Grad Speech Wisdom | Brant Hansen

Episode Transcript

FamilyLife Today® with Dave and Ann Wilson; Podcast Transcript

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Grad Speech Wisdom

Guest:Brant Hansen

Release Date:September 18, 2025

Brant (00:00):

What would Satan say if he had a brief speech to graduates? You’ve worked hard and now the world lies before you. I invite you to embrace it, not as followers, but as architects of your own paths. Ask questions, challenge conventions, trust your own desires, seek what brings you joy—what sets your heart free.

Ann (00:20):

This is the perspective of what Satan would say at the graduation. That’s what you put in?

Brant (00:25):

According to AI, right. Doesn’t that sound like the typical advice?

Dave (00:32):

Okay, Ann Wilson, are you ready for [graduation march] It’s graduation day.

Ann (00:40):

It is graduation day.

Dave (00:41):

Yeah, and we’ve got—

Ann (00:41):

I wish we had a really good speaker to give a really good commencement.

Dave (00:45):

I know. We always want one. You always get those duds, celebrities. They have nothing really to say, but they have a million people following them on Instagram and they put ’em up there and they don’t know what they’re saying.

Ann (00:55):

So do you have a good one today?

Dave (00:56):

We have Brant Hanson giving the graduation speech today.

Brant (00:59):

Thank you. Sort of a cooperative speech. Do you guys remember who your speaker was for your high school graduation? I don’t.

Dave (01:06):

No, that’s what I was going to say. It was non memorable.

Brant:

Yeah, I don’t remember.

Ann (01:10):

I can always remember a student giving a speech.

Dave (01:15):

I gave ours.

Brant (01:16):

Did you really?

Ann:

Wait, wait.

Dave (01:17):

I didn’t give a speech, but I gave a five-minute something.

Ann (01:20):

What?

Dave (01:21):

Yeah, I was the quarterback.

Ann (01:24):

Wait, no, I don’t think I knew this.

Dave (01:26):

No.

Brant (01:27):

No, no, no, no. They don’t just go, “Hey, hey, we want to hear from the quarterback for graduation.”

Ann (01:32):

That’s why I’m surprised.

Brant (01:33):

It’s one chance for the non-quarterback to get some attention; to be valedictorian.

Ann (01:39):

They have the scholars give the speech. You did not, did you?

Dave (01:40):

I wasn’t the only one, but I did.

Ann:

What did you say?

Dave:

I have no idea what I said. I guarantee it was terrible. Like, Hey, go grow your hair and be the party animal. I don’t know. I had no values in my life at that time.

Brant:

That’s funny.

Dave:

And she wasn’t there Brant. She’s three years younger, so she wasn’t—did you guys do yours in the stadium?

Ann (02:01):

Yes.

Dave (02:01):

Yeah, we’re in the stadium right on the field where I was a star. Can we talk about more about me being a star in high school when I had hair and a mullet coming out of my helmet?

Ann (02:11):

Did you find your identity through that?

Dave (02:13):

A thousand percent. But Brant Hansen, I don’t even know where you gave the speech, to who?

Brant (02:20):

To a group in Vero Beach, Florida. So the funny thing was I went online right beforehand because I was thinking, “What am I going to say?”

Dave (02:31):

Wait, wait, I thought you were going to say, “I went online and asked them if I could speak at their graduation.” You were asked.

Brant (02:36):

No, no, no, that’d be funny, like, match yourself with a speaker.

Ann (02:38):

Okay, wait, now tell them what you did. This is so funny.

Brant (02:41):

I went on AI, which I’m not a huge fan of for content generation, but I just thought this would be funny. I was like, “What would a graduation speech look like that was delivered by Aragorn from Lord of the Rings?” And it was okay. We gave a little brief speech, and I was like, “Wait a second. What if it was Gollum who was your commencement speaker?” And it started with this. I actually wrote it down. It says, “Precious graduates, we seize you all shiny in your robes. Trust no one. No, they lies, they cheat like filthy hobbits.” That was pretty good.

Ann (03:16):

That’s pretty funny. Did you laugh when you read that?

Brant (03:18):

Oh, I did. I thought “That’s okay, that’s funny.” And then I thought, “Okay, what”—I was also looking up classic graduation speeches, from Steve Jobs said this, and Oprah said that, and this person said this and that. And I was like, “Okay, forget Gollum for a second. What would Satan say?”

(03:38):

Satan from the Bible if he had a brief speech to graduates, and I have it here, and it printed it out here. It said, “Honored graduates. What a remarkable day. Your mind’s a light with possibility. Your future’s unwritten. You’ve worked hard and now the world lies before you. I invite you to embrace it, not as followers, but as architects of your own paths. Why limit yourselves to others’ expectations? Knowledge is your power. As I once offered in the garden long ago, ask questions, challenge conventions. Trust your own desires. You need not bow to rules that stifle your potential. Seek what brings you joy. What sets your heart free? Congratulations. And may you soar.” So I read that to the graduates. It was like that sounds like every graduation speech.

Dave:

I was just going to say that’s every graduation speech.

Brant:

Absolutely. And it’s well done.

Dave:

Yeah.

Ann:

Well done.

Brant:

Right. Because it sounds like, yeah, yeah, it sounds like wisdom, but it’s really, see what brings you joy? What sets your heart free? It’s all about you being free. Trust your own desires.

Ann (04:46):

This is the perspective of what Satan would say at the graduation. That’s what you put in.

Brant (04:50):

Right. So I read that to the kids like, “Doesn’t that sound like the typical advice?” It’s all about you. Follow your desires, follow your dreams for your desire.

Dave:

No rules.

Brant:

No. Don’t let other people put limits on you.

Ann (05:05):

It’s all about you.

Brant (05:06):

Here’s the problem, guys. It’s through binding ourselves to relationships. That’s the only source of poetry in life. It’s not about me being a free agent. If it is, I’m going to wind up very lonely and being just, I’m not going to let other people tell me. Okay, but I bound myself to my wife, to the exclusion of all others. I mean, that’s a lot of options off the table for one woman. So God, I just gave up my freedom. Well, I gave up some freedom, but that’s how you find poetry in life.

Now I’m free to do stuff like play with my grandkids who are cute little girls and it’s the greatest thing ever. It’s one of the few things in life that lives up to the hype. I don’t know if I told you guys that joke.

Ann (06:04):

No.

Brant (06:04):

This is probably a terrible joke. But I was like, people will tell you—this is terrible—people will tell you, “Oh, you love your kids so much. Well just wait until you have grandkids. You love your kids so much, you kill for your kids, right?” I’m like, sure. “Well, you love your grandkids so much, you’d kill your kids.” It’s a terrible joke. But I enjoy that so much and it’s a freedom I wouldn’t have. It’s like you find these other freedoms as a result of surrendering it.

For example, I use a classic example like Chris Martin from Coldplay. He’s sitting there playing piano over and over and over and over and over, looking out the window. He said when he was a kid, everybody’s out there kicking the ball around having a great time. They’re out there playing soccer/football, and he’s stuck inside playing the piano. Well, who’s got freedom? They do, right? Now, who’s got freedom? Who gets free to travel the world or buy any car he wants if that’s what he wants. But it’s wild how it’s through surrendering freedom that we find it. And particularly with your relationship with God. It’s wild how not having that relationship, you wind up not having freedoms that you do knowing Him and actually binding yourself to Him.

Ann (07:19):

Well, Brant, I listened to that and it sounds so good in a way if we don’t really listen to hear what they’re saying. But I’m listening to that thinking, man, that puts so much pressure on each of those kids to find their own happiness and their own success. And it’s all about them and what they’re doing and that, I mean, it can sound great. I can be whoever I want to be, which is very culturally evident in everything that’s going on today that it sounds normal. But I think kids, and I’ve talked to a lot of 20 some year olds, they’ve been striving and trying to do all that and they’re exhausted.

Brant (07:59):

Yeah, it is very exhausting.

Ann:

And they’re failing.

Brant:

It’s very exhausting. And the other thing is too, if it’s like, don’t let anybody tell you who you are. Do you know who you are? Do you really?

Ann (08:11):

Did you ask that to the graduates?

Brant (08:13):

Yeah, I did. Because I’m asking this because it may be who you are may be a lot better than what you think, a lot bigger. If I’m actually made in the image of God and He regards me as His child and I trust Him, that’s a bigger identity than anything I’m going to concoct. I have a connection with the creator of the universe. So just saying that you can create your own identity, it’s not going to be better than that. And that does take the pressure off. I don’t have to carry the entire world. A different way of living is just to show up each day and be faithful and then see what God does with that. Make the best decisions you can, but the pressure’s off. He really is going with you. There’s this scripture, and I did share this with them.

Ann (09:09):

Is this a secular school?

Brant (09:11):

No, it was Christians. So I felt free to just rip it and rip it here. But it’s like—

Dave (09:15):

High school or college?

Brant (09:16):

High school.

(09:18):

But being able to tell them, I know you’ve been told Christian stuff your whole lives by your parents or by the school stuff you’ve been going through. I understand, but you are free to walk away. You are free. Jesus let people walk away from Him. Sad but you can. You can actually torpedo your life. You’re free to do that. We all are. We can make some horrible decisions. You’re free. I beg you though, like Moses gave a graduation speech, his last speech to the Israelites. He’s like, choose life. Don’t choose death. I am telling you; this is now up to you.

And I tell them a story. It’s a story I learned from Sheldon Vanauken in his book A Severe Mercy. And I said, this is the worst bedtime story of all. But I told my kids this when they were little, and if you don’t mind, I’ll tell this story, just take a couple minutes. But my kids never forgot it. And I don’t think these graduates will ever—if they forget the rest of the stuff I said.

Ann (10:16):

I’ve read the book. I’m like, I can’t imagine sharing anything from it to my kids. What is it?

Brant (10:20):

No, no, no. Well, he tells this story about two dogs and it’s Gypsy and Snowball. These two dogs that live out in the country. So I’m telling these graduates this and they’re great dogs. They get to run. It’s perfect dog world out in the country. They get to run around around and then when their master—they have a great master and he calls out “Dinnertime,” rings a bell, and they have to come right back. And so they do as soon as he rings a bell. Well one day, Gypsy, hears the bell, “Dinnertime” and a rabbit runs across her path right at that moment. She’s like, “I’d like to chase that rabbit, but I’m supposed to go in for dinner.” And she chases the rabbit and the master’s really disappointed, but she comes back late. And then the next time a rabbit runs by, she does it without even thinking.

(11:05):

And she disobeys the master. And after a while, the master had to put her on a leash, couldn’t trust her anymore. And so I’m telling the graduates about how I told my kids this when they were in a bunk beds. They’re like, “Well, Dad, what happened then?” Well, they went out in the country, and they were going to go for a walk and the master was getting Gypsy and Snowball out. And as he was getting Gypsy’s leash, she took off out of the car and ran into the woods. And he’s like, “Gypsy, come back, gypsy, gypsy.” And she was like, “I’m free, I’m free.” And she ran and ran and ran deeper into the woods and his voice just “Gypsy, Gypsy” until she couldn’t hear it anymore and she wanted to turn around and now she was lost. And the master was very sad and then were like, “Dad, then what happened?” The master put snowball in the car, and he drove home and he never saw Gypsy again.

Dave (11:57):

That is the worst bedtime story ever. They’re crying.

Brant (12:01):

It gets worse.

Dave (12:01):

It gets worse.

Brant (12:02):

What happened to Gypsy? She spent the rest of her days, her fur was matted, and she had a hard time of it, but she had puppies, and she tried to tell the puppies about the master, but they didn’t really know him. And then when they had puppies, they didn’t even have any clue who he was anymore. Goodnight, click.

And I told them that story and I laughed with the kids about it too, but I was like, I just want you to know there’s going to come a time you’re free, but the master’s good. But I want you to know you’re free. But there’s so many reasons to bind yourself to him. He’s actually faithful. And if you want, you can go through life with His strength. Because in Psalm, the last verse of Psalm 23, it says, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” It’s so great. The whole chapter starts with “The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing.” That’s literally how it starts. And then it ends with He’s going to follow me. His goodness. If you know, if you listen to scholars on that, his goodness following you, it’s not lagging behind like, “Hey, where are you going? I’ll catch up here.” It actually is following more like a hunter. That’s the actual image tracking you.

(13:25):

I am locked on for the rest of your life. And then you get to spend eternity in his house if you want. But it’s up to you. It’s your choice. I did tell them God can be trusted, even if you have big questions about life, you’ve been taught Christian stuff your whole life. Maybe you’re like, I need to explore some other options. I don’t have every answer. You may not either. You may have some doubts, but I’ll tell you this, I can trust the character of God. I am convinced of it. So even if I don’t have every answer, I trust Him. And I am convinced that in the end, that trust will be vindicated.

What about hypocrites? So I’m talking to the kids again. If you want to walk away, you’ll blame hypocrites. Look, you may have encountered a lot of hypocrites, maybe in your schooling, maybe in life, maybe in family—

Ann:

maybe in church.

Brant:

—maybe in church and said, in my life, it’s my family in my church. My dad is a pastor. The trauma we went through. But do not give them the power to chase you away from the best relationship of your life. Don’t walk away.

(14:41):

It’s too good. And so I told them the story I’ve told you guys before about knowing how all this ends. And it’s like watching a game, hit and repeat where your team wins and your team wins at the last second. You’re not stressed out when you watch that because they’re going to win. You’re rewatching it.

I took Julia, my daughter, I said, things are going to happen in life where you’re going to be like, what is happening? But I remember taking Julia, I can’t remember if I told you guys this story, but Carolyn and I, when the kids were little, we lived in Houston and it’s a big city, and we were going to the rodeo. Did I tell you this?

Ann (15:25):

No.

Brant (15:25):

Okay. We were going to the rodeo, and it was one morning, we have to buckle the kids in. It was a strangely cold March morning in Houston. But we got the kids all with their coats and mittens on and everything and buckled them into their seats. It’s a big operation to get kids going somewhere when they’re little. And we had to make an errand run. And so we stopped at some friends. We had to unbuckle the kids, get them out, unzip and zip back in. Okay, click them back in, put them back. And then we stopped at the grocery store too. So we had to unbuckle, oh, I forgot something at the church. We stopped at this church to get this stuff and unbuckle, zip them up, buckle them back in, get, and then I got pulled over for speeding on the freeway. And so a police officer comes up and he’s like, what are you doing? There’s lights flashing. These are little kids too, right?

Ann (16:10):

They’re in car seats it sounds like.

Brant (16:11):

Yeah, they’re in car seats and the officer’s nice. But I got a ticket. It was the way I would take off. And then my daughter said stuff from the back seat. She’s like, “Hey Dad.” I’m like, “Yeah.” And I adjust the rear-view mirror. “Where are we going?” And I hadn’t told them we were going to the rodeo. I forgot to tell them. So from their perspective, from her perspective, it’s just I’m being lifted up, I’m being clicked in, I’m being taken over here, I’m being clicked in again. There’s some flashing lights, there’s a stranger. We’re stopped. Cars are whizzing by. I’m being taken. Just like, “Where are we going?” And I said, “Oh, I forgot to tell you. I’m so sorry. We’re going to the rodeo. You love horses.” “Oh, good.” And as I continued to drive, I thought, “Why wasn’t she panicking this whole time?” If it’s us, we want to know where we’re going. You can’t just “What now? What is happening to me?” That’d be our question from start to finish.

Ann (17:06):

Especially if there’s any kind of detour or what’s going on?

Brant (17:11):

Absolutely, right. So honest question, I was like, what’s the difference? Why was she okay? And then it dawned on me, she knows who’s driving.

Ann (17:21):

Yeah, she trusts the father.

Brant (17:22):

She trusts the driver. She doesn’t have to know. God is actually good. You know what? He’s actually faithful. Do you know you’re going to be able to look back at your life and go, this has been good. I don’t have a bunch of warnings for you. I just want to tell you if you trust Him, this is good. So yeah, that was kind of the thrust of it. Instead of saying, don’t let anybody stop you from being you. He’s trustworthy. This is a better way to live. And the neatest thing happened afterward, and that was a guy got up to sing. And I think this is a great idea for graduations if you have a Christian graduation thing. But he led the parents and everyone to sing the blessing, that song. Well, the kids are on stage. You’re facing the kids. And that song isn’t a song you’re singing to God. The Lord bless you and keep you.

Dave (18:18):

It is a benediction. It’s number six.

Brant (18:21):

And you’re looking face to face at these graduates, and you’re ending the whole thing with as you go, may his presence be with you, behind you.

Ann (18:31):

Go before you, beside you, behind you.

Brant (18:33):

Beside you.

Ann (18:33):

—within you.

Brant (18:34):

And bless your children and their children. And the Lord keep you. And you’re talking to people. Now there’s a graduation. I didn’t plan that at all, but it was like, that’s a really sweet idea. So yeah, that was the thrust of what we talked about.

Ann (18:53):

So good.

Dave (18:55):

And at the heart of that obviously is you trust your Father the better you know Him. You have a history with Him. I mean, you don’t trust your Father in day one, you don’t know Him. But as you see and experience His presence and His gentleness in your life, you’re like, I can trust Him. I don’t need to know where.

Brant (19:12):

And I think it’s good to hear from older people, older than you people. I don’t want to call myself old, but I am, to say I have learned that I can trust Him.

Ann (19:26):

Alright, let me just say this. We know life is full of challenges and families today need biblical truth more than ever. Isn’t that true?

Dave (19:34):

It’s definitely true.

Ann (19:35):

And as a FamilyLife partner, your monthly gift helps bring the truth into homes every single day through podcasts, events, and resources.

Dave (19:44):

So let’s make a lasting difference together. Seriously, together we can make a difference. Become a partner today. Just go to FamilyLifeToday.com and click the donate button. Okay, let’s get back to the conversation.

Ann (19:58):

What’s interesting, I’m still stuck on the story of the two dogs.

Brant:

Yeah, it’s haunting.

Dave:

It’s got to be with you the rest of your life.

Ann:

And I was thinking he should have added that every day the owner goes outside on the patio and calls. The dog may not hear his voice, but he’s always calling and welcoming the dog back.

Dave (20:19):

He’s waiting for Gypsy to come home.

Ann (20:20):

Yeah. It’s like he’s—

Dave (20:22):

Luke 15.

Ann (20:23):

And he never forgets about Gypsy. And because he had a purpose and a plan, and it’s not their purpose, it’s not Gypsy’s purpose, it’s his purpose. He had something for Gypsy that was really remarkable because he created Gypsy in his own image, that kind of thing.

Brant (20:40):

I like all that. That’s just not in the original story.

Ann (20:44):

I’m adding to it.

Brant (20:44):

I’m going to put you on the phone with my adult kids now. Hey, that one story, it turns out that there’s some other stuff too.

Dave (20:52):

There’s a better one. Jesus actually told a similar story.

Ann (20:54):

Have you ever talked to your grown kids about that? Of what it made them think now?

Brant (21:00):

Yeah. I mean, yeah.

Ann (21:02):

What did they say?

Brant (21:03):

Well, just again, it’s like I have the freedom.

Ann (21:06):

I have a choice.

Brant (21:07):

Yeah. You’re not locked into this. And I don’t want you to have that script in your head too, that just because we raised you as believers that you were trapped somehow. Oh no. It just happens to be this is the best way of life. And when they see that and live that out, then you get it. But it’s also true in that story. What’s a little bit haunting too, is that Gypsy’s life was not better. And her idea of freedom, well, is freedom the ultimate thing in the world? Or do you wind up if you od on freedom, you wind up lonely.

Ann (21:46):

Or addicted?

Brant (21:47):

Yeah, addicted for sure.

Dave (21:49):

In bondage into that which you thought would set you free.

Brant (21:52):

Yeah. So what’s in Satan’s graduation speech. Okay, freedom, freedom, freedom from any limits. Well, that sounds right, doesn’t it? And then what he always does is it’s a sucker punch. Like, look over here, it’s going to be great. And then pow. And the freedom lie is one of them.

Dave (22:15):

Interesting that AI picks up on how deceitful Satan’s words are.

Brant (22:20):

Yeah, AI itself is deceitful.

Ann (22:24):

Yeah, exactly.

Brant (22:25):

Yeah.

Dave (22:26):

It sounds good.

Ann (22:26):

It’s like the father of lies, the father of light. It sounds so right and so appealing. And yet it’s so twisted in comparison to the gospel.

Brant (22:35):

And it’s, again, it’s always a replacement. It’s always that magician’s trick of look over here and then pow, you get hit. So he uses that over and over and over. And I think that’s the freedom idea is one of his biggest lies. It’s not free.

Dave (22:57):

And especially as you apply it to marriage, there’s this cultural belief, probably always been, a covenant is the most restrictive thing you could ever commit to. Stay away from a covenant, live together, date, don’t enter into a covenant of marriage because your, I mean your life’s over.

Ann (23:17):

It’s too confining.

Dave (23:18):

You have no more freedoms. And you illustrated at the beginning. Now, I actually have grandkids because of that cover.

Brant (23:24):

And I know people that have kept their options open even after they got married and are now old and alone.

Ann (23:32):

And I’m telling you, because your anniversary’s coming up for 35 years. Ours is coming up for 45 years. I would hate to be alone right now. I look at our marriage like, “Oh man, we’re in the best years.” And it’s been worth the hard parts of it as we’ve worked through with God’s grace, with His power, we’re experiencing the beauty of it. It’s pretty, it’s freedom, it’s joy. It’s like what He created the covenant to be like.

Brant (24:02):

And the freedom too in my case—there’s freedoms that you have if you’re single.

Ann (24:08):

There’s also a calling to be single.

Brant (24:09):

It’s a single serving God.

Ann (24:11):

Oh, it’s beautiful.

Brant (24:11):

You have freedoms too. But there’s the kind of freedom that I have being married this long is the freedom of having somebody know me this well—

Ann (24:20):

That’s what I was going to say.

Brant (24:21):

—and still like me.

Ann (24:22):

I know it’s a miracle. Well, maybe not for you, but it is for me.

Brant (24:26):

No, that’s a freedom that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Ann (24:31):

He sees all of me and he still likes me.

Brant (24:33):

It doesn’t come without the thing, the vow. That’s where the poetry in life comes from.

Dave (24:42):

There’s our wedding picture 45 years ago, and most people would say that’s—

Ann (24:49):

Point it to the camera, Dave.

Dave (24:50):

—a good looking—

Brant (24:51):

It’s a great picture.

Dave (24:51):

Oh yeah. It’s all—

Brant (24:52):

I have a theological question. Do you think that you’ll be reunited with your hair in heaven?

Dave (24:58):

I think I will. There it is on YouTube. I will be reunited with my hair.

Brant (25:03):

Do you think it’ll be emotional?

Dave (25:04):

I think it’ll be emotional. I’ll be in tears. My hair is back. No, what I was going to say is—

Brant (25:09):

They’ll have your hair on a stage. It’ll be like, come on down. And then we’ll all cheer and it’ll be an emotional—

Ann (25:17):

—reunion.

Dave (25:20):

And I had a serious point I was trying to make.

Ann:

He had really good hair too.

Dave (25:21):

Forget that. I have to tell you, Brant, in my college where I played college ball, I got inducted into the Hall of Fame years ago.

Ann (25:29):

He’s not bragging though.

Dave (25:30):

No.

Brant:

That’s awesome.

Dave:

No, this is a moment where it’s a big thing. So you go back and my two best friends from my team were there. They showed up. It was 10 years after we graduated, and they handed me a little present all wrapped up like Christmas. I’m like, “Wow, you guys, you got me something.” They’re like, “Yeah, man. This is a big day for you. We’re hoping someday we get it.” What was in it? I open it up real slow and they just start laughing. It was a hair toupee. They go, “We found this in your helmet.” What a great moment.

Now here’s what I was going to say. You look at that picture of any couple, and we’re looking at our wedding picture and you think those are some of the prettiest days of our lives. Young bodies. This is a better wedding picture 45 years later, sitting in a hospital room a couple weeks ago with my bride, being there when she needed me. She’s there when I need her. We don’t look as good. We don’t look anywhere near make the joke about hair and the whole thing. This is a beautiful picture, what you just said. She’s still there. She’s seen all the bad in you and she loves you.

Brant (26:39):

So I had friends years ago, we were young marrieds, and they were a little older than us, and she had bad Crohn’s disease she was diagnosed with, and it was touch and go completely. And he said that when they were first married, they look at older, they commented on older couples that are walking along holding hands in both 80 or whatever.

Dave (27:02):

Probably limping.

Brant (27:04):

They thought, “Oh, that’s really sweet.” But then she got this thing and that meant their physical life had ground to a halt. She was so sick. And he said, I had to bathe her and lift her in and out of the bathtub. And he’s like, this isn’t what I signed up for. But it is. And then they realize those people who are holding their hands when they’re 80, you have to go through that.

Ann (27:30):

Yeah.

Brant (27:32):

All those stories, all those hardships and all those things that are like, oh, I’ve—how? I don’t have any freedom at all. Now I’m having to bathe my wife. What happened? Well, you don’t get to hold hands at 80 unless you’ve gone through some stuff together. And again, it’s the poetry, all those memories, all those things that come rushing back. And I imagine you did, you would having a heart situation, have to reflect on all this stuff. But it’s like, yeah, that was from us taking a vow in front of maybe a couple hundred people. I don’t know how many people you had. But if it starts with taking a vow not to quit in front of 200 people, it’s probably not going to be easy. Otherwise they wouldn’t make you do that.

Dave (28:21):

That vow’s going to be tested.

Brant (28:23):

Right! This is not easy. But I thought the same thing when my son was getting installed in the military.

Brant (28:30):

We went to his thing as an officer. Yeah, this is a big commitment and it’s good. He’s sacrificing a lot of freedom and it’s good, but now that’s opened up doors for him and other stuff now that he’s out on the other side. But that’s the way of life. It’s not just surrender your desires. Like make your desires subject to a will that’s formed by God. And then watch the poetry happen.

Dave (29:00):

That’s a good way to say it. Well, you’re welcome back here anytime.

Brant:

Thank you.

Dave:

Anytime.

Brant:

Thanks.

Ann (29:06):

This has been rich. So good. Cried about 10 times, but that’s not surprising when you come in Brant.

Brant (29:12):

Thanks. Well, I’m not sure quite how to take that.

Ann (29:15):

I know.

Brant (29:15):

She’s like, I cry for the future of broadcasting.

Ann (29:21):

I cry because you point us, you always point us to Jesus and the gospel to me is always miraculous and how he saved us, and it’s been good.

Hey, thanks for watching and if you liked this episode—

Dave (29:38):

You better like it.

Ann (29:39):

—just hit that like button.

Dave (29:40):

And we’d like you to subscribe. So all you got to do is go down and hit the subscribe—I can’t say the word subscribe. Hit the subscribe button. I don’t think I can say this word.

Ann:

Like and subscribe.

Dave:

Look at that. You say it so easy. Subscribe. There it goes.

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