When Bad News Splits Life

Announcer 0:01

It's time now to get the hell out of your life. A weekly broadcast with real people, sharing real struggles, and offering real hope. Today's show will encourage, inspire, and empower you to face life's challenges with a full confidence and renewed hope. Now let's join our host, Ron Myers, the promoter.

Ron Meyers 0:21

Hello, my friends. It is so good to be with you today. What happens when the phone call comes that changes everything? Because none of us knows what today will bring. You can wake up on an ordinary morning, make your coffee, go to work, laugh with your family, make plans for the weekend, and then the phone rings or the doctor walks into the room. And suddenly there's a dividing line in your life before the news and after the news. Jesus never promised us a life without storms. What he promised was that we would never have to walk through those storms alone. And today, I want you to meet a man who knows exactly what that means. My friend Daryl. He and his wife were sitting at home watching television when he happened to reach beneath his arm and discovered a lump about the size of a baseball. That ordinary evening became the beginning of a journey he never expected. Doctors, test, a biopsy, a pathology report. Then the word nobody wants to hear, cancer. Now, friends, I don't want today's program to be a sad program. Not at all. It's about how you live when something happens that you cannot control. God has given physicians incredible knowledge and abilities, and Daryl will tell you himself that he prays for those doctors and trusts God to guide them. But there's another part of this journey that doesn't come with a prescription bottle, your attitude, your faith, your perspective, your peace. When I talked with Daryl after his diagnosis, there was a peace in his voice. Not denial, not pretending cancer isn't serious, but peace. There is a difference. Daryl told me essentially, Ron, I'm going to let God lead the way, and I'm going to walk behind him one step at a time. Daryl's anchor scripture verse is Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. That scripture sounds wonderful when everything is going well, but there are moments in life when those words stop being something hanging on the wall and become something you have to actually live. Darryl has spent much of his life helping people. He loves people. He has built relationships through the Gulf Coast, and many of those same people, friends, classmates, churches, family members, and customers are surrounding him with prayer. And today he isn't sharing his story because he wants anyone to feel sorry for him. He is sharing it because somewhere listening right now is a person whose phone has already rung. Somebody just got the diagnosis. Somebody just heard unexpected news. Somebody is lying awake tonight thinking, what am I going to do? And Daryl wants you to know you don't have to walk through it alone. So today, don't listen merely to a man talking about cancer. Listen to the man talking about peace. Listen to a man talking about trust. Listen to a man reminding us that when life gets turned upside down, Jesus will still be our anchor. My friends, this is the phone call. And this is Daryl's story.

A Lump Under The Arm

SPEAKER_03 3:51

Back around, it was around June. Uh my wife and I was sitting there watching a good show and all. And I just kind of relaxed back in our my recliner and reached, I don't I don't know why I did it, reached over to my right side of my under my right arm and found a pretty good sized lump about the size of a baseball. Then I felt my other side just to make sure I said, wait a minute. I know I hadn't been working out and weights and ain't got no big muscle over there. So I'd happen to check the other side, and it wasn't not of no lump there. So I I I be uh I basically knew there's something not supposed to be there now. So we basically uh contacted my internal doctor, got the ball rolling. He uh basically sent me to another doctor to uh check me out. Biopsy was requested, and then after the pathology report came back showing I did have a spindle cell type cancer in my arm and all uh under my arm. They uh that's the only place they tested it. Then later the PET scan was uh requested. So that showed that I had uh cancer under my arm and on my both lungs and uh lower part on my liver.

Ron Meyers 4:58

I want to go back to the first time you heard the words that it is cancer. What went through your mind and your wife? What was that conversation like when you heard that for the very first time?

SPEAKER_03 5:12

You think about it, you don't never think, you know, you it's not gonna be you ever to get cancer. But as I'm going through life and uh and what I do, I love helping people. My wife and I just love helping people and loving on people. Of course, that's what God wants us to do. But when I think about that, that this cancer, I say, Well, I'm not gonna worry. God, uh Lord and Savior does not want us to worry. And I I just took upon myself, I'm a my first thoughts, I'm gonna I'm gonna let God lead the way and me step by step behind him. And I'm gonna rely on Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean on not what your own understanding. You know, and that's that's a big thing. I mean, I I believe that. And I'm not gonna worry about this because I, you know, I I'm focusing on uh letting guy uh God lead the way and uh put it put this on him, and through his will it would be done.

Ron Meyers 6:04

Well, I know when you called me and told me, and I've been praying, and I asked you, would you like to share your story? Not so much about air and dirty laundry, because it's not dirty laundry, but it is something very personal, but your story of faith, because your faith has just been incredible, Daryl. I'm so now you're still working, you're a great car salesman. I think 17 years in a row at Butch Austin, you were the salesman of the year, weren't you? That's correct. And uh because, like you said, you love people. So you just are going about your life, you have a lot of faith, and

Tests, Treatment, And Steady Faith

Ron Meyers 6:41

people are praying. So, what is life like while you're waiting on all these tests and surgery, or what you're gonna have to go through?

SPEAKER_03 6:49

Well, you you just uh keep trusting in the Lord. You pray that um our our Lord and Savior gives the ability to these doctors in which he does the talents, because we all got a gift that's uh we all got gifts. And I just pray he uh we get uh the right treatment and all, and because uh it comes back a spindle cell cancer, but we don't it's not determined what type of cancer. So I pray that they have the ability to find out exactly what cancer it is, because I'm just just following God's footstep right now and letting him lead the way.

Ron Meyers 7:23

So you have an appreciation of life that was kind of almost forced on you at a point to where, wow, I don't know if I'll be here a year from now. And you just you're you just started changing. I could see that in your attitude and your thoughts.

SPEAKER_03 7:39

Again, it's in I just like I said, it's in God's hands. And I really really believe that, Ron. Tell us a little bit about you. Now, you grew up here on the Gulf Coast, right? That's right. I've been here pretty much all my life. I was uh born at Memorial Hospital, grew up with a lot of good f family, relatives, friends. I couldn't believe all the friends that's reaching out and praying for me. My classmates at uh Harrison Central that's on the they all praying. Several churches are praying. It's unbelievable, stunned of all the prayers I hear coming. And I know God's listening. That's so awesome. Amen. He's listening to our prayers. Well, and look at the mentor you had in Butch Hostelate.

Ron Meyers 8:18

You told me how he would call you on the phone, hey, it's time for some Bible study in his office. So you were always around people in your job, especially with Butch, that was speaking life into you.

SPEAKER_03 8:32

That's right. He was awesome, Mr. Butch Ostelet. I uh he was a mentor of mine, matter of fact. He he didn't do it every week, but I I I might ask people, who do you know on the Gulf Coast that welcomes people in their office as right now? Invites them into a prayer study and uh before work. I mean, that was awesome. I mean, of course, it was it was open to everybody, and we we we showed up to ever had Bible study. That's pretty awesome. That uh that made my day. I mean, I've and that's I started my day off with God on my side, helping me along the way. And again, that's why I was able to help so many people because I love people, but also God helped me through that that journey of helping people.

Ron Meyers 9:13

And look at the foundation that you had laid. So when you heard this news, you had built your life on a solid foundation of faith. So automatically you must have thought, well, God's got this, God's got this. I mean, because it's just re-emphasizing all the things that have been taught to you through the church and Bible study over many years. And and that played an important part and it still does, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_03 9:39

Yes, sir. That's a big part of my life, and that that's uh been instilled in

Faith That Starts Before The Storm

SPEAKER_03 9:44

me.

Ron Meyers 9:44

Now, you might not be able to imagine this, but I want you to try imagine if you never had a relationship with Jesus, you never went to church. Can you imagine what you'd be going through now with the same news, but yet you had no faith in a God, you just had to rely on your, I guess, positive attitude?

SPEAKER_03 10:03

Yeah, it would kind of be uh, I don't know, I think I'd be pretty lost. I wouldn't be as confident as I am now. I'm fine where I'm at now, and I'm comfortable. I'm laying it out to my Lord and Savior. I'm putting in his hand and I'm walking with him along the way. I I pray again through his will, it would be done. And if so, I'm gonna be fine.

Ron Meyers 10:22

And even if his will is take you home one of these days, like he is gonna me and everybody else, that's right. There is no more pain and no more suffering. We have the ultimate healing. But right now we're standing on his promises, and you're a youngster. How old are you?

SPEAKER_03 10:37

Well, I'm 63. I don't feel that old, though, don't yeah, you're a youngster.

Ron Meyers 10:41

So you still got a couple years out there. You've got a child and a wife, and uh but I bring that up because there are people listening that have never given God a chance, they just don't want that. You have an opportunity now, you get to speak to them, but now you're speaking from a whole different perspective because you're speaking to them after you found diagnosis of stage four cancer. So now what would you tell someone listening that has no time for God?

SPEAKER_03 11:10

I was telling it's it's always time to accept Jesus in your heart because without him, it's a tough world. So basically, you can always accept Jesus in your heart, like John 3.16. Look what he did. He gave his only begotten son, but those who believe in him shall never perish, have everlasting life. That's unbelievable. Just think about that. I mean, he gave his son, he died on the cross for us and rose again. That's that's unbelievable. So if you you take that opportunity to do that, you'll be a born-again son of of our God and uh Lord and Savior being right there with you, along with you, guiding you through life. Well, what a better place to be.

Ron Meyers 11:48

Because then he becomes our anchor when we go through the storms and the trials of life. And I don't know of anybody, myself included, anyone listening, that ever gets through a trial without a lot of, you know, introspection. You look at yourself, what have I done? Is there a God? Should I believe in God? I don't know that story I heard on the radio. Does it uh affect me? Does it not? But it comes down to a personal decision that the person has to make a decision that I am going to trust God, and I'm going to trust Jesus in my life. When you did that, what was your life like before you recommitted to Jesus and then life after the recommitted to Jesus?

SPEAKER_03 12:32

Well, I can tell you as growing up as a Catholic, man, I know a lot of Catholics. I love them. And my mother was a Catholic. And when she passed, she had no regrets. She loved the Lord with all her heart. And she, you know, it mattered about religion. It doesn't, religion ain't gonna get you to heaven. But her and her heart, her her Lord and Savior, she knows has had forgiven her. And she she left this world knowing that with a smile. I tell you, that was that was I I uh looked at her and I said, Man, this is awesome. And of course, I'd already been baptized uh uh as baptism in a Baptist church at 40 because come on, when you're a young baby, what are you being you know, you don't know what you're being baptized for at like that as a Catholic, you know, and I know I wanted to I wanted to be a you know born-again person to step forward and and follow Jesus and be more like him. And that's why, you know, we're not perfect, we've all been sinners, born sinners, but man, it's awesome to follow Jesus and just uh turn it all over to him because I you know I didn't share this with Ron yet, but I had four other cancer surgeries that was uh skin cancer, it was uh squamous cell carcinoma uh cancer that could have got serious there, but I turned it over to him four times already, and the good Lord was there with me, I know. And I'm here today still to talk about it.

Ron Meyers 13:52

And now you you have a beautiful wife, you have uh children.

SPEAKER_03 13:55

One I have four boys and and a daughter, which had be beautiful children, and they all been all been baptized in church. Not saying they again they they they know the Lord though, and that's what I wanted. I wanted them to be able to do the same as I do, or other people have a chance to have them turn to Jesus, turn to the good Lord to help them.

Ron Meyers 14:17

So what is life like now with you and your family and your children while you're waiting for all these test results? It has to be nerve-wracking.

SPEAKER_03 14:28

They I know they love me and I love them just like you know, they they basically they're for me. They're my biggest fans, no doubt. And but uh we're moving forward together.

Ron Meyers 14:39

Amen. Yeah, and and why I wanted to share your story, all of us most likely are going to get bad news one day, whether it's a form of an illness or a divorce or money problems, and it's how we deal with what is handed to us. And this man being told that he had stage four cancer, he's walking around, at least on the outside, like it's just another day. He has faith in God and he's going about his business as if God is going to take care of this whole situation and heal. And I think that's important because nobody needs God when their life is going rosy and everything is fine, do they, Daryl?

SPEAKER_03 15:22

That's right. That's right. You ought to be able to see how awesome God is, though, when you wake up in the morning and see the beautiful sunrise. I mean, you get the fresh air, you breathe for your first time when you wake up and uh see the beautiful skies and what he's made. It's unbelievable. I mean, it is God is unbelievable.

Turning It Over And Praying

Ron Meyers 15:38

Do you ever think that one day, what will people say about me when I'm not here anymore? And do any of those kind of thoughts go through your head?

SPEAKER_03 15:47

Yeah, kind of. Uh well, you know what? I mean, I've felt like I've helped a lot of people. I just joy people. I love on them just like again, it's a big thing because in in the Bible, I know God says you need to love on each other, love on other other people. Yeah, one day I hope people look at me and say, Man, that guy was uh pretty awesome.

Ron Meyers 16:06

Well, Daryl, when I first met you and I bought my first truck from you, I mean, you're the only one that I call, but it's just there's a connection. You do love people. It share, it shows through there, through your actions and your words. Now you've got the microphone. And of course, listeners, we're asking you to lift Daryl up and keep him in your morning prayers. But Daryl, you've got the microphone, and you are talking to the world right now. Little, little old Daryl from from Gulfport, Mississippi. You've got the microphone, and now you just share whatever is on your heart for the listeners out there to encourage them or whatever the Lord leads you to say.

SPEAKER_03 16:48

Well, I just let y'all know it's unbelievable to have the Lord with you, walking with you. It just every day, too, not just uh on Sunday. I believe in him. I pray and what opportunity anybody out there, if they listening, they can have the same thing. All you do is turn it over to the Lord and ask him to come into your life, to trust in him. I I trust you as being my Lord and Savior. And he will walk with you. And it's amazing what what he how he can change your life, be there for you. And I'm just excited that I had that opportunity when it came across when I knew he was an awesome Lord and Savior in God.

Ron Meyers 17:27

And before we go, I always like my guest, I ask him a uh one question. The title of the show is Get the Hell Out of Your Life. So, Daryl, let me ask you, how do you get the hell out of your life?

SPEAKER_03 17:38

By turning to the Lord, by him sharing anything you need to put it in his hands. He wants you to to pray to him. He's listening, and that's why so so I'm excited about all the people that's praying for me. I just want to say thank you. Love you. And I'm just I'm just proud to be knowing, uh being known that you are helping me by prayer. And again, we are turning it over to the Lord. But I ask y'all just to think about why wouldn't you turn it over? Take a chance and and say, say, turn, you know, trust in the Lord and follow Him. What's you know, again, what else what else would you do? Yeah. What else would you do?

Ron Meyers 18:14

Amen.

SPEAKER_03 18:15

You know, just think about that. Because I think you'll be you'll be fine.

Ron Meyers 18:19

Remember that commercial years ago, I think of that when you said that. I don't know why I think of it. Try it, you'll like it.

SPEAKER_03 18:27

Yeah, that's right. Yeah, try it, you'll like it.

Ron Meyers 18:29

I'm telling you, friends, if you never tried God, you've never tried prayer, you've never tried being alone with God, it's time to try it. Try it, you'll like it. That's right. And uh, and now before we go, I always like my guests to close out the show in prayer. Will you pray for the listeners? Pray for yourself, pray for anything you want.

SPEAKER_03 18:48

Thank you, Lord, for this day. Thank you for uh all the guests that's listening. And I I hope I've in some way helped y'all. I mean, if anything, just uh think about the love that you need to share and the love with people. That's what God wants us to do. He wants to love on people. And again, give it a chance. I mean, again, it's an unbelievable opportunity for you to uh move through your life and all. Um, because you gotta look around, man. Look what he's created. And you know, again, why ever you get a chance, go watch the sun rise from this from the beautiful Gulf Coast water. Just that one thing. You're gonna have to shake your head and say, wow, what a beautiful setting. What a beautiful sunrise that God's created. I just love all y'all, and I love the people that I've been brought up with. And I just thank thank my uh churches, uh, thank the people I got to know to help me. Again, I wouldn't be here today. And uh good Lord, I know he's following me, he's walking with me. And one day, when he takes me, I'll be ready.

Peace While The Story Unfolds

Ron Meyers 19:55

Friends, that is exactly why I wanted Daryl to tell you his story. Not because we have a neat ending tied up with a bow. We don't. Daryl is still walking through this. There are still doctors' questions and decisions, but did you hear what he does have? Peace. That's the lesson. Peace isn't knowing how the story ends, peace is knowing who is walking with you while a story is being written. There's a big difference. Faith doesn't mean you ignore the doctor, faith doesn't mean you pretend you're not scared, faith doesn't mean you refuse treatment and say, Well, God will take care of it. Daryl has tremendous appreciation for his doctors. He prays that God will give them wisdom, knowledge, and the ability to determine the right treatment. That's faith working alongside wisdom. But Daryl understands something doctors cannot put into an IV. They can treat his body, study the scans, and recommend treatment, but the peace inside Daryl comes from somewhere else. It comes from Jesus. And I kept thinking while listening to him, what would happen if we learned this lesson before the phone call? What if we stopped waiting until life frightened us before we started appreciating life? Daryl talked about watching a sunrise over the Gulf Coast. Think about that. Cancer has made him notice the sunrise. But the sunrise was there before the diagnosis. His family was there, his friends were there. God was there. The beauty was already there. He just sees it differently now. My friends, maybe God today is reminding you to stop and smell the roses. Don't spend so much time preparing to live that you forget to actually live. Don't postpone every conversation, don't hold on to every grudge. Don't keep saying one day I'll slow down. One day I'll spend time with my family. One day I'll call that friend. One day I'll take that trip. No. Friends, why not today? Here's the life lesson from Daryl's story. We We don't get to choose everything that enters our lives, but we do get to choose what we build our lives upon. Daryl didn't build his faith after the diagnosis. The foundation was already there. Bible studies, prayer, people who spoke faith into his life, years of learning to trust Jesus. But Jesus once talked about two people building houses, one built on sand, one built on rock. The storm came to both houses, and that's the part we sometimes overlook. Following Jesus doesn't mean storms won't come. It means when they do, you have a foundation. So let me ask you, what are you building your life on today? Because eventually every one of us will get a phone call. It may not be cancer, but something will change everything we thought we could control. And when that happens, you don't want to begin looking for your foundation. You want to discover you've already been standing on it. Here's my challenge for you this week. Actually, I'm going to make it very simple. Do three things today. Tell somebody you love them, thank God for something you have been taking for granted, and spend five quiet minutes with Jesus. Just talk to him. If you're scared, tell him. If you're angry, tell him. If you don't understand what's happening, tell him. And if life is going wonderfully right now, thank him. Don't wait for the phone call to discover the peace that's available to you today. And then tomorrow morning, if you can walk outside, look up, take a deep breath, watch the sunrise, and remember you're still here. That's a gift. Use it. I'll be back and close out today's show in just a few minutes.

Announcer 23:43

You're listening to Get the Hell Out of Your Life with your host, Ron Myers. Real stories, real struggles, and real hope.

SPEAKER_01 24:01

It comes from the book of Jeremiah, chapter 29, verse 11. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and the future. That's God's promise to you when you choose to commit your plans and future to Him.

Ron Meyers 24:24

Now, back to Ron.

Hope, Next Steps, And Sharing

Ron Meyers 24:26

As I wrap up today's show, I want to thank Daryl for trusting us with something so personal. You know, it takes courage to share your story while you're still in the middle of it. And Daryl, I know I speak for everyone listening when I say we are praying for you. But I also want to thank you for reminding us all about something we so easily forget. Life is happening right now. Not someday, not when the problems disappear, but right now. So don't waste today worrying about tomorrow. Don't let fear steal the moments God has already placed in front of you. Love your friends, love your family, forgive quickly, laugh often. And if that phone call has already come for you, if you receive news that turned your world upside down, hear me. You don't have to pretend it doesn't hurt. You don't have to pretend you're not afraid. Jesus is still there. And maybe you're listening today and you never have given Jesus a chance. Daryl said something during our conversation that made me smile. Try it. You'll like it. Simple? Absolutely. But maybe somebody listening needs simple today. Talk to Jesus. Ask him to come into your life. Ask him to walk with you. Give him your fears, your questions, your future, and your uncertainty. You may not receive all the answers you're looking for, but you'll discover something even greater, peace, while you're waiting for the answers. And if Daryl's story encouraged you today, will you do me a favor and share this episode with somebody who needs it? Someone in your life may have just received their own phone call. Let them know they're not alone. And if God has brought you to a point that you would like to share your story, visit my website, thepromoter.org. I will be back next week with another grace-filled episode of Get the Hell Out of Your Life. Real stories, real struggles, and real hope. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Until next time, keep praying for Daryl and his family, and don't forget to stop every once in a while and smell those roses. Remember, you were created on purpose for a purpose by a God who loves you more than you can imagine. Now go live like you believe it and tell someone that Jesus loves you.

Announcer 27:15

Today's show was produced by Ron Myers Ministries, a listener-supported ministry. For a copy of today's broadcast, please visit our website, thepromoter.org. And would you carefully consider making a tax deductible donation so that we may continue to share stories of God's amazing grace with the world? And join us next week for another broadcast of Get the Hell Out of Your Life. Real people, sharing real struggles, and offering real hope.