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JOHN MADDEN AND CBS AND FOX'S
NFL TELECASTS, HE BEGAN HIS
CAREER AS A FOOTBALL PLAYER
FOR THE DETROIT LIONS.
AFTER RETIRING FROM FOOTBALL,
HE CAME A BROADCASTER
FOR CBS SPORTS.
SINCE THEN, HE HAS HAD MANY
OPPORTUNITIES AS A SPORTS
COMMENTATOR INCLUDING SEVERAL
SUPER BOWLS.
MATT AND LAURIE CROUCH WELCOME
SPORTS FIGURE, PAT SUMMERALL.
ESPN, I ACTUALLY DO WATCH ESPN
AND JUST MAYBE A WEEK OR TWO
AGO, THERE WAS AN INCREDIBLE
STORY ABOUT AN EVENT THAT
HAPPENED WHERE YOU WERE
INTRODUCED TO A FAMILY.
I'M NOT GONNA GIVE THE STORY
AWAY BUT JUST PICK YOUR STORY
UP AND YOUR TESTIMONY UP
WHEREVER IT MAKE SENSE
TO BEGIN.
>> GOSH, I DON'T KNOW,
HOW LONG DO I HAVE?
>> WE GOT ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
>> OKAY.
>> I THINK WHEN I WAS A CHILD,
MY DREAM WAS TO GROW UP AND BE
A SPORTS ANNOUNCER, BE INVOLVED
IN SPORTS.
I THINK THAT WAS MY DESIRE.
AND EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING
WORKED OUT PERFECTLY.
I WANTED TO BE A PROFESSIONAL
FOOTBALL PLAYER, I WAS.
I WANTED TO GET INTO SPORTS
BROADCASTING.
I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET THAT
CHANCE.
IF I HAD TO GO BACK TO MY
CHILDHOOD AND SAY, "HERE'S THE
WAY I HOPE MY LIFE WORKS OUT,"
I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT BETTER.
EVERYTHING WORKED OUT.
EVERY MAJOR SPORTING EVENT,
AS I SAID, 28 SUPER BOWLS AND
MASTERS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH,
THAT WOULD BE REPETITIOUS IF I
WENT INTO THAT.
BUT OVER THE COURSE OF WHAT IT
TAKES TO BECOME A SUCCESS IN
THE BROADCASTING BUSINESS, I
STARTED DRINKING TOO MUCH AND I
BECAME AN ALCOHOLIC.
I DIDN'T--IT TOOK A LOT LONGER
THAN THAT BUT I FINALLY
REALIZED THAT I HAD TO HAVE
HELP THROUGH SOME FRIENDS
WHO INTERCEDED.
THEY DID WHAT THEY CALL
AN INTERVENTION WITH ME.
I WENT TO THE BETTY FORD CENTER
AND WHILE I WAS AT
THE BETTY FORD CENTER,
I STARTED TO REALIZE THAT
THERE ARE TWO BOOKS I CAN READ.
ONE WAS THE ALCOHOLICS
ANONYMOUS BOOKS, THE OTHER WAS
THE HOLY BIBLE.
AND I GOT TIRED OF READING
STORIES ABOUT THINGS THAT I HAD
DONE BECAUSE EVERY ALCOHOLIC IN
THE COUNTRY WHO ADMITS THAT
HE'S AN ALCOHOLIC HAS DONE THE
SAME THING, THINGS THAT YOU
AREN'T PROUD OF, THINGS THAT
YOU'RE VERY ASHAMED OF, THINGS
THAT YOU DON'T REMEMBER.
ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN
WHEN YOU BECOME AN ADDICT.
>> CAN I ASK YOU JUST A QUICK
QUESTION?
>> SURE, SURE.
>> HOW LONG WERE YOU DRINKING
HEAVILY OR DRINKING BEFORE YOU
ADMITTED THAT YOU HAD
A PROBLEM?
>> OH, I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK I STARTED WHEN
I FIRST GOT INTO
THE BROADCASTING BUSINESS AND I
GOT WHERE YOU HAD THINGS THAT
YOU HAD TO SELL TO CLIENTS
AND YOU HAD TO GO ENTERTAIN AT
LUNCHES AND VARIOUS THINGS LIKE
THAT.
THAT'S WHEN I THINK I STARTED
TO DRINK TOO MUCH.
I NEVER DRANK ON THE AIR.
I DON'T THINK IT EVER AFFECTED
WHAT I WAS DOING ON THE AIR BUT
ONCE I GOT OFF, I WAS THE FIRST
PERSON AT THE BAR AND THE LAST
PERSON TO LEAVE.
I DIDN'T THINK I HAD A PROBLEM.
MOST ALCOHOLICS DON'T THINK
THEY HAVE A PROBLEM.
THIS INTERVENTION THAT TOOK
PLACE MADE ME REALIZE
THAT I NEEDED SOME HELP.
I GOT TO THE BETTY FORD CENTER,
I WENT THROUGH THE COUNSELING
SESSIONS AND STARTED TO READ
THE BIBLE.
AND I HAD WONDERED FOR A LONG,
LONG TIME WHO TALKS TO MY
CONSCIENCE, WHO TELLS ME WHAT'S
RIGHT AND WHAT'S WRONG?
WHERE DOES THAT INFORMATION
COME FROM?
WHY DO I MAKE A RIGHT CHOICE
SOMETIMES AND A WRONG CHOICE
SOMETIMES?
AND THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT
STIMULATED MY INQUISITIVENESS
TO FIND OUT, WHERE DOES
THE GOOD WORD COME FROM?
WHILE I WAS THERE, I STARTED TO
ADMIT TO MYSELF OR RECOGNIZE,
I GUESS I SHOULD SAY, THAT THERE
IS A HIGHER POWER.
THERE IS SOMEBODY WHO TALKS
TO MY CONSCIENCE AND THAT'S
THE PERSON WHO TELLS ME WHAT'S
RIGHT TO DO.
AS I READ THE BIBLE, I BECAME
MORE AND MORE INQUISITIVE.
I DIDN'T READ THE AA BOOK.
I READ THE BIBLE AND I HAD MORE
QUESTIONS COME TO MY MIND ABOUT
WHAT IS THIS ABOUT BEING
A CHRISTIAN?
I HAD BEEN TO CHURCH AS A YOUTH
AND I HAD DONE SOME OF THE
THINGS THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED
TO DO BUT NOT NEARLY ENOUGH
OF THEM.
BUT I THINK THE STAY AT
THE BETTY FORD CENTER, WHEN I
REALIZED THAT I HAD TO HAVE
SOME HELP, WHEN I KNEW THERE
WAS A SUPREME BEING, THAT'S
WHAT LED ME TO QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO REALLY,
REALLY BE A CHRISTIAN
AND BELIEVE IN CHRIST.
SO WHEN I GOT BACK HERE TO
DALLAS, WE WENT TO MY WIFE'S
CHURCH.
SHE HAD BEEN A MEMBER SINCE
SHE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL HERE.
WE WENT TO HER CHURCH AND I
BECAME FRIENDS WITH THE PASTOR.
IT WAS NOT DR. GRAHAM
BUT I WISH IT HAD BEEN.
THE PASTOR CAME TO VISIT AT OUR
HOUSE ONE EVENING AND FOR
WHATEVER REASON, I DON'T KNOW
WHY IT CAME TO ME, I STARTED
ASKING HIM QUESTIONS ABOUT
BAPTISM.
AND FINALLY I SAID,
"WOULD YOU BAPTIZE ME?"
AND I WAS 66 YEARS OLD
AT THE TIME.
AND HE SAID WELL, YES HE WOULD
IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
AND WE WENT INTO WHAT IT MEANT
AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE
BAPTIZED AND SO ON AND SO
FORTH.
SO AT THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
IN EULESS, RIGHT OVER HERE.
I STOOD IN A BAPTISMAL TANK WITH
PEOPLE ABOUT THIS BIG, SOME OF
THEM 4 YEARS OLD, 5 YEARS OLD,
6 YEARS OLD AND HERE I AM
TOWERING OVER EVERYBODY.
THE PASTOR WASN'T A VERY BIG
MAN.
I WAS WORRIED ABOUT HIM GETTING
ME IN THE WATER AND GETTING ME
BACK OUT AGAIN, BUT HE SURVIVED
AND GOT IT DONE.
BUT WHEN I STOOD THERE WITH MY
ARMS CROSSED AND STARTED TO
GIVE MY LIFE TO CHRIST, I HAD
THE MOST HELPLESS FEELING THAT
I THINK I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED
NO MATTER WHAT I'VE EVER DONE.
I JUST FELT LIKE MY LIFE
DOESN'T BELONG TO ME ANYMORE
AND I WENT BACK INTO THE WATER
AND PASTOR THOMAS GOT ME UP
WITH NO PROBLEM.
AND I FELT LIKE I'VE NEVER FELT
SO GOOD IN MY LIFE.
I FELT LIKE I LOOKED BETTER.
I FELT LIKE I KNEW I FELT
BETTER.
I FELT LIKE I'D REALLY HAD
THE BEST BATH I EVER HAD, AND I
WELCOMED CHRIST INTO MY LIFE
AND THANK GOODNESS HE WELCOMED
ME INTO HIS LIFE.
>> THANK YOU, LORD.
>> AND FROM THEN ON, I KNEW I
WAS A CHRISTIAN.
I KNEW WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO FEEL
LIKE A MEMBER OF GOD'S FAMILY.
I KNEW WHAT I WANTED TO DO AND
THEN I GOT SICK AND I WENT TO
THE DOCTORS AND THE DOCTORS
TOLD ME THAT THE ONLY WAY I WAS
GONNA LIVE, I HAD DONE THE
DAMAGE TO MYSELF IN MY DRINKING
DAYS.
THE ONLY WAY I WAS GONNA LIVE
IS TO GET A NEW LIVER.
AND THERE ARE ALL KIND OF
PROCEDURES THAT WE DON'T HAVE
TIME TO GO INTO THAT.
THERE ARE ALL KIND OF
PROCEDURES.
YOU HAVE TO STAY IN LINE,
YOU HAVE TO GET TO A DEGREE
OF SICKNESS.
THEY TOLD MY WIFE AND THEY
SUMMONED MY CHILDREN, I HAVE
THREE, AND TOLD THEM IF I
DIDN'T GET A NEW LIVER THAT IT
WAS ALL OVER.
AND I THOUGHT AND I THINK THEY
THOUGHT THAT I WAS GONNA DIE
BECAUSE I WASN'T IN A POSITION
TO MAKE AN ACQUISITION LIKE
THAT AT THAT TIME.
AT ANY RATE, THROUGH THE GRACE
OF GOD, I GOT TO THE MAYO CLINIC
IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.
THEY FOUND A LIVER WHICH FIT MY
REQUIREMENTS, A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY
FROM PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS.
THE LIVER FIT.
I GOT THE TRANSPLANT.
I MUST SAY DURING ALL THAT TIME
WHEN I WAS--I THOUGHT
I WAS GONNA DIE.
I THOUGHT I'D DIED A COUPLE
OF TIMES.
I THOUGHT I SAW JESUS
AT ONE TIME.
I WAS IN A ROOM BY MYSELF WITH
ALL THE DOCTORS WHO WERE
INVOLVED IN OPERATING ON ME,
AND I WAS ARGUING WITH THEM
ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE GONNA DO
AND I LOST EVERY ARGUMENT.
AND AS I LOST EVERY ARGUMENT,
IT GOT COLDER AND COLDER.
FOR SOME REASON, I THOUGHT I
WAS IN MINNESOTA.
I'D BEEN THERE SO MANY TIMES
WHEN I WAS FREEZING TO DEATH.
BUT I FOUND MYSELF IN A ROOM
EMPTY AND THERE WAS NOBODY
THERE BUT ME.
THE LAST DOCTOR HAD LEFT
AND I'D LOST EVERY ARGUMENT
AND I FELT MYSELF SHRINKING
UNTIL I GOT NO BIGGER THAN
THE END OF MY TAILBONE,
MY BACKBONE, AND THAT'S
HOW BIG I WAS.
AND I THOUGHT, WELL,
THIS IS IT.
I'M GONNA DIE.
AND I LOOKED OVER IN THE CORNER
OF THAT ROOM THAT I WAS IN
WHERE THE DOCTORS HAD BEEN AND
I LOST ALL THE ARGUMENTS AND
THERE WAS A GUY STANDING THERE
WITH A BIG GRAY BLANKET
AND HE SAID, "ARE YOU COLD?"
AND I SAID YES.
AND HE SAID, "I'LL
GIVE YOU THIS BLANKET,
IT'LL HELP WARM YA."
AND HE WAS A LITTLE TINY
INSIGNIFICANT-LOOKING GUY AND I
TOOK THE BLANKET AND I REALIZED
THAT I WASN'T DEAD AND I WASN'T
GONNA DIE AND HE LEFT.
I JUST DIDN'T PAY MUCH
ATTENTION TO HIM.
I SAID THANK YOU.
I DID HAVE SENSE ENOUGH TO SAY
THANK YOU, AND I REALIZED THAT
THAT WAS JESUS CHRIST I HAD
JUST SEEN AND JUST TALKED TO.
AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, YOU
DUMB SO AND SO.
YOU HAD CHRIST RIGHT HERE JUST
THE TWO OF YOU, AND YOU DIDN'T
ASK HIM ANY QUESTIONS.
YOU DIDN'T ASK HIM ABOUT
HIMSELF.
BUT THAT'S A HECK OF AN
EXPERIENCE WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS
THAT CLOSE TO DEATH, BUT THE
LIVER TRANSPLANT WORKED.
I SAT--I FOUND MYSELF ON
THE BED SAYING TO MYSELF OVER
AND OVER AND OVER, YOU KNOW, ARE
YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DO THIS
BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAS TO DIE IN
ORDER FOR YOU TO LIVE AND YOU
DESERVE THIS?
AND THAT WAS A QUESTION,
I TALKED TO DR. GRAHAM ABOUT IT
LATER AND HE SAID THE SAME
THING THAT ALMOST EVERYBODY
ELSE I ASKED THAT QUESTION,
WHY DID I GET THIS NEW LIVER?
WHY DO I HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE?
I'VE HAD A GREAT LIFE.
I'VE HAD A WONDERFUL LIFE.
I'VE ABUSED MYSELF.
WHY DO I GET ANOTHER CHANCE?
AND EVERYONE, INCLUDING HIM,
SAID TO ME, BECAUSE GOD'S NOT