeon say words that uh no one ever hopes their surgeon says. Just to be honest with you. She said, Oh, uh S H-I-T. And she looked, and now it's dead me in the dead in the eyes. I'm like, well, that's not what I was hoping you're gonna say. She's like, Yeah, this isn't good. She's like, here's what I want you to do. I want you to leave here right now and go to the hospital. And she says, Um, have you had breakfast? I say, No, ma'am. Have you anything to drink? No, ma'am. All right, I'm operating on you tonight. Tonight? Yep, as soon as I finish my uh rounds here and my clinics for the day. I'm coming to the hospital tonight. I don't have my kids. She had her husband can help her. She said, The rest of the week I'm pretty busy, but I'm open 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 room by lunch. Okay. It happened that fast. They pulled blood cultures, and then at 4 15, I was headed to the OR. His plans helped fellas, not mine. And within a couple hours later, half the hardware that was in my ankle originally was now out. And at that point, the waiting begins. They were monitoring my vitals, they were checking, they had all the things hooked up to me from a heartbeat, blood pressure, and blood samples every, I think about every eight hours. 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 all night, and the whole time there was an unknown of what really was going on. I found it was pretty interesting through all of this. My family and the lion just poured into me. And I'm talking about regular check-ins, prayers. I mean, I I put a prayer request in in there uh in the lion community about what was going on. And I don't even know how many guys, I just know it felt like I could feel the prayers from all over lifting me up, and and ultimately um checking in on me. Uh being me and stubborn as I am. I even did a daily SKO. You guys hear me talk about the daily SKO. I'm not lying about this stuff. This stuff happens live. So I did a daily SKO live from the hospital. Okay, so I tried to do it live. Doctors kept coming in. I ended up having to record it throughout the day and then post it, but we got it done, you know. And uh then just you're just sitting there waiting. You don't know what to do. You just know that it's not good, you know, and at the same time, she's like, I'm gonna come in and take the rest of the hardware out on Thursday night. She said, I think you can get out Friday. I'm pretty sure you can, but we don't know yet. So, okay, so I did what you do. Spent a lot of time praying, a lot of time talking to God, a lot of time writing for the lion, just doing stuff that I could for the lion, just connecting with other guys. Uh, scared the hospital chaplain half to death. She came in and wanted to know uh, did I need to talk about anything? Did I need any encouragement spiritually? And I my Bible's open on my on the bed. I got notes everywhere. I'm typing. I was literally writing a um a study 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 writing for the Bible right now. Would you like to talk about it? And she slowly backed out of the off the uh room there and said she wished she hoped that I had a good night. So apparently I scared her a little bit too much, Jesus, or something. I don't know. But anyway, it happens. But I found out Thursday that it was a MRS staph infection. So we finally had a diagnosis. Um, we knew how to fight it, we knew the medicine that would work uh the best. And then I had surgery that Thursday night. Um, you know, throughout the week, my kids and my wife would 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 would leave, you're just back alone. You're by yourself in a hospital gown, 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 a hospital with uh infection that at the time I didn't know what it was. And I felt like all the PT I had done, all the progress I had made was for nothing. Because I mean, after the first surgery, she says you can't put any weight back on that leg. I'm like, well, that sucks. So they determined the best way to fight the infection was through what's called a PIC line. I don't know what PIC stands for. It's P I C C. You guys probably know. I'm not sure. Basically, it's a line that goes that's installed uh in your in your arm typically. Mine's in my right arm. Uh, if you guys are watching on YouTube, I got kind of showing it right now. It's in my right arm, and you give yourself uh IV antibiotics. And for me, it's six weeks. So I'm at the time of this recording, I'm literally in the first week or two weeks of doing the IVs. So I have quite a few, uh, even past Thanksgiving. I'll be into the first week of December before I'm finished. But that's just this is what I do. You know, you install, uh, you um administer the IVs to yourself uh on on a daily basis. And I'm even sitting right now recording this, just praying that it's gonna work. You know, I mean, uh and and I an 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 attitude and all that fun stuff, and but there's so much out of my control here with this. And um they discharged me on Friday. And you would think I'd be pumped up, and and and I was. I was I was excited to be discharged. Don't don't don't misinterpret that. But I was also depressed. I mean, there's some depression that really hit me hard. Um and and my Rockstar wife, uh, hats off to her for just putting up with my with my knucklehead. And uh the way I was because I was just in a just in a funk, man. I got home, I couldn't do anything to help her. I saw all that needed to be done, and I felt completely useless as a man. And then uh we already had, I'm telling you, God's hand, right? We already had counseling. We me and my wife, and we tell people about this, we have a uh uh marriage coach that we meet with once a month. Uh he runs Uncovering Intimacy. You guys have heard me talk about uncovering intimacy. His name's JD, love him. He's part of the he's part of the Lion Within Us community as well. And he's out of Canada. He runs our couple's night for us once a month. But she and I meet with him, I trust him, she trusts him, and it was just really good for him to help us uh think through this and and to come together and just have a a place to um um just unpack those ideas and thoughts, right? In a safe environment. And uh I I can tell you through with him and uh and just other brothers in the community and the lion and and just friends as well, I don't know how you get through stuff like this without God and without others that other Christians that are helping you. And um, I mean the the reality of the situation, I'm still, like I said, uh just trusting God because the infection is outside of my control. Uh but I fully believe the healing is gonna go for him, or from him rather. And as we go into Thanksgiving for me this year, there's a lot for me to stop and reflect on. And uh it starts with my wife and my family, you know, how they've stepped in since my injury, from from my parents to my in-laws, to obviously my my wife and daughters, and and and and just I can't put into words what they've the love they've shown me. And it's not that they've replaced me. Um they're doing for me for me what I can't do for myself. I mean, they're walking out the gospel right now and then the the lion guys, I I mean you guys hear me talk about our lion's den community all the time. I'm not blowing smoke. Without them, I'm not sure how I would have shaken the depression. I I don't know. But to have guys checking on you regularly, most of these guys we've never met in person, but there is a bond, there is a deep relationship that is grown. And uh I would just encourage you, you know, not pluck plug in our community because there's other communities out there too. I know the one thing, ours is is full of sincere, loving, genuine guys. So I mean, hop in that. For me, it's been life changing. I mean, it's life changing. So sitting here at Thanksgiving the day before, I'm thankful for my health. You know, I'm not where I want to be, but that's okay. I have some pretty incredible motivation. Uh uh every year on July 26th, prayerfully, good Lord willing, and moving forward, I plan on doing something challenging. So because I don't want to forget this season and the things that God has shown me through this season. I don't know if it's gonna be a race or one of those, you know, uh like uh challenging workouts or something, but I want to do something. Now look, if you want to do it with 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, you know, when that comes to be. But I'm thankful for God uh for his healing power. Uh and and and I want to just remind remind myself of that and uh do that every year. And I'm thankful for this trial, you know. Um again, I'm thankful for Pastor Joby and his encouragement to me when I needed the most, you know, and how he's just poor. I mean, I got an email from him a couple weeks ago, right before the conference, because I was really feeling down on myself, like I just don't know if we even deserve to be there. And he's like, bro, you are right where you need to be. God has called you, he's equipping you, and let's go. So for for guys like that to take time out of their day, I 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 of guys with our writing through the Bible app. That's all God. And their team is incredible to be supported. So I just, you know, I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful for you guys for listening and for checking out the lion. Just for any way you've supported the lion ever, I'm super thankful for it. Uh, and I'm not just monetarily, guys. Like I it because I can tell you, it's lonely and it's super daunting at times. But then when I get a note of encouragement or a text message or an email, something like that, it's needed. And uh, as we wrap up this Thanksgiving special, I just want to share that story for what I've gone through here. And there's a long road ahead for recovery, but I I fully trust God. But there's something we've talked about in the four before in the past, and that's an encouragement. That is uh I want to encourage you to write a gratitude list. Okay. Uh so it depends on how long how old you are. 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, each number, write something that you are grateful for, you know, and then take it a step further and share that with your family during Thanksgiving, you know, during the holiday season. You know, I just think that's a what a beautiful way to uh to let others know how much you care, that you love them. And uh, it's a bold move, but but but bro, you're built for bold. You're not built for mediocre. I would ask that you keep me and my family in the prayers uh as we continue to navigate disinfection and and recovery. And um I'm super excited. I'm I'm thinking about getting a rowing machine. I don't know if any of you guys row, but one of our our our Lion members, uh his name is Rob, is a super love that dude. He's a big rower, and he's talking about the uh the benefits of rowing and how that's really just such a great workout for you. So if any of you guys got a tip on 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 hopefully maybe we'll be able to get one of those and add those to the farm soon. But but I just want to encourage you guys. Look, if you're going to a season, if you're going to a trial, if you're going through some some some difficult times, you're not alone. You know, just know that there's resources out there. We built the lion for you, for guys just like you who need that encouragement. And um it's available for you. You just gotta take that first step. So, I mean, we've kind of talked about this week trials and Thanksgiving. The question was, how do you respond with joy when trials hit? And for me, it's turning to God and then trying to glorify him through it. And you know, I don't know why the the tree moved the way it did, and and and I mean it's thrown off basically by the time it's all said and done, uh, six months or more, it's gonna be, you know, a hurdle. But I know he's taught me so much through it. And I'm wondering if the second the infection is because I didn't listen to him the first time, you know. So I'm trying to really be intentional about that, slow down, be with my family more. And uh that would be my encouragement to you over this Thanksgiving holiday, you know. So thank you for listening. Uh, for you guys who are heading into Thanksgiving, uh, enjoy it, enjoy that time with family. Uh be where your feet are, bro. Like just be at the at the table with your family. Don't worry about the phone or anything like that. Um, when you when you start thinking about guys in your life and and what you want to, how you want to encourage them uh coming leading up to Christmas, I would just ask you to consider unleashing the line within, our book, you know, getting that and and let that be a gift that you could gift to another man. Uh, they may find it super encouraging. So again, that's on Amazon. But either way, I just pray that you have a great Thanksgiving. Thanks for hanging with us. Thanks for listening. Thanks for all the support and the way that you guys support the lion. And we are gonna have a fun Friday. It's gonna be a little bit shorter one, but uh, hopefully you guys are gonna enjoy that uh for your black. I guess it'd be your black fun Friday or your fun black Friday. That probably would be a better way to say it. But other than that, guys, thank you for all the support. Give us a rating review. Thelionwithin.us is where you can find that. And if you wouldn't mind, just keep me lifting in prayer so that we can get this healing and uh hopefully be back uh on the trail soon and uh out there running and doing the thing, this the things that God's called me to do. All right, fellas, have a great day. Enjoy that turkey. Just keep unleashing the lion with it. If you're tired of going at it alone, we understand every man needs wise counsel, but finding it can be quite the challenge. That's why we build our leadership masterminds. This isn't just more content, guys. It's real discipleship with a consistent rhythm. 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