Preview:
Kenn Kington: He said, “You need to treat every day like it’s a bonus, because for you, it is.”
Brent Moxey: Wow.
Kenn: And I can tell you with all honesty, every day I wake up, I’m like, “Okay, I got one more day.” We’re not… Nobody’s promised tomorrow.
Brent: Right.
Kenn: But-
Brent: Right.
Kenn: Man, getting to go through that process-
Brent: Sure.
Kenn: …you’re like, not only you’re not promised today. You, you got a 50-50 shot. You’re not making it to tomorrow.
John Fuller: Mm-hmm. That’s Kenn Kington describing a profound near death experience that really has transformed his life, and his faith. And we’ll hear more of Kenn’s remarkable story today on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly. Thanks for joining us. I’m John Fuller.
Jim Daly: You know, John, sometimes people get very uncomfortable thinking about that last day to the point where we just ignore it. And I think it’s to our peril, because I think it’s important to cherish each, and every day, and we’re not guaranteed tomorrow. We’re not guaranteed this afternoon. Um, so we’ve got to, I think in a healthy way, not in a fearful way, but in a healthy way, consider the gift of life that God gives us each, and every day. I love this friend of mine who gets up every morning, sits on the side of the bed, and says, “Lord, Bill here reporting for duty.”
John: Hmm.
Jim: And then he gets up, and showers, and goes to work. I mean, I, that attitude is the way we should start every day, right? And today we’re gonna talk with Kenn Kington, a very funny comedian. You may know of him through that venue. But today we’re gonna talk about some serious stuff that he encountered. And I think it will lift your hope, and it’ll give you encouragement to think of life more preciously.
John: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And Kenn is a comedian, and public speaker. He’s been entertaining audiences for over 30 years. Uh, he’s spoken, and performed in more than a thousand churches and, uh, for major companies like Marriott, and the NBA, and the NFL, and Bank of America, and others. And, uh, he’s written five books, and today we’ll be diving into one that, uh, that clip at the top was really about. Every Day Is A Bonus: Enjoying the 3 Greatest Gifts In Life! And you can learn more about Kenn, and this book, uh, at our website, and that’s FocusontheFamily.com/broadcast.
Jim: Ken, welcome to Focus on the Family.
Kenn: It is so great to be here in person. You guys have a beautiful place here.
Jim: Oh, it’s nice. Yeah.
Kenn: This is awesome.
Jim: Folks, the donors, uh, have taken care of us to be able to do this and, and, you know, we put it all into play. It’s for the Lord’s glory, right?
Kenn: Absolutely.
Jim: But, you know, we’ve aired, uh, what we call Hitchcocks, which are things that you’ve been out there in public, probably some of your skits, and your bits, and people have so enjoyed it. I mean, it’s good to laugh. You’re the comedian. Do you think it’s a good thing to laugh?
Kenn: Oh, obviously so, but I, I absolutely love, and I’ve been in 49 of the 50 states, and I’m-
Jim: Okay, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Kenn: Yeah?
Jim: What one have you not been to?
Kenn: I can let you guess off air.
Jim: Alaska.
Kenn: (Laughs) No, I did Alaska several-
Jim: California….
Kenn: Crazy enough-
John: We’ll have listeners here.
Kenn: …New Hampshire.
John: Okay. New Hampshire-
Kenn: New Hampshire.
John: …step it up. Invite Kenn-
Jim: …somebody in New Hampshire.
Kenn: …what did I do, what did I do-
Jim: You know, Mary, and Ted are gonna invite you to their home for dinner, so-
Kenn: And I can do a show in their law, in their living room. (laughs).
Jim: Right there.
Kenn: Yeah, but I, I gotta say, I absolutely love that when the first one of my comedy projects that we said, “Yeah, use it”, um, popped up on Focus that year. I bet I had well over 100 people just come up after shows, and go-
Jim: Oh, that’s awesome.
Kenn: “I heard you on Focus on the Family.” I’m like, “Dude, I’ve been listening to Focus since I was 25, so…”
John: Yeah.
Jim: That is great.
Kenn: Yeah. I love that connection.
Jim: Let me ask you this question. So many comedians, and of course, the banner comedian that this illustrates, Robin Williams, many comedians come out of pain-
Kenn: Oh, yeah….
Jim: …in childhood, et cetera. Have you, with the colleagues, I don’t know your childhood story, but is that a common thing that you’ve observed too with your colleagues in comedy that a lot of them come from a place of real brokenness, but it’s almost like the antidote. Like God gives them a sense of humor to get them-
Kenn: Yeah.
Jim: …through those dark times.
Kenn: Oh, yeah.
Jim: And then they can capitalize on that because they’re funny.
Kenn: Oh, absolutely. Um, I can’t remember which old… And when I say old, I mean really old like 1920s, comic said it, he says, But comedy is just tragedy plus time.
Jim: Huh.
Kenn: That’s what it is. And I think a lot of comedy is just talking about every day.
Jim: Yes.
Kenn: And what we’re going through every day. And I can’t tell you the number of people who come up to me after shows, and go, “Oh, my gosh, did you have a GoPro in my house” or, “Are you following me around?” (laughs) And that, and that’s just it. We’re pointing out, hey, this is happening to everybody. And I think people laugh because they’re like, okay, I’m not alone.
Jim: Yeah.
Kenn: I’m not going crazy. Uh, for me, a lot of it did come out of that. I was dyslexic growing up-
Jim: Okay.
Kenn: …and I was the kid people made fun of.
Jim: Oh.
Kenn: I didn’t look good. I wasn’t smart. I wasn’t popular. So, I didn’t wanna draw attention to myself. And I would say probably 80% of the guys I know that do comedy were not the class clown.
Jim: Huh.
Kenn: We were the ones that just kinda sit back, and because of that pain, and hurt, or whatever happened, and just observe.
Jim: Huh.
Kenn: And then we tell our friends, and they laugh, and go, “Okay, well, I, it’s right there in front of you, but here we go.”
Jim: Yeah.
Kenn: Um, and a lot of the guys are, are introverts that they love being on stage. It’s like therapy.
Jim: Yeah.
Kenn: I get to go, “Here’s my pain, and junk.” And people laugh, and like, “Okay, I’m not alone.” And that really is therapeutic.
Jim: Well, it’s interesting that you say that because that then is a stage persona.
John: Mm-hmm.
Jim: That’s what people-
Kenn: Oh, absolutely.
Jim: …call that, and then in real life you’re different, which sometimes can be difficult when you meet people on the street, and they recognize you as the comic.
Kenn: Okay. (laughs).
Jim: And they come up, and they’re expecting… I remember when I was-
Kenn: Say something funny.
Jim: So, I was like seven, or eight years old, and my mom was a waitress at a very, you know, nice restaurant, and she called me on the phone, and said, “Would you like to meet Larry of the Three Stooges?” And I’m like, “Oh, my goodness.”
Kenn: Yeah.
Jim: So, she said, “Come on down, and I’ll have a sandwich, and soup, and you can have, have lunch with Larry.”
Kenn: No way.
Jim: So, I go down there, and he, I sit next to him, just him, and I. And, you know, so I said, “Do I call him Mr. Stooge?” (laughs) And I said, “Hey, Mr. Larry, it’s good to meet you.” “Hey, hey, hey kid, it’s good to meet you too. You like your sandwich?” But he was not funny.
Kenn: He was not funny.
Jim: It was like, that was his day job.
Kenn: Right.
Jim: And eating lunch with me was normal, Larry.
Kenn: Right.
Jim: And he wasn’t- Whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop. …okay, that was boring.
Kenn: (laughs) Well, people ask me all the time, are, you know, they’ll ask my wife, and my kids, and they’ve heard people ask me that. So, how, how are you at home? Are you the life of the party? I’m like, “I’m the least funny person at my house.”
Jim: Oh, that’s amazing.
Kenn: I really am. And my wife is hysterical. (laughs) And she’s a blast, she’s the life of the party, she’s the extrovert, and, and my kids will tell people, “Yeah, he’s not funny at home.”
Jim: Yeah, that’s-
Kenn: You know, he’s just real. He’s dad.
Jim: Well then-
Kenn: So, I get to be dad and-
Jim: Yeah, which is great.
Kenn: Yeah. And I get to be made fun of, and I am more, and more as they get older.
Jim: Now, Kenn, you’re a fit guy, you could see that. And, you know, you always paid attention to what you eat, and all that-
Kenn: Yeah.
Jim: …exercise, but this was the big issue in your life. I mean, what happened, and describe the diagnosis, and then what went on?
Kenn: Yeah. I, uh, really, I do. I work out five days… Well, then I worked out five days a week, now I work out six days a week, but I ate right for the most part and, uh, was working out, and just had some fatigue that started building up, and I couldn’t explain it. And so my buddy, one of my friends is my doctor, and I said, “Hey, Ryan, I’m feeling run down, and I don’t know why. Can I just come by, and you run some tests, tell me I’m getting old.” And so I went by, and he ran tests. He said, “You’re, you’re getting old. That’s what it is.” And I was like, “Okay.” He said, “But there’s this one test, it’s a calcification scan, it, you don’t qualify.”
Jim: Of your arteries?
Kenn: Yeah. Well, of, of all your arteries, yeah. And he said, “You don’t qualify, but I’ll prescribe it if you want to. It’s 100 bucks.” And I’m like, “I’ll spend 100 bucks just to know peace of mind, I’m getting old.” Yeah. And I did it and, uh, two weeks later, he calls me, I’m about to walk on stage in Birmingham, Alabama, sold out show, three minutes before I’m walking on stage, he goes, “Hey, I got your test results.” I’m like, “O-Okay.” And he said, uh, “Remember how zero to 20, zero is the best, 20 is the worst.” I’m like, “Okay.” And he said, uh, “Yours was 697.” And I’m like, I literally said I, so I’m dead, and I don’t know it. And he’s like, “Well,” he says, “Let me read the notes.” And it says, “This heart is in the bottom 2% of all hearts a cardiac episode is imminent.”
Jim: Oh my.
Kenn: Now, try to go be funny after that.
John: Oh, my word.
Jim: The timing was terrible.
Kenn: Yeah. (laughs) Timing in comedy’s big. I, I actually, I said, “What do I do?” And he says, “Well, just see a cardiologist when you get home.” I did the show, got back on the tour bus, and the road manager goes, “You good?” And I was like, “Man, I just got some really cruddy news.” And told him, finished the tour, go see a, a cardiologist, series of tests over a couple weeks, and they said, “Man, this is just not making sense. You have these numbers. You should weigh 500 pounds, be a chain smoker, and an alcoholic.” And I’m like-
Jim: Wow.
Kenn: …and yet I’m not. And, uh, so he says, “Let’s do a stress test.” And that’s when it happened. So, I had, I worked out that morning, came, and did the stress test, and they just put a cath, uh, in… No, this one was where they, they literally get your heart rate up, and they do an echo of your heart.
Jim: Yeah, the boom, boom. I’ve had several times.
Kenn: And, and he said, uh, they’ve just lost it. They’re like, “Lay down. You gotta be… You know, what, what is happening?” I’m like, “I’m looking at you like right, and I’m like, I don’t know.” They said, “How much pain are you in zero to 10?” I’m like, “Zero.” And they’re like, “That’s not possible.” And I’m like, “Do I look like I’m lying?” And they’re like, “Just relax.” And I’m like, “Well, I was til you keep talking about that.”
John: Exactly.
Kenn: And then, uh, he says, “Well, we gotta do something.” Next day they do a cath. They go into my heart, and wake me up, I mean, 20 minutes after they put me in, I said, uh, there’s nothing we can do. You’re on an emergency track for open heart surgery all four of your arteries.”
Jim: What were they noticing in that moment when they were doing the stress test? What-
Kenn: Uh-
Jim: Were you having a heart attack right at that moment?
Kenn: Well, they said, they showed the video to me and, and I’m not a doctor, but it, he said, “This is what a heart looks like when it’s in complete stress.”
Jim: Cardiac arrest, yeah.
Kenn: And I’m like, “Wow.” And he’s like, “Yeah”, I, they can’t match this up. So, through the cath, and then, uh, they put me in CCU, and that’s when Dr. Miyoung came, and talked to my wife. I was not there, but he says, “We’re gonna do quadruple bypass tomorrow. All four of his major arteries are over 99% blocked.”
Jim: Let me ask you, in that context, uh, they told you, your doctor said you got like a 60% chance of surviving.
Kenn: They told my wife at best he’s got 60%. I can’t tell you he’s gonna make it to tomorrow.
Jim: So, she came in, and told you this?
Kenn: She didn’t tell me beforehand. I didn’t find out-
Jim: Okay, so you didn’t hear that, because I was thinking, man, what went through your head when you heard you got a 60% chance?
Kenn: Well, the PAs had come in, and they were talking to me, getting me ready, and three times that day, and I’m getting everything together, I’m having to cancel a tour, cancel all kinds of things. My staff is there. Three different times, staff came in, a doctor, a cardiologist, and a PA, and they said, “You need to get your affairs in order.” And I was like, “The, they are.”
Jim: They’re serious.
Kenn: Oh, and they were not joking around, and they made it very clear it’s not good.
Jim: How did that, uh, you know, again, the intersection here with faith-
Kenn: Mm-hmm.
Jim: I mean, you’re a Christian man. You’re hearing about this. Are you going, “Okay, Lord, I think I’m ready.” Are you saying, uh, you know, “If you let me live, I’ll work twice as hard.”
Kenn: Yeah. (laughs).
Jim: “If you let me live, I’ll love my wife better.”
Kenn: Right.
Jim: You know, what, were you in the deal making mode, or what happened?
Kenn: You know, I, I’ll tell you, uh, transparently, the first thing that came to my mind, my daughter, beautiful 21-year-old, uh, young woman, when she was four, she was diagnosed with cancer, and we went through that whole process. First thing I thought when they told me this, and you’re having quadruple bypass, and y- that’s very serious, it’s not good, I literally said, “Lord, thank you. Thank you that it’s not my wife.”
Jim: Hmm.
Kenn: “Thank you that it’s not my kids. Let it happen to me. Let me go through it.”
Jim: That’s amazing.
Kenn: And the process that went from there really solidified, and answered your question. My wife had thrown out on social media, “Pray for Kenn. He’s having open heart surgery tomorrow.” And thousands of people are saying, “Hey, um, what’s going on?” And a ton of people said, uh, “We’re praying for you.” And I said, you know, I’d got hundreds of them, but there was like three people that said, “Hey, I’m thinking about you.” And I lost all political correctness. I wrote them back, uh, “Think about me later, go ahead, and pray for me now.” (laughs) I don’t wanna get in front of Jesus, and him go, “Yeah, I’m really sorry. Nobody asked.”
Jim: Yeah, they thought about you, but they didn’t pray for you.
Kenn: Exactly. So, I gotta tell you, I think the realization of what I knew, and believed really hit me at that moment. Do I really believe it? Well, I do. And there’s people praying for me. I can’t ask for anything more than that. And it was this, I don’t know, a resolve. And I, and I did shoot out, hey, any verses you think apply to my situation, send them to me.
Jim: Well, let me ask you this. Again, it’s unique, and the reason it’s intriguing to talk to you, a guy that’s jovial, you know, you’re comedian, and then you get hit with this kind of imminent potential death. It makes you think very deeply about life. And I think in that regard, you came out with these three gifts, the first one being people. So, what did you learn in that process? Maybe tell us what the three are, and then let’s get to people.
Kenn: Yeah. The people one was actually the third revelation of these gifts, but what I realized through this time, all these people praying for me, I’ll give you a couple really great examples. Um, I was a little frustrated. I’m like, Lord, if I make it through this, I, I’ve gotten in my faith where I’m just honest with God. And I realize prayer is not some flowery words we say in a religious place for a, for a time. It’s just talking to God. And I’m like-
Jim: Yeah, a relationship.
Kenn: Yeah. It’s all about relationship. I’m like, Lord, I’m gonna be honest, I’ve just, (laughs) I’ve just worked my entire career, and this was gonna be the biggest month of my career.
Jim: Oh, yeah.
Kenn: And I just lost all of it. And I’m just laying in my bed. I had just gotten done with my, my staff. They’ve got everything taken care of. I got everything resolved, and I’m by myself for the first time since I got the news. And I’m just talking. I’m like, “Lord, if I’m honest, um, I’m a little bummed.” And I had that thought, and I had this one event, it was gonna be the biggest event of my entire career, and it was now gone, and that was sticking in my mind. I’m like, “Lord, I know it’s not about money. I’m thankful that you’re with me, but I’m just bummed.” I mean, less than 10 seconds later, my wife walks in, and she said, “Hey, you doing okay?” I’m like, “Yeah, I’m good.” And she’s like, uh, “Well, I just, somebody started a GoFundMe for you.” And I’m like, “What is go fun me?” (laughs) She goes, “No, fund, GoFundMe.” (laughs) And it was brand new at the time, and I’d never heard of it.
Jim: You thought it was go fun me.
Kenn: Go fun me.
John: Yeah.
Kenn: I’m like, “Well that’s kind of insensitive.”
Jim: Only a comedian would think that.
Kenn: You know? (laughs) And she said, um, I said, “What’s that? ” She goes, “Well, people can donate to help with, you know, lost wages, or bills, or whatever.” And I’m like, “Wow”, she shows it to me. And this is less than 60 seconds after I’ve prayed that she shows it to me. The first amount on there is the amount exactly that I had just missed from the biggest event I was gonna ever have.
John: Oh, my.
Kenn: And I, I literally, I get chills right now, and I’m like, w-wow.
Jim: That’s amazing.
Kenn: That’s amazing. And that’s just one of them. But what I came to realize was Jesus said, “If you do it to the least of these, you’ve done it unto me.” And I’ve lived by that, and I love to give, and serve, and do. What I began to realize is that at some point in life, in some category of life, every one of us is gonna be the least of these. And that was my least of these moments.
Jim: Mm.
Kenn: And what I learned from that changed me forever with the way I look, and wanna serve, and do, and give.
John: Mm.
Jim: That’s good.
John: That’s Kenn Kington. He’s our guest today on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly. And, uh, his story is captured in this book, Every Day Is A Bonus: Enjoying the 3 Greatest Gifts In Life! And you can get a copy of the book from us, uh, just stop by FocusontheFamily.com/broadcast.
Jim: Kenn, people is that one, and then you move to empathy. And you say in the book, uh, your wife is one of the most empathetic people. I think we may have married sisters. (laughs) Because I would say that to Jean. I mean, she is tremendously empathetic, almost to the point of like, “No, no, no, no, wait, wait. We don’t know what we’re giving to yet.”
Kenn: Right.
Jim: But just has a heart of empathy. And, um, speak to that with your wife, and what you learned from her.
Kenn: Well, and that, that was just kind of a magnification. I’m a nice guy. If somebody has a need, I’m like, “I wanna do something if I can help.” But she feels it.
Jim: Mm.
Kenn: Now to get out of the hospital after the surgery, you have to go through a, a class, and you have to have a friend who’s gonna be there. Well, my wife’s with me. There’s about three, or four other people there with their helpers, and they’re going through this class. Uh, the breathing exercises, what you’re gonna do, and all this. And about 10 minutes into it, I’m taking notes, and the teacher stops, and looks right at me, so I thought, she goes, “Are you okay?” Now, it’s the day after open heart surgery. (laughs) I’m like, “Yeah, no, I’m good. I’m good.” And she’s like, “No, not you, her.” (laughs) And it was my wife. (laughs) And she’s sitting there, her bottom lip is quivering, and I didn’t say it, but I did think it. I’m like, “What is your problem?”
Jim: Yeah, right.
Kenn: (Laughs) You don’t have to do any of this. And she’s like, “No, I’m okay.” And so she starts again, three minutes later stops, “Are you sure you’re okay?” And she goes, “No.” And she’s got a little tear coming down her eye.
Jim: Oh, my.
Kenn: And I’m thinking, I mean, literally, I’m just thinking what, why is this bothering you ’cause I have to do this. And I’m telling you, it wasn’t physical, it was more than physical. God thumped me in the side of the head, and just went, “Hey, moron, this is what empathy looks like.”
Jim: Mm.
Kenn: “She is going through everything.”
Jim: She’s feeling it for you.
Kenn: “…you’re about to go through.”
Jim: Yeah.
Kenn: “And maybe you should take some notes.” And I’m like, “Wow.”
Jim: Yeah.
Kenn: So, when I say that people are a gift, this process opened that gift for me realizing, okay, I can get way better in this area. And so yeah, so she was incredible. Had another comic, I had a tour during that November, um, Johnny W, great talented guy, he contacted my office, said, “Hey, I’m gonna do the tour for him.” He did it, and he sent me the check. And I’m just like, I-I’m not a good receiver. And God taught me how to receive, and how to be a better giver in that way.
Jim: Yeah, that’s good.
John: Mm. Ken, another one of the gifts, the three gifts is prayer.
Kenn: Yeah.
John: And, uh, I would imagine this kind of an event, uh, can really solidify your prayer life. Uh, what did your prayer life look like before, and then after this event?
Kenn: Oh, that’s a great question. I, I pray daily, and it was very much kind of, “Lord, here’s what’s going on in my life and, um, I need your help here and, you know, Lord, direct me here, and give me wisdom.” Afterwards, I began to realize, one, I don’t fully, and I don’t think anybody fully understands prayer, how it works, how God decides what, but it’s a submission, and a conversation submitting to Him, Lord, here I am, whatever you wanna do. Um, I did ask for people to pray for me, but I also vividly remember going through this going, “Lord”, I, I’d never been through it. I thought this was normal, but the power of prayer, when I learned the condition of my heart beforehand, and the people that were praying for me, I am convinced that God took that, and sustained me to where I could have the surgery.
And I realized that the power of prayer has a tangible effect on those we’re praying for. Uh, I’ve had doctors tell me th-, and Dr. Miyoung told me, he says, “There is no reason you should be alive.” Hmm. And he says, “You need to treat every day like the bonus.” He says, “Can I stop?” And I looked, and I was like, “Why is that heart beating?” And I believe is the sustaining of God saying, “Well, I’m not done with you yet.” And then to be two, and a half days, I mean, literally, they tell you there’s gonna be six to 10 days. You’re in the hospital. Day one, they put me in a regular room, day two, I’m, I’m (laughs), I’m in a, in a regular room, they’re saying you’re going home tomorrow.
Jim: Wow.
Kenn: And I know the timetable because I was home before kickoff on that Sunday, and I saw the NFL game. So, it was like, what? And I, I mean, I didn’t know any different.
Jim: And this is a heart that’s in the bottom 2%-
Kenn: 2%.
Jim: …of survival.
Kenn: Quadruple bypass.
Jim: Yeah.
Kenn: And then I’m sitting there watching, and I believe that was God saying, “I’m gonna show you my power in this situation this way.”
Jim: You know, let me ask you this because to me, the rubber meets the road with your prayer life-
Kenn: Mm-hmm.
Jim: …what it was like before this event, and what it’s like after the event, because I think it would be different.
Kenn: Oh, yeah. More intimate, um, more real, more genuine, more submissive, but I, I really, I didn’t realize it was an acronym until after I started. So, I’m sitting in my basement healing, and every day I started, first thing I want is I wanna have my Bible open. We’ll give that to in a minute. But then I just prayed, and I’m like, “Lord, thank you.” And I thank Him for what’s happening, what happened, and then I would put the W was just, Lord, here’s what’s on my mind, here’s what I’m worried about. And then I would take, Lord, here’s what I enjoyed yesterday, and I’m thankful for that. Here’s what I’m excited about coming up. I mean, you can look at my journal yesterday, and today, Lord, I’m excited about being on Focus, and this is gonna really be fun. I’m so thankful it’s here. And then thank, thank Him at the end. So, it’s truth, what’s on my mind, excited, enjoyed, and, and thank you. And that’s become my acronym. And I didn’t realize it until somebody pointed out, you’re tweeting Jesus. (laughs) And I’m like, okay.
Jim: Tweet.
John: I like that.
Jim: You didn’t know what the acronym spelled.
Kenn: I didn’t know what it was. And somebody said that. I’m like, “Oh gosh, you gotta be kidding.” And then I have added this one that a buddy of mine encouraged me in, and I realized I was doing through this process. And that is, listen, just sit quietly, and listen.
Jim: That’s so good.
Kenn: “Lord, what do you wanna do in any of these? What have you done in any of these, and what do you wanna do?” And that prayer, now I, I love this one other experience. So, I started sharing the story, I’m at a conference, there’s c- a ton of college students, this one young lady came up, and said,” Hey, uh, I-I wanna talk to you. “And she’d waited until everybody else left. And I said, “Okay, yeah.” She goes, “I have a problem with your story.” And I’m like, “Do tell.” (laughs) And she goes, “You make it sound like if you get enough people to pray for you, everything just works out.” And I said, “Okay. She goes, “What about people who don’t have that many people to pray for?”
Jim: Hmm.
Kenn: I said, “God, hears all prayers”, but I said, “You missed it.” She goes, “I missed what?” I said, “You missed the peace.” And I shared with her the one part of it is that I had literally kissed my wife goodbye, I’m rolling into surgery, and I could not be sitting on a beach under a tent, drinking unsweet tea with my dark chocolate cashews from Buc-ee’s, and been more at peace. I’m just, I’m talking, I’m like, “Lord, I know you got this. If I make it, great. If not, I know you’re gonna take care of my family. And Lord, I feel like I can’t lose.” And one of the verses somebody sent me, Philippians 1:21,” For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.
Jim: Yeah.
Kenn: And I just exhaled, and I’m laying on the table strapped about to have open heart surgery, and I’m like, “I’m at total peace.” I said, “That happened before anything was resolved.” I may not have woken up on this side. It may not have happened, and I had total peace.
Jim: Yeah.
Kenn: That’s the peace that passes understanding.
Jim: Yeah.
Kenn: And I-I think it’s a gift to having gone through that. I’ve faced that you’re shutting your eyes, and the next face you’re gonna see is Heather, or Jesus.
Jim: Yeah.
Kenn: And I got to go into that, and I got to fully digest that to come to the realization of Lord, your peace is real.
Jim: Yeah. It’s so good.
Kenn: Yeah.
Jim: Kenn, we’re right at the end here.
Kenn: Okay.
Jim: You’re doing well, obviously you’ve recovered, you have learned some great things spiritually. And, you know, you’re kind of like that pioneer spiritually. You know, you’ve been out there on that frontier with your heart-
Kenn: Yeah.
Jim: …surgery, and you’ve come back to say, “Okay, here’s what it’s like to face mortality.” And I think we need to take those lessons from you, people, prayer, and truth.
Kenn: And truth. And I would just say this, uh, what I discovered was the clarity of these really are gifts, and if I’m going through a hard time, or a rough patch, or I don’t understand something overwhelmed, or whatever, I’ve already got the three gifts.
Jim: Yeah.
Kenn: Which one am I not opening?
Jim: Yeah.
Kenn: Am, am I not opening his truth, and letting that ingest me? Am I not praying for, and with, and just talking to him about it, praying continually, or am I not involved with other believers?
Jim: Yeah.
Kenn: Uh, one of those three is the gift that’s gonna open up the solution to whatever struggle we’re going through no matter what it is.
Jim: Well, it’s well said, and you have this great readable book, Every Day Is A Bonus: Enjoying the 3 Greatest Gifts In Life! And I so appreciate you being with us on Focus on the Family. Thanks for being here.
Kenn: Absolutely.
Jim: And Kenn’s story today has been so meaningful, and authentic, and there’s a lot more to it, uh, than we were able to cover today. That’s why I wanna recommend you get a copy of Every Day Is A Bonus. Uh, this book will encourage your faith, and help you connect with God in new ways. Uh, make a gift of any amount to Focus on the Family, either monthly, or a one-time gift, and we’ll send you a copy. And that’s our way of saying thank you for partnering with us in ministry. And here’s what your giving is paying for. A man named Alan recently contacted us, and said this, “Focus subject matter, and content is extraordinary. I’ve been moved in many ways by the Holy Spirit, and have been brought to tears. Focus programming has been nothing short of spiritual food for my journey.”
John: Well, that is really inspiring, Jim, and very humbling, too. I mean, God’s certainly blessed the work we’re doing here and, uh, that kind of comment, uh, from Alan really motivates us here, uh, the entire team to keep doing what we can do to encourage, uh, families, and individuals to grow in their faith.
Jim: Yeah. And let me ricochet that out to all the donors that help do this work. We’re in it together, and I know God sees that. It’s not just us doing the work, it’s you fueling the work, and that’s what we so desperately need. Give generously today so we can keep feeding, and keep fueling, and supporting the Christian community throughout the year.
John: Yeah, every little bit helps, and so call today, 800, the letter A, and the word FAMILY, 800-232-6459, or you can donate and, uh, get Kenn Kington’s book at FocusontheFamily.com/broadcast. And coming up tomorrow, we’re gonna have a very powerful message from Gary Thomas about the devastating impact of infidelity in marriage, and what you can do to avoid it.
Gary Thomas: But I’ve seen it time again. Satan presents this thing as a solution, as an escape, as a fun vacation, and it becomes a hurricane nightmare that people try to escape from.
John: Thanks for listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly. I’m John Fuller inviting you back as we once again help you, and your family thrive in Christ.
