Imagine the excitement that comes with every dance invitation you've ever received, and how that excitement carries you through the evening, enabling you not only to attend but shine at the dance. This episode is your invitation, ready to lead you to new understandings of hope, purpose, and the power of faith. You'll hear my personal story from my junior high days and an unforgettable experience at the Children's Medical Center in Dallas. Strap in for an inspiring ride full of real-life stories and insights that will provide you with a renewed sense of purpose.
This episode is not just to inform, but to inspire and uplift, reminding you that your purpose can overcome any fear and that hope always prevails.
Follow on Instagram & Facebook: @AndyBHoward
Buy the book on Amazon: www.amazon.com/When-Words-Dont-Come-Easy/dp/1955362084
Listen to the first chapter: soundcloud.com/andy-howard-788712319
Learn more at AndyHoward.com!
Imagine the excitement that comes with every dance invitation you've ever received, and how that excitement carries you through the evening, enabling you not only to attend but shine at the dance. This episode is your invitation, ready to lead you to new understandings of hope, purpose, and the power of faith. You'll hear my personal story from my junior high days and an unforgettable experience at the Children's Medical Center in Dallas. Strap in for an inspiring ride full of real-life stories and insights that will provide you with a renewed sense of purpose.
This episode is not just to inform, but to inspire and uplift, reminding you that your purpose can overcome any fear and that hope always prevails.
Follow on Instagram & Facebook: @AndyBHoward
Buy the book on Amazon: www.amazon.com/When-Words-Dont-Come-Easy/dp/1955362084
Listen to the first chapter: soundcloud.com/andy-howard-788712319
Learn more at AndyHoward.com!
Yo, yo, it's your boy. Another episode of the Windward Stop Come Easy podcast is coming up. Next, I am uh dude. I'm fresh out of the hospital. I'm tired. I haven't slept well. If you've ever tried to sleep in a hospital, you understand. It wasn't for me, it was for my daughter. Uh, thanks for all your prayers. But, uh, so, man, one of the coolest things happened this week. One of the absolutely coolest things of my life happened this week. So you have to stick around in the episode because we're diving in, we're diving into it from a, from a doctor at Children's Medical Center, and it was just seriously, of the 15 years that we've been taking Peyton to, to the hospital, this was the coolest, uh coolest experience there. So you have to listen to that. Uh, but so much more, man. I'm going to be talking about the difference between your ticket to the dance and, uh, shining once you get to the dance, and all that and more. It's happening after this this Welcome back to the wind.
Speaker 1:Words don't come easy podcast. My name is Andy Howard and I am so glad you're here. Uh, this, this podcast is about hope, and and that's what I really want it to be about always, I always want to be pushing you. Sometimes they'll be very, very spiritual, sometimes it'll even just be about the day to day, but more times than not, in fact, every episode will always be pushed towards some form of hope, and today's no different, uh, difference. I'm excited to be back.
Speaker 1:I've been in the hospital for a while with my daughter. A lot of you have been following on social media and your prayers or your kind words, all the, all the cause, all the texts, all of it, um, or forever grateful, and she's home. She is home. In fact, uh, had something so cool happen this time around and that's why I'm uh, I couldn't wait to get back on the podcast, cause I wanted to tell you about it. So stick around to the end. It's one of the coolest stories of ever. Uh, we've been going in and out of the hospital for 15 years now. She's a little over 15 in a same hospital right there in Dallas Children's Hospital, children's Medical in Dallas, and uh, anyway, something so special happened.
Speaker 1:But I don't want to get off subject because I rabbit trail a lot and I will get off my notes and I'm going to try to stick to my notes as as much as possible, because I really feel like everything is, it's for a divine purpose. Today, for a reason In fact, you're watching this particular episode or listening, or whatever. However, you're consuming this podcast for a reason and, uh, I don't take that lightly. Uh, I've been praying for you, I've been praying for my listeners, I've been praying for the people who I get to to speak to or preach to, and and and upcoming events, conferences at churches, and uh, I have no doubt that you're here for a for a reason, for a special reason, and so we're going to jump into it.
Speaker 1:Uh, I'll never forget, dude, uh, my junior high experience that. I don't know why I thought of this this morning, but I remember a friend of mine named David I won't say his last name because don't want and it's not his fault by any means, but he's still friends today, but, for any means, his name is David and all he did was he bought my ticket. He bought my ticket to the dance. So we had this junior high dance, $2. I didn't have $2. And so, when I wasn't going to go because it's a dance number two, I'm not going to go because I don't have $2. And uh, after school, one day he's like dude, you got to go to the dance. I'm not going to the dance, well, I don't even have any money. And he's like I got you, I got you covered, I got you. So he paid my two bucks. And what he didn't know, though, is is I was raised, uh, and I love uh please hear my heart.
Speaker 1:I'm so grateful for, for my upbringing. I was raised from a very, uh, strict upbringing. In fact, my mom and dad, if they would have known that I was staying after school to go to a dance, it would have, uh, wouldn't have been good, wouldn't have been good at all. I don't, I don't, let me, let me finish the story. Uh, at that particular time they were. We were very just, strict on on our beliefs, and dancing or going to dances with something we didn't do as Christians yeah, I know, I know. So imagine today, uh, and I'm grateful for it. I think, uh, looking back, there's some things I've realized. We work out our salvation with fear and trembling. I believe that's what's in the words. There are some things that were probably a little legalistic.
Speaker 1:I was too strict on, like you can't do that, like I always thought and this is just the honest truth I always thought that God was like sitting in heaven with this giant sledgehammer or just this huge eraser. It was like every time I screwed up or made a mistake that he was ready to just erase my name from the book of life, like, okay, howard, you're out of heaven again today. Oh, you're back in heaven. Today you did something good. Nope, you're out of heaven today. And I didn't understand or appreciate grace. And at the same time, that doesn't mean you have this like license to sin. That's not what his grace is for. But at the same time, we don't cheapen his grace by thinking that we, we for some reason are just so bad that everything God did, everything Jesus did by dying on the cross for you Now there's a whole nother podcast, but anyways, everything he did for you could somehow, you could somehow be the only one not worth dying for and anyways. So that's my thoughts.
Speaker 1:So I wasn't supposed to be at the dance and remember junior high. It's so awkward, it wasn't even a dance. Anyway, there's a reason why it was only $2 to get in. I mean, the budget was very small. I think we had three balloons in there in a dark room. You had boys to men playing on a sound system and maybe a few. I can't remember who else. The girls were on one side of the cafeteria. The boys were on the other side Hanging out. There was no dance Dancing even going on, even though it was a dance. It was a dance list dance. Are you with me? Do you remember this? I don't know if this was how it was at your junior high dances, but this, at least that's where, where we came from, that's what it was, until someone finally got bold enough to dance. And here's the thing you were created to shine, not to sit on the sidelines. You were created to dance.
Speaker 1:And what I'll never forget, though, is at some point in I don't know how far into it, when I started finally getting comfortable and thinking I may actually get away with this. I don't remember why I called mom and daughter to pick me up later, but at some point I start hearing these heels hitting the tile floor outside the cafeteria. And did your parents have a cadence to their walk Like you knew? You knew just by the sound of their walk who it was Like. Or is that just me? Or maybe it was my guilt starting to pile up, I don't know, but I knew. I knew my mom was there, and, sure enough, cafeteria doors swing open and it's mom and we make eye contact and she says, you know, puts her finger up like come on, it's time to go. We only live like two minutes from the school, not even that far, and that two minute ride home felt like 30 minutes. I mean it was the longest ride home.
Speaker 1:I was scared to death and they loved me. I wish I could go back and relive just from a. You know, when you're young and you're so scared and you think you do. If I would have known how much my mom and dad loved me and they always loved me. But just as a kid you don't see that Like if I could see it through parents eyes.
Speaker 1:Now was she disappointed in one the fact that I lied to her. I told her I had like a school project or something instead of the dance, because I was scared to say, can I? If I would have just said I'm going to go to a dance, she probably would have said, hey, go to your, go to your dance. But I lied to her first and then she caught me at a dance. A dance, let's dance, if that makes sense. Anyways, if I don't know what it what I didn't know then. But the point is, and this is the point of this whole podcast, I'm going somewhere with this. I'll hang in with me, but the ticket that gets you to the dance Right, it's the ticket that gets you to the dance, but once you're there, you were created for so much more. So, my friend, he sponsored the the two bucks to get me to the dance, but after that, once I get there, it's on me and I was created for so much more.
Speaker 1:There's this dude and I know, I know, you know, but I'm a huge sports guy. It's my favorite time of year, man, and at football season that started, my team broke my heart yesterday Again, that's normal. But also my other team won, because it's the major league baseball playoffs. The Rangers won yesterday, or up one, oh, on Baltimore in the ALDS. And by the time I do another podcast, you know they may be eliminated, but for now I'm riding high.
Speaker 1:But there's this kid named Evan Carter. He's, he's, uh, he's like the golden child. He's been for those who follow the Rangers excuse me, follow the Rangers, no, he has been the the future, like they've talked about it. He started this year in a ball which, if you know anything about major league baseball in the minors before you can get to the major leagues they have. Well, they have like a bunch of stuff before a I don't even know it's too many to keep up with like developmentally high a ball, I don't know other stuff and then they have a ball, double a, triple a and then the major leagues. Sometimes it's if you're really good you will go to the next league the next year and so, like if you were an able this year, hopefully, if everything goes right, you'll get to start off in double a next year and if you have a really good year again, you'll be in triple a the next year. And if that goes great, there's a chance you might get caught up to the major leagues. But there's no guarantee you ever make it to the show. That's what major league baseball is. It's the show.
Speaker 1:Well, here's Evan Carter. He's our, he's our future, right, our golden child. He's an, a ball, and you start hearing rumlings about this kid's really special. Well then, some, at some point along the way halfway, probably by half way through the year he got caught up to double a, which was already cool. So, wow, if he has a really good year in double a, maybe next year he'll be ready to get Take that jump to the to the pros at some point.
Speaker 1:But his numbers didn't even taper off. Even though he was going to another level, his numbers were amazing. So guess what happens? He gets caught up to triple a and with a month to go in the season, there was an injury in the to the major leagues roster to Adola Scorsia and outfielder, which happens to free up a spot where they call up the kid Evan Carter. He got his shot, he got his ticket to the dance and he didn't disappoint. What did he do? His numbers have not wavered. In fact, they got better as he got to the major leagues. Got better. It's incredible story.
Speaker 1:And now we're in post season, right, and it used to be. When he first got to the major leagues they were like this kid's coming off the bench every now and then, giving guys rest. He's just an emergency outfielder to our other guy got healthy. The Garcia is healthy now and back in the starting lineup. But Carter did so well that he found a thought in the starting lineup as well. In fact, he keeps moving up in the lineup because he's doing so well.
Speaker 1:In fact, how well is he? You may ask. Uh, there, he is one of two people. That's pretty good. Baseball has been around a long time. It's called America's past time because it's been around a long time. Evan Carter is one of two people to ever start off in the post season, reaching base nine out of 10 times. He actually expanded at his next bat and got another hit and he was 10 out of 11 now, and I don't know if he's the only guy to go to 11. I don't know. I'm waiting for the announcers to update that and tell me. But that's pretty awesome.
Speaker 1:But here's what's cool, y'all. Here is what is so awesome about Evan Carter. You're like where are you going with this? That's his ticket, right? Major League Baseball is his ticket. But what he was created for was to share about Jesus. And this dude is a Christian man. He is a Christian and he shows up on his most popular day ever after after climbing through the minor leagues and media surrounding him, wanting to interview the kid, this Evan Carter kid.
Speaker 1:And what shirt is he wearing? It's a ranger shirt. It's in Ranger blue and the colors and the same font and everything, but it says Jesus one across his chest. Not oh any, but W? O in Jesus one. What an opportunity. And he had it all eyes on him and he pointed them back to Jesus. Isn't that what we're created for? That is exactly what we're created for. Whatever we are doing, that's our ticket, right? If you're caught, who who cares what you're caught to do? That's just your ticket to, to reach people. And then, while you're there, what you're created for is to shine for Jesus. That's what you're created for.
Speaker 1:This week I'd already talked about it earlier, but something so cool happened never before happened from a doctor, those who've been following me and Peyton has been so sick. She's been so sick. She's been fighting this C diff which is no joke in and out of the hospital. I mean, she'll do antibiotic for 10 days, get better. Three or four days after she's off the antibiotic, all the symptoms come back. She's sick. Call the doctor. Hey, no problem, we're going to start another antibiotic, or we just got to wipe this out. There you go. She's on it 10 days, everything's fine, no symptoms. Everything's going on for six months. Only reason I know is because it was the beginning of the ranger season opening day. Matter of fact, we were at the hospital and here we are six months later.
Speaker 1:Well, what I didn't realize is she's been losing weight and it's hard to you know when you're with someone every single day, it's hard to see how much weight they're losing. She had lost 20 pounds. She didn't have a lot of weight to lose to begin with, she's only about 80 pounds but she's lost 20 pounds over the six months and that was the red flag with the doctor that said she's got to come in. So we went into the hospital a little over a week we were there. They did a T, what's called TPN. They dropped this pick line in straight to her veins, her important, big, bigger, larger veins, and she was getting fed.
Speaker 1:This. Tpn, which is nutrition, is like this all the vitamins and nutrients that's already broken down and go straight to the bloodstream. It just bypasses the gut altogether and they're focusing on getting rid of the Cdiff. We're taking antibiotics for that, but the whole time we're trying to build up her nutrition. So she's been started off getting these 24 hour a day feeds at, you know, continuously 24 hours for three days, I don't even four days, and then it tapered to 20 hours into 16, then to 12. And now she's home with it and she's still doing the 12 hour feeds on TPN, but getting much better, much better it on the antibiotic as well, and it's going to go this time. It's like a 25 day antibiotic and we're really hopeful it will. It will fix everything. So please keep us in your purse.
Speaker 1:But what's really cool is this one doctor comes by and he was so cool, he was just so cool in his personality. From the beginning I knew there was something different about him. One is kindness, and you know the Bible talks about fruits of the spirit. Even one day there was like this, this beat that I could not get this shut up on these machines and I had hit the nurse, but then she was on her way and I couldn't figure out how to silence it and it was like driving me nuts. And he comes walking in and I didn't even realize who who he was at first and I thought, oh, he was here. I didn't know if he was with RT or who and I thought maybe, hey, can you help me with this machine? It won't quit BP and it, oh, yes, no problem. And he went and took care of it and then I realized who it was. It was the doctor who didn't have to lower himself to do that that was beneath him. Let's put it that way. But yet he didn't. He didn't blink an eye or said do you know who I am? Or any of that. It was full of such humility and the fruits of this period.
Speaker 1:I knew this dude was a Christian before he ever stood up on a pulpit and preached a three point sermon and said look at me, I'm a Christian. You could just feel it in his spirit, the way he did things. And what's wild is I was wearing my NF hat Singer, love him, rapper, a singer and still hadn't really didn't even think much about it. But as he was leaving he said, hey, I like that hat. What's the NF stand for? And I thought he's a rapper, he's a singer, didn't say nothing more than that. But he knew, and NF is a Christian, he's a mainstream rapper, he sings. A lot of his songs are Christian songs and some are just really cool, awesome songs, but he is very. One thing I love about NF is he's huge on a. He's overcome depression himself Because a lot of his songs are about the mental health struggle and I relate to him so much. But many of his songs, you know, also point people to Christ. Is so cool. So, anyways, he knew that.
Speaker 1:But he was looking for a small door to share the gospel with me. And then he said Are you a Christian? That was it. That was the little door where he could ask. And I said oh, yes, I am. He said I thought so, he knew the hat, but that was it. That was the door he needed.
Speaker 1:He said Well, here's something cool. I don't say this to everybody, but since you are a Christian, just wanted you to know. I pray for all my patients. I pray for all my patients. I pray for all my patients because I pray for them. That and he was grateful for all the medical help. He's grateful for all the stuff that we've learned as humans. You know, we're doing our best to learn the body but at the same time, he was the first to give all credit and glory to God. You know, it was the coolest thing.
Speaker 1:He said would you mind if I prayed for Peyton? And I said, yeah, I would love that. And he said well, I will come back before you all leave, I'm going to come back and I'm going to pray for you and for Peyton. And I said oh man, that's awesome. And he left and I thought I didn't think much about it, but just that alone I thought was amazing, but honestly thought he probably will never come back. I mean he's busy, it's a big hospital, right, it's a children's Dallas Children's Medical Center. I mean we were on the eighth floor and there's like four different elevators, so four different story, four different towers of floors of patients, and so big hospital. And so, sure enough though, the following day he shows up and says hey is now a good time. Would you guys mind if I prayed for Peyton? And I said, of course not.
Speaker 1:And he prayed this, not just this. There's nothing. Please hear me, god doesn't. He doesn't judge your prayers, he judges your heart and he doesn't care. Like, oh, oh, that was a big word there, bonus word there. That was eloquent. Your tone was great there. I love the big finish. Gotta be a little sarcastic, I guess, but trying to be funny, he don't judge that.
Speaker 1:But this prayer was just beautiful and I think it again because of all the other things I mentioned. It was his heart, it was his passion, it was his beliefs, it was his fruits of the spirit. It wasn't the way he prayed, but it was his relationship with Jesus and it was so, so touching to me that out of 15 years of going to that hospital, no one is no one, no doctor has ever asked if they could pray for Peyton. It was so touching, so he prayed for me, he prayed for her and it was just a powerful moment. It really was. And so he mentioned something. I, george.
Speaker 1:When I told him man, that was so cool he mentioned you know what and this is where this whole podcast idea came from. And I'm paraphrasing if you catch him, he may tell you something different, but this is how I heard it. It's the ticket that gets you to the dance, but once you're at the dance, you were created to shine. And that's what he was saying. He loves. He loves serving kids, he loves being a doctor. Here's the cool thing he's even in neurology.
Speaker 1:If you've heard my story, if you've read the book like the book itself starts from our trip to the chief neurologist's appointment, one of the darkest days of my life, one of the hardest days of my life we got some of the worst news of our life that day. Yet this future neurologist he's still got some training to go and I don't know enough. I'm not smart enough to know all the different. I do know he is an MD right now, but anyways, he will be a neurologist. But here he is praying for me and for Peyton. It was the coolest thing ever. So I want to read this as well. That was so cool.
Speaker 1:I thought that he said that he talked about how being a doctor is what he was called to do and what he wanted to do to serve kids. But his calling is to spread the gospel and that's what we're all created for. So that's what I wanted to tell you. Man, whatever your ticket is, you may be a carpenter hey, I know of a good carpenter who had a pretty good run. You may be a carpenter, a doctor, you may I don't know you may be a taxi driver who cares what you're doing, it's who you're serving along the way. Are you shining for Jesus? Do they see you and say that, dude? I know that dude is a Christian by the fruits of his spirit, by the fruits of the spirit, by his testimony, by the way he's lived his life. This is a quote from Robert Morris, one of my favorite pastors, yesterday on social media. Since, do you realize? You have the intellect, ability, talent and gifting to do something special for God. He designed you for a specific role and you will never truly be truly happy until you discover what it is. And once you discover your purpose and begin fulfilling it, your life will take on new energy and excitement. So true, that's so true.
Speaker 1:I want to end with this story from Elijah Otis. If you read the book, I am going to actually read it word for word from the book, when words don't come easy. It's been out for a little over a year, so if you haven't got to get a free play, please, please, help me out, get it and share it with somebody who needs help with depression or mental health. I'm just going to read it word for word because I don't. There's so many different stats and different things in here. I don't want to leave anything out, but it's so good and goes great with what we've been talking about. This part's called Cut the Rope.
Speaker 1:In 1853, there were only a few buildings in New York City that were taller than five stories, and the reason for that is less dramatic than you'd imagine. People simply didn't want to climb more than five flights of stairs. I can't blame them, but then a man named Elijah Otis had an idea that would change the world. He had been a workie in a Yonkers, new York, bedstead factory that required moving heavy machinery between floors. He was concerned with what would happen if the support rope on the equipment elevator broke, so he devised a safety hoist to fix the problem. The hoist was a device made of steel wagon spring and a ratchet and made sure that sure the rope giveaway the spring would catch and keep the problem from plummeting down and crushing everything below. Nothing like that even existed until Otis came up with the device, since elevators weren't used much for other than equipment. But no one would believe his device could be trusted for use with people. Like most great ideas, they are seen as crazy and unthinkable ideals before they are seen as great ideals.
Speaker 1:Otis needed to demonstrate his ideal. So he found the perfect moment at the 1854 New York World's Fair. There, on the stage, perched high above the gasping crowd in a makeshift elevator, he proved his ideal in the most dramatic way possible. He cut the rope. If his break didn't work, he would plummet to his death in front of the audience. He might even hurt own lookers. But guess what it worked. By 1908, there were 538 skyscrapers in New York City, and it's been said that the Otis elevator company moves the entire population of the earth. Every three days In New York City alone, more than 3 million people ride in his elevators. I'm guessing Otis had some moments of significant fear during the whole process the fear that he was wrong, fear that no one would listen, fear that his ideal would fail. But despite all the people telling him no, he didn't stay stuck. He saw the safety rope as the barrier between him and success and he cut the rope. And that's what I want to end with today.
Speaker 1:What is keeping you from doing what you're called to do? Your ticket to shine your rope, that you need to cut your fear. Because what I know about, like what Robert Moore said about all the things that will bring purpose to your life and excitement to your life, and all the different things Equally, when you're not living your passion will bring depression to your life, will bring struggle and heartache to your life. If nothing else, you will live a mundane, boring life that you are not created for. So think about it for a moment. What's keeping you from going forward? What were you created to do? And then, even if you're doing, even if you found your ticket, you found your calling, you're doing what you're supposed to do. Are you shining? Because, again, you may be doing a certain field, but I can guarantee you God didn't put that inside you just to do that field. He put that inside you so that you would shine shine for him. So hope that makes sense for you today and hope it's helped you. And if it has, please, please, share this with somebody that God has laid on your heart, because I believe we were all created to shine. So thank you so much and God bless. Hey, I hope you found that helpful.
Speaker 1:Maybe, if you've been in decision or been been worried about where to go with your life, been wondering about what's next for your life, maybe it's time to cut the rope. Maybe it's time to take that chance. I'm not asking you to do anything daring that's going to put your family in jeopardy, but, at the same time, if you've been holding back from doing what you were called to do. That's why the options Consider what happens if you cut the rope and go for it. First of all, god's going to put you in a place where you can shine for him. So it doesn't matter. You don't have to be a pastor. In fact, some of the greatest sermons come from people who are doing the do and just doing the daily, daily actions in front of other, hurting people.
Speaker 1:We're living in a society where people are hurting more and more. You see it on social media. Why is there so many negative people? Because hurt people hurt people. It's easier to just you feel safe in social media. Nobody truly knows me. I can say all the things that I couldn't say in person. This is my reasoning. I don't know. I feel like so many people are hurting and so they want to hurt others and they just want to throw up on others, and if they're feeling bad, they want others to feel bad. So you have this opportunity. You have this chance to shine where your pastor may not ever have a chance to reach these people, but you can. So I hope this has been helpful for you.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for tuning in, for listening. I would love if you would leave a review if this has been helpful for you. A five-star review would help me so much and it will help others find this podcast. Also, if you haven't got the book yet, when words don't come easy, there's more stories like the one you heard today from Elisha Otis and I pray it'll be a blessing to you. You can get that from AndyHowardcom. It's on Amazon as well. It's on Audible. You can also read it on Kindle. So I pray it's been a blessing to you. I pray you will also leave reviews there so we can get that to more people, so we can help more people. Thank you so much for tuning in and I'll see you next time. Thanks so much for tuning in. If this episode helped you in any way, it would mean the world to me if you would leave a review and share it with somebody else. Thanks so much, see you next time.