THE ED MYLETT SHOW - Shot 8 Times and Left for Dead: Marcus Stanley's Incredible Testimony

Episode Date: July 15, 2025

What Would You Do If You Were Shot Eight Times? Today, I sat across from a man who shouldn’t even be alive. Marcus Stanley was shot eight times at point-blank range, left for dead in the street, and in that moment, he saw what he believes was an angel standing between him and every bullet. I needed you to hear from this man because Marcus isn’t just here to tell a story about survival—he’s here to remind us what it means to keep going when everything around you says it’s over. Marcus and I talk about the dark years that followed his shooting, years where painkillers turned into addiction, and addiction turned into heroin. We talked about what it feels like when your life gets blown apart, and you have to learn how to walk again, literally and spiritually. Marcus told me it was forgiveness—real, hard, gut-wrenching forgiveness—that unlocked his freedom, even though the men who tried to kill him never paid for what they did. And you’ll hear how Marcus went from a man chasing fame as a musician to a man who wakes up every day asking, “How can I serve?” His faith became real not in the moment he was shot, but in the quiet, hidden years of service and surrender afterward, staying in a treatment center for four years to help others with no pay, no spotlight, just a calling to be there for the one person who might need hope that day. Marcus’ story isn’t about surviving a tragedy; it’s about what you do after you survive. It’s about taking one more step when you don’t know if you can, believing that God’s not done with you yet, and choosing gratitude for every breath, every step, even if you feel pain with each one. I want you to hear this conversation because if you’re feeling like you’re on your back right now, Marcus’ journey will remind you that you’re never alone, and you can get back up. Why Marcus believes forgiveness was the key that broke his chains of addiction What it felt like to see an angel while being shot at point-blank range The hidden years of service that shaped Marcus into the man he is today How to find hope and take one more step, even when you feel you can’t Why your suffering can produce endurance, character, and hope if you let it Key Takeaways: If you’ve ever questioned whether God is with you in your lowest moments, or if you’re carrying your own scars—Marcus’ story is your reminder that you are held, you are loved, and you are here for a reason. Share this with someone who needs to know it’s not over. God bless you. 👉 SUBSCRIBE TO ED'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW 👈   → → → CONNECT WITH ED MYLETT ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ← ← ←  ➡️ INSTAGRAM   ➡️FACEBOOK   ➡️ LINKEDIN   ➡️ X   ➡️ WEBSITE      Get my exclusive Monday Motivation training in GrowthDay, the world’s #1 app for advanced mindset and personal development. Visit https://growthday.com/ed. This show is sponsored by GrowthDay.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So hey guys, listen, we're all trying to get more productive and the question is, how do you find a way to get an edge? I'm a big believer that if you're getting mentoring or you're in an environment that causes growth, a growth based environment, that you're much more likely to grow and you're going to grow faster. And that's why I love Growth Day. Growth Day is an app that my friend Brendan Burchard has created that I'm a big fan of. Write this down, growthday.com forward slash ed. So if you want to be more productive, by the way the way he's asked me I post videos in there every single Monday that gets your day off to the right start he's got about five thousand ten thousand dollars worth of courses that are in there that come with the app also some of the top influencers in the world are all posting content and they're

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not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition. These statements and information are not a substitute for or alternative to seeking care from your health care providers. Alright, welcome back to the show everybody. So I have to tell you, this is a very, very special day for me. And let me first tell you why. I'm very proud of our show and the reason I'm proud of it is when we became more and more popular I could have gone in a direction where every week I just have a celebrity on and they talk in basic platitudes and they don't really say a lot some do but most don't and I tactically started to go that direction

then I made a conscious decision everybody I want to have people on who can make a difference in your life. Real people, whether they're well known or not so well known, that can make a real difference in your life. And then every once in a while I pick somebody who's made a real difference in my life that I want to meet. And the man that's sitting here with me today has made a tremendous difference. I'm not on social media very often, but when I am, it's mainly his content because he inspires me. Today is his first podcast interview of his life.

He came flew all the way in here to be with me here today. He's a musician. He's a speaker. He's an entrepreneur. But he's a good voice for God. He says healing and transformation. I'll just say it straight up. I think he's a voice for God. And although you may not know him, his social media gets huge engagement more than most of the famous people that you follow. And it's because it's so good. And his story's incredible.

You ready for this? He was shot eight times at point blank range in kind of a gang situation that took place that he was not a part of just a random act of violence. And he survived that and it really transformed his life. Today's going to be awesome. Thank you for being here. The very tall, very, very tall Marcus Stanley. Welcome to the show, brother.

Thank you so much, Ed. I'm so honored to be here and to be able to share and to be able to spend time with you. I just wish we had more time. You know that I literally just picked you out. I said, I want you to come be on my podcast, please. Cause you inspire me. I think we should go back because I look at you

as this like great Christian voice for good in the world. And even setting Christianity aside for a second, which I never do, you're just a force for good in the world. So I'm already following your stuff like this dude inspires me every day and not a lot of people inspire me. Then I find out the story which blew my mind. So can we go all the way back and you take us through this day that changed

your life and take all the time you want to describe it because it's a riveting story. Yeah I would have to set it up first by just saying first that I was a musician in my former life. I was a professional musician. I had the opportunity to travel the world, play for different artists and... Would you play for anybody we would know? I was a professional musician. I had the opportunity to travel the world, play for different artists. Which play for anybody we would know? Yeah, to me it doesn't matter. So I don't name drop with all that.

Give us one. Give us one. I did play for Chris Brown at one time. Okay. Different people, but yeah. So I was one of them people that would walk around late at night, I'd be at a Waffle House or A-ha. That was a night out.

Not like that anymore. But the former me was that. And this was a night where we had just finished a rehearsal and I was in a hotel and I walked out to go to the store. I would always get junk food, just snacks or whatever. I wasn't a smoker, wasn't a drinker, wasn't any of that. But I would always get some snacks, up, sugar bag and head back. And I walked out the hotel this night and it was just like any other night.

There was busyness everywhere. There was people out, cats running through alleys, dogs moving. And when I got halfway to the store, walking down the sidewalk, I realized I didn't have my wallet. So I turned around, went back to the hotel and I got my wallet, came back out. So this time I walked out and the energy just was different. It was, I noticed it was quieter.

I didn't see the same dogs and cats. I didn't see the same people out cats. I didn't see the same people out. And I had these guys that approached me and they came right out of the bushes. And I didn't think anything of it at the moment. I thought this is just people that are out. And they walked right up on me, like as close as that I am to you.

And the guy said, what are you doing out here? And I said, I'm just chilling, man. He said, oh, just chilling, chilling. And I said, yeah, I'm just chilling. And that's how quick the interaction was. And in a split second, he pulled out a.45, pointed it straight at me and shot me. Oh my gosh.

And when I tell you how quick it was, it really was so quick. I didn't even see the actual gun. I just saw the flash and I fell to the ground. I gosh hard. Just imagine if you're standing up and you fall back as hard as you can with your shoulders. That's the impact that I felt when I hit the ground after being shot that first time. And then he came over top of me and he stood right over top of me and pointed the gun. I could see the gun by that time. He pointed it straight down at me.

He said, you got to roll out. He said, peace out, homie. And then he shot me seven more times. And it was the longest seven shots of my life even though it was just a few seconds. Oh my gosh. And so at that point I did realize I was getting shot and that's when I saw an angel right in front of me and I know that I saw an angel because it was so quick that I had no time to think about it. It was the quickest thing that I've ever seen,

just a transparent figure, I couldn't see any details really, but just right in between me and the angel had his arms crossed like this. And every bullet that was coming out of that 45 caliber that he pointed at me, it was like it was going through the angel first. I laid there on the ground. My eyes were closed at the moment.

They were laughing, they were joking. And something just told me, don't move. Like don't move at all. And I'm glad I didn't. Cause I truly believe that they might've finished me off. I knew I was still alive, but I saw almost like I just didn't test to see if I was alive. I could hear everything going on, but I just didn't move. So they're picking up shell casings all around and they're joking and laughing.

This went on for about 30 seconds. And then they jumped in the car and just drove our, I could hear the car just speed off. And then at that moment was when, that's when I just, I took a deep breath and I was like, oh God, oh God. And I just looked down at my chest and I saw all the damage that had happened. I saw all the bullets. I saw all the blood that was around me. It was like a pool of blood that I was in. And I was in the bullets. I saw the blood that was around me.

It was like a pool of blood that I was in. And I was in the middle of the street, almost like the median type deal. Cause I was crossing the street when they stopped me. And I had to drag myself out of the street, literally to not get hit by cars. And I remember putting my hand up and I'm trying to stop people.

I'm like, help, help. And nobody stopped. No one stopped. People were terrified and no one stopped to help me. And I dragged myself out of the street. I'm pulling back like this, just dragging myself. I can't move my legs. My legs are done. Everything is just numb and everything, but my arms, I can still move my arms. So I'm pushing out the street. I get on the curb and then I said, I said, oh my goodness, I think I'm gonna die right here. But then I said, I'm still breathing, just keep my eyes open.

I said, oh, I got my phone. So at that time I had a phone. It was one of the first flip phone camera phones. And I had it and then I pulled it out and I just called 911. I was laying right next to a street sign and I was able to tell them where I was. The operator got on the line. She said, she asked my name. She asked me how old I was.

She just said, stay on the line with me. It was pretty quick. How quick the officers got there. When they arrived, they began to put crime scene tape all around me. Now that is a feeling that even more is like devastation. Like I really am gonna die here. You see that on movies and everything.

But they started dragging the tape around me and they were just like, what's your name? The same time they're dragging the tape and securing the scene. And I'm laying there the whole time. I hear the ambulance come in. They said, just stay with me, stay with me. Then the ambulance gets there.

They load me into the ambulance. It felt like the movies. You see these things happen. You're looking up, see the lights and everything. They're cutting off my shirt with scissors. They plugging up all these things to me, connecting me, all these things. I heard the lady just tell me, the ambulance technician, she said, just stay with me, stay with me, stay with me, stay with me. And so I'm trying to keep my eyes open. I'm just like, if I could just

keep my eyes open, I can, I can make it. We get to the hospital, we pull in, they unload me off and they bring me into this emergency room. I remember, I'll never forget it. I went into the emergency room on the stretcher and I looked around and there's nurses, there's doctors, there's everybody looking at me. And they're looking at me with the expression on their face, like, how is he still alive? That's the way they look at it. That's what I'm thinking.

And then I see that same angel that I saw on the street standing behind one of the nurses. Same way I saw him on the street, but no details, can't really see. I'm like, is that it? standing behind one of the nurses. Same way I saw him on the street, but no details, can't really see. I'm like, is that it? But I saw the angel standing over there just like this, almost like you're gonna be okay.

And at that moment, the doctor walked over to me, and because I was fully conscious, he pulled this pad right here. He said, it's not right here. It was actually in an anesthesia form. He joked, he pulled this pad right here, he said, sorry, right here, it was actually in anesthesia form. He joked, he joked me and said, you got a pretty good signature for somebody who's got shot all these times.

I don't know what was happening in that moment. Like I should have been passed out, I should have been, I'm lost of blood. All these things happening that I see, but I'm fully awake during everything. And our last thing I remember is they're doing a countdown, countdown from 10. Wow.

And that's it. You think you're awake, Marcus, because God wanted you to be able to give a testimony about it somehow? Yes, now that I look back on it at the moment, no, at the moment it was all pure confusion. I was just like, why? It's amazing that I'm listening to you, brother,

and the emotion's still right there, and this was years ago. Can I ask you a few things about it? Yes absolutely. We're not done with the story but I want to ask you a few things. Where were you shot? I was I was shot in my chest. Eight times? Yeah so it was seven in chest and one in the arm, one in the elbow. It's actually still here today right there. I can see it on you. But one in the elbow that I have no feeling on this right arm. So everything from even when I just shook your hand, I have to think about because I can't feel.

Yes. Can't feel pain on this side, but I can feel pressure. Though I have lost a feeling on that. I have one in my L2 in my spine that I feel every day. And OK, now I feel stupid for complaining about my bad back. No, no, don't feel stupid. Oh my No, no, no, don't feel stupid. Oh my gosh.

No, no, don't feel stupid. My gosh. But we have, I have one, it actually was five organs that got damaged. So I had my pancreas, lost some of that, spleen, completely lost that, stomach, small intestine, colon was reattached. My gosh.

It was just down the road. My gosh. I wanted to be able to even share that transparently to you no matter what these platforms do to try to keep the things, the message going out. Because usually I don't even say the details, but I feel like somebody needs to hear that. Like a million percent.

There's five major organs that were in it. Unbelievable. Obviously everybody, you lean into this to the end of this interview, everybody, because there's way more coming, but I want to stay in this moment just for a second. Can we go to, can we go to where you're being shot? So 10 minutes before you're in your hotel room, grabbing your wallet, thinking about whatever you got to do tomorrow morning or whatever, right?

You're just living your life. And then there's this circumstance. What do you remember? You see the angel, which we're going to unpack that in a minute, but do you go into complete shock? Are you like, he just shot, I'm being shot in the chest. I'd be thinking I'm dead. I mean, that many bullets. Did you have fear? Did you have a sense of peace? Did you feel pain? Did you have fear? Did you have a sense of peace? Did you feel pain? What's going through you? No, I had a, I had fear. I had shock. And just to be completely descriptive with you of how I was feeling was at the moment, I was thinking, why? That was the first thought that came to my head. And even when I tell us the story today, people automatically say, you must have been doing something. You must have did something. And it's like, no, that's not my story.

I wasn't doing anything. I wasn't drinking, I wasn't partying. I wasn't involved in anything crazy. I was- Completely innocent. I was chosen, I found out later that I was picked at random and they were doing a gang initiation

for one of the guys in their gang. And so they picked me at random, chose me that night, me, to take my life. And so I wasn't doing anything wrong. And then that's when those shots started coming, that was the first thought. It was like, why? You would think that, why would you say that?

But that's what I was thinking as I was falling down to the ground. I'm like, why? I don't know them. I didn't do anything. Why? Beat me up or something, like punch me. Why are they trying to kill me? And so I'm laying there on the street and I'm scared.

I'm thinking that no one is gonna know how my life ended right now. That's what I was thinking. I was thinking I won't be able to tell my mom I love her. I won't be able to tell my brother and sister that I love them. I'm gonna lose my life on this street right now for what, why? So that was the extreme feeling that I was feeling.

Just imagine a why times a thousand, like, why, why, why, why, why? That's what I was feeling in that moment. and it was just a complete sense of brokenness as far as pain there wasn't immediate pain it was more like shock really the pain came after the fact but in the moment there was no no immediate pain I've always wondered what's it feel like to be shot frankly never mind eight times you actually physically didn't feel pain yes Yes, I did actually feel, I felt more pain from falling down. Really? That, like I told you, shoulders first. Just imagine if I pushed you down today.

It would take a while to get back up. And me too. He's six, seven guys. He's a big man. They picked a big dude, by the way, to do this too. But okay. Yeah, so even the drop could have been very deadly for me. But yeah, that force of hitting the ground was the most, it was almost like that shocked me so much that I didn't feel the rest of the bullets. Yeah, that stood out the first time you said it. I'm like, wow, of all those things. Did you, so you're scared.

So you see this angel, do you make out who it is, what it is, can you see facial features? Is it even, you look like a human being. Yeah, I couldn't see any features. Okay, did you know it was a person? Did you think it was a person? It looked like a person, but very tall. Like you said, I'm 6'7", but the figure was

like eight feet taller than me. And you know when I got shot. Marcus, can I tell you something? Yeah. I've had one other person tell me this story like this and they literally said the angel was eight feet tall. I'm not gonna tell you who it was because it's a personal story.

I went eight feet, now I know you're crazy. Wow. No descriptive features again. It was so much smoke from the gun and all these other things that happened that I could still see the figure and it was just like whoosh in a second. So that first shot, I didn't really see.

And then when he stood over top of me, that's when the angel, it kind of got down like this, like almost like on one knee. That's when I saw up close, but I still was, it was in front of me, so I couldn't see in front. I couldn't see any features like that. I just saw that it was an angel and I believed it to be an angel.

Again, I had no time to, this was instant. I didn't know I was gonna get shot. It wasn't just standing there like this with a gun pointed toward me. It was, he pulled it out in one motion and as soon as he swooped out, I saw the flash. So it wasn't time, when I say it wasn't time for me to think about it, it wasn't.

It was like that. Why is it that of everything you're telling me, one of the parts that turns my stomach the most is the laughter after they've believed they've killed a man. The laughter, did that linger with you afterwards as you're healing? Just, it did, it did. But there's, there's a lot of darkness in this world today. There's darkness in ways that we can't imagine. So even though something would sound as absurd

as someone laughing, as someone's demise, it was a normal thing at that moment. And those laughs haunted me for a long time until I was able to heal mentally, not more than the physical aspect, but able to heal emotionally and mentally over the years to come. But I still heard those laughs for many years. So, Hey guys, I want to jump in here for a second and talk about change and growth.

And you know, by the way, it's no secret how people get ahead in life or how they grow and also taking a look at the future. If you want to change your future, you got to change the things you're doing. If you continue to do the same things, you're probably going to produce the same results. But if you get into a new environment where you're learning new things and you're around other people that are growth oriented, you're much more likely to do that yourself. And that's why I love Growth Day. Write this down for a second, growthday.com forward slash ed.

My friend, Brendal Bruchard has created the most incredible personal development and business app that I've ever seen in my life. Everything from goal setting software to personal accountability, journaling, horses, thousands of dollars worth of courses in there as well. I create content in there on Mondays where I contribute as do a whole bunch of other influence, like the Avengers of influencers and business minds in there. It's the Netflix for high achievers or people that want to be high achievers. So go check it out. My friend, Brendan's made it very affordable, very easy to get involved. Go to

growthday.com forward slash ed. That's growthday.com forward slash ed. So hey guys, you may notice I've been standing a lot more during the podcast and one of the reasons that I'm doing that, thank God, is uplift desks. I've got one right here with me right now. You know, your daily work routine can really make you fatigued and that's because you're sitting the whole time. With an uplift desk you can stand more often. Also you're gonna bring better energy to the work you have when you're standing rather than sitting all the time and I didn't realize how much sitting all day was hurting my back and just dragging my energy down, dragging me

down physically and mentally. So great work starts with a great workplace. Your workday does not have to make you feel all worn out. Just go to upliftdesk.com slash ed and use our code ED to get your free accessories, free same-day shipping, free returns, and an industry-leading 15-year warranty that covers your entire desk plus an extra discount off your entire order. That's upliftdesk.com That's up l i f t d e-K.com slash ed. For this exclusive offer, it's only available through our link. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp and I'm really glad that it is. I'm gonna tell you why. People ask me

all the time, what do all the guests on your show have in common? And it's not all of them, but most of them, they've been to therapy or they're in therapy. And I've had athletes on, business people, thought leaders, musicians, actors, you name it. Across the board, most of the people I know that are happy and successful have been to therapy. Whether you've got something really traumatic you need to work through, maybe you're just not clear and focused right now and you want to talk through some stuff. Maybe something's bugging you. What I love about BetterHelp, it's affordable and if you don't click with your therapist, you can switch to another one right away They got 30,000 licensed therapists with an app store rating of 4.9 out of 5 from over 1.7 million reviews It's clear it's helping a lot of people as the largest online therapy provider in the world better help can provide access

To mental health professionals with a diverse variety of expertise our listeners get 10% off their first month at better help.com slash ed show. That's better h-e-l-p dot com slash ed show. Let's talk about some of that healing. Let's do the physical part first. So you shot seven times in your chest, once in your arm. Yep and let me tell you where it was. From that countdown, from 10-9-8 anesthesia and I'm out, first thing I hear is beeps. So I hear beep, beep, beep. And it's the life support that they had me hooked on.

And I open my eyes and I have tubes and everything connected to me. And I look over to my right, I really can't move. And I see this nurse standing over there. She's over by the IV bag and she's adjusting some things. And so she just happens to look towards me and she walked over to the bed. She saw I was awake and said, you made it, Marcus.

You made it. I'm sitting there just, I remember I began to cry at that moment. And she grabbed my hand and she held it. And she said, you made it through it, a eight to 10 hour surgery. She said, you had five major organs that were damaged. My gosh.

The doctor was able to do everything at once. He said, normally the vitals change and all this stuff. She, it's just like she knew I couldn't talk because of the tubes down my throat, but she just kept stuff. She, it's just like she knew I couldn't talk because of the tubes down my throat, but she just kept going. She just kept going, telling me more information. And the whole time I'm just weeping.

She's telling me that the surgery was a success and that you made it, you made it Marcus. She said, we didn't know who you were. God, Lee. We had to do some digging to find out where you were. Everybody didn't know, even my family didn't know I was in the hospital for days. For days.

Yes, so that was my reality at that moment when I came to, in that moment, it was like, you made it. She's telling me I made it. And even though I can't move, that was my awakening coming back into the world after that happened. Wow. I'll never forget it, just how real it was. The emotion on your face is just,

I just, I'm sitting here in front of you and I've loved you from a distance for so long. It's like, I'm almost reliving this the first time, even though I know part of the story. And I'm feeling fear and emotion as I'm listening to you. Have you ever seen that angel since that time? I haven't, I haven't, but I'll tell you one thing, Ed. I've felt God's presence,

even though I haven't seen that angel again, just reassuring me through many things. Because the fact and the reality is that I'm not the only one who has experienced a traumatic event. There are people that have been through horrific things. And you don't have to go through something like me getting shot. You could be shot with depression,

shot with anxiety, shot with... Just because I got shot, doesn't make me any different from another person. We've all been through some very heavy things. And I remember that fact about my story all the time when I'm sharing it to share it with the world. Yeah. To try to bring hope and encouragement.

You do brother. And by the way, I appreciate what you just said, but yours is like a doozy. Like if you're having a bad time right now or you're going through a tough time, I'm having a bad day. Okay. Compared to why that's considered a bad day shot seven, eight times in the chest, a point blank range for no reason. We'll go through recovery a little bit, but I want to know, are you emotionally healed from this now? I am.

What are you are? I am. But I also want to say that I feel like it's a journey. Healing takes time for everybody. Yeah. I don't know if I believe that anyone can fully be healed from all of the traumatic things they go through. You can find a sense of peace and you can find some freedom, but it's our humanity that will still have moments where we're broken. Just like you can wake up some days and your back's hurting or this happening or whatever. That's how I feel about can wake up some days and your back's hurting or this happening or whatever.

That's how I feel about our spirits and our emotions is that they can fluctuate. We can change. We can have good days, bad days, but the one thing we can hold onto is God's promises through it all. I would say that I am healing. Like I'm moving towards healing every day. I don't think I've, I've reached a pinnacle though. I think that that is a journey. You know, one thing by the way, I just wanna say that it's on the YouTube, they may not see your face. The minute you start to talk about God, you shift.

Like your presence is very strong, even when you just say the word God. I just want you to know that, like being here with you. By the way, everybody, just so you know, Marcus was scheduled to do my show a little while back and he almost passed away again recently. Like he got that sick. So there's more to come here today. Just so you all know, like if, if that wasn't enough, and by the way,

I'm so honored that I'm the first podcast because after this comes out, you're going to have 26 billion invitations. Cause this is the most incredible story. There's a thing about you that I love from a distance that I want to acknowledge about you and it's your humility and your goodness. I'll just say it in our language because we share a belief system. Holy Spirit's very much present on your face. I'm an acquired taste.

You don't catch that right away with me, right? You have the grace of God is all over you. Had I met you before you were shot, were you this guy? Were you different? No, I was completely different. Tell us about it. When I tell you that, I was just lost. I was searching for purpose in the industry,

trying to make my name great, trying to be the best musician possible. I play piano. And every day that I lived was to be the better musician, to be the one with the most gigs, the one touring the most places, the one most famous, or it was all about me.

And that brought darkness. I say I wasn't a good person. Like I was really out there, just really worrying about myself. I was the only concern about me and that's it. Now other people that knew me in that time would say, no Marcus was a great, he was a good guy, but I'm talking about the things that nobody else knows.

Which is a lot of things. Your heart's desires. Yeah, heart desires that a lot of people struggle with. If you see people and you just don't know what's going on on the inside. I call it like dressed up trash cans. You know, it's like you don't know what a person is doing.

It's very familiar actually. You might have just described me. Yeah, it's like, you don't know what a person is. You're very familiar actually. You might've just described me. Yeah, so I was, when I say I was out there, I just didn't, I was focused on me and my whole life was just focused on, I was a dark individual as far as just everything I said. I was cussing, I would say inappropriate things. I was into stuff, just being negative.

So I was not the person that you see here today. Did you have faith in God before that? I had faith, but I didn't have faith. As you know, you can go to church or you can believe in God. That doesn't mean that you're actually following. So I grew up in a one, and my mom did an amazing job. She's a youth pastor and she raised me to know who God was

but I didn't pay attention. So I was in the building, but I was not saved myself. Even when I was playing, I would be in the church, I play and then by the time the sermon starts, I'm out the door. Okay, so I know this sounds horrible. Like, yeah, I'm one of McDonald's. You can't be bad.

Seriously, that's how, so it's like, when I say I wasn't a good person, I just, I don't want to sugarcoat anything. I want to tell you the real thing. This man left church after he played, he'll get McDonald's. I didn't hear a sermon at all when I was young. Yeah, I didn't, I never sat and actually listened to the word of God. I appreciate your confession and your honesty. Yeah, this is the truth.

I want to tell you the truth. Yeah, I never listened to one sermon. Wait till you hear the difference, everybody. He's literally sitting there because literally every day I check and get a scripture and a word from him on social media. And, uh, I'm going to, I'm going to tell you straight up. I've tried to be a better man. If you all wonder whether your posts or what you create on social media and you

think no one's watching it, if it makes a difference, I can just tell you this, me sitting in wherever you guys think I sit in these big old houses, this man right here has caused me to want to be a better man, want to be a better Christian, want to be in the word of God more often. So every single day you're inspiring me. Um, let's talk, let's finish wrap up on this cause I have so many things I want to ask you about your life, how you became you, how I found you, all that stuff. But before we do that, what was the physical healing? I know everyone's listening, hey, Ed, you got shot

eight times. Can we figure out the physical healing part? Because you're carrying scars all over your body from it. So how long and what did you have to go through to recover? It was a long process. I had to learn how to walk again. It was step by step. Now I remember PT coming in the room and they would say, here's your goal for the day, is to stand up. That was the goal just for a few days, just doing that. And it would be to pull my legs to the side of the bed and stand up. Because just to give you a reality of what my present situ, I mean what my situation was then was, I had a colostomy bag, I had a catheter, I had all types of things connected to me.

So I was not mobile walking around and everything. Even had a line, a pick line in my neck and all these. So it was stand up for today and applause, great job. And then weeks down the road it would be, all right, we're gonna take a step, all right, we're gonna take a step today. And next day we're gonna take two steps. That's how my recovery was.

And to the point where I was frustrated, there would be moments where I would be, I would think to myself, I wanna do more than this. And one time in particular I fell to the ground while I was doing it. No one was in the room and I tried to walk on my own and I fell, boom, down to the ground. I couldn't reach my call button and I laid there and I just cried. I remember laying there on the ground and I said, I just want to be able to walk again. I want to be able to do the thing that I took for granted for so many years.

to do the thing that I took for granted for so many years. And so that is what my recovery was like initially. It was me just one step at a time, one step at a time, one step at a time. And so it took me months to be able to walk again. And I was super fortunate. And I had all sorts of things happening in between. I would have infections. I would have all types of things happening with other things

from results of the shooting that tried to take me out. Infections and all types of things, just like you were saying that it recently happened too. I had that happen when I was in the hospital as well. When you're talking, I'm thinking to myself metaphorically, people listening to this that will have this happen in their life or is happening right now where their life's been blown up. You were literally blown apart,

but there are people that are going through their, as you said, their version, their marriage just ended, their relationship ended, their business did, they've financially blown up. And, um, the metaphor of what you said is it's step by step. It's one day, you're gonna be frustrated. You're not making more progress. There's gonna be moments and everyone's journey where no one's watching and you just crumble

and fall down and there's no hope. I just think, I just want you to know the lens I'm hearing this through on behalf of everybody else is because yours is obviously the most powerful version of that Was there a point where you're like, okay, I'm kind of back and how long was that? It was probably about a year Wow a year and some change after where I felt like I'm back Hmm, and even then I was fragile and I wasn't the same Like I was I was hurt. I struggled with

same. I was, I was hurt. I struggled with forgiving the people that have you forgiven them? I have today. Wow. Back then I didn't and it held me down for so many years. It plunged me into some extreme darkness. So I don't want to skip this part because that's part of my journey too is that I came out of the hospital fully dependent on painkillers and pain medicine. I had a button right beside my bed that I could press for pain at any time, just to get me hit. And again, you're looking at somebody who never smoked, never drank, never did anything.

And that used to be my piece in the middle of the pain that I was actually feeling. I had real pain, but I took that pain medicine through that process and had no idea that I was becoming dependent on it. Wow. So years or so later, I finally run out of the medicine. I can't remember what exactly happened, but I think I just went through the medication and I was out.

And then that's when I realized I was dependent on it. I felt the sickest I have ever felt. I started feeling nauseous and shaking and all types of things. And I said, what in the world is going on? And I had no idea that I had become dependent upon the pain medicines. And so that, I thought about that when you said,

when I was mentioning to you the forgiveness, that made it even harder for me to forgive the people who shot me. How'd you get out of the addiction? I tried everything to get clean. It was that big of a deal? Yeah, it was that. It was that deal.

I was back touring, back doing music. Right. And I would, I tried everything. I would go to rehabs. I would go to treatment centers. Seriously? Yeah. I didn't know this part.

I would go right off, like, you get off the plane and they hold your name on a sign, nice treatment centers. I tried, I would go every few months, I would try to get clean. I just couldn't do it. And I would stay and finish the thing and then get back right back out and mess up again. The bondage of addiction held me for so long. It was six years, six years of darkness. I realized after the fact that me not being able to forgive those people who shot me was

another big part of why I was never able to forgive those people who shot me was another big part of why I was never able to find my freedom and why I failed so many times. Because I held that bitterness in my heart and I was like, I'm not forgiving them. They can't be forgiven. Yeah, they're laughing. I finally reached that level of forgiveness

and I just became broken. I said, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be free. And I went to this one year treatment program, and a year, that sounds crazy, but it was a year long. I said, I need something extreme. I need the boot camp of all, this 30 day, 90 day is not working. So I left everything and went to this treatment center

for one year, and I fell down to my knees in a small little chapel service, and that's the moment I felt everything and went to this treatment center for one year and I fell down to my knees in a small little chapel service and that's the moment I felt everything shift and I felt the Lord coming to my heart and I was never the same after that moment. Like everything, I felt the chains come off of me of trying and trying all these years to be clean and it was different. And I think the different part was,

is I asked God to help me. I said, I was like, Jesus, I want you to set me free. I said, I can't do this anymore. The other times I was asking the therapist to help me, or this person to help me, and there's nothing wrong with that, but I needed more. I needed Jesus and therapy.

I needed all of it. And when I came to that moment, I felt the chains fall off of me. And that was 16 years ago. And I've been clean ever since and free. And it got bad. When I tell you it got bad, it went from pain pills to heroin to, it was bad.

And again, this is a, I would have never thought in a million years, I would be doing something like shooting heroin But that's what I did when I couldn't get the pain meds A lot of people don't know that but the opiates you're just looking for another one and when I couldn't get access to those pain meds I did the heroin and I was bound to that and and it's almost impossible for people to get off of that but I got off of it and Through my failures after failure after failure

is where I found that freedom. Brother, you may have the greatest story I've ever flipped and heard. I mean, I'm serious. So you found God, not when you got shot. Yeah. You actually, well, he was there. Yeah, he was there.

But it was like, there was a full embrace, an actual intimate relationship. Yeah, it was a process. A process over time. By the way, it's so good that you say that because there's all this stuff and faith about there's just this moment. Yeah. And there are moments. But a lot of times for a lot of people, it's like any relationship that grows. And then all of a sudden, there's this point where you surrender to it. Yeah. And in my case, it was more like that over time.

I am blown away. I did not know any of that part of your story. Thank you for being so open and honest. Yeah, I didn't want to skip that. I wanted to make sure I was able to say that because I know so many people struggle with addiction to many things. It could be gambling, it could be any life control issue.

It's not just drugs. And you can't see it. No one can see it on me. And when they saw signs, like, oh, Marcus looks terrible, they would be like, oh, he got shot. So no one can help me for years. I want you to understand this. People can be successful.

They can do everything and make money and do all these things and still be broken on the inside. And so I was completely broken out there. I'm playing on stage and shooting up and doing drugs before I get on stage and looking for places to get more while I'm touring in different cities, random cities and looking for more. That was my story for six years and it was terrible. So yeah, a process. It's gonna be a process when you go through things. Most people won't get the instant thing and the clouds open up and everything is perfect.

That wasn't my story. Even though I went through something life changing, like the shooting, I had more to go through after that. There was the transformation. It was like a slow cook. And through that, I just slowly was changing through this and everything didn't stop there Hey guys, if you're not like me

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People thought I was crazy. Wait, so you went through a year program and then stayed four years. And then I felt so strongly that I needed to help other people. This is where everything about my identity started because it was no cameras, it was no anything, it was no, it was none of that. It was no cell phones, it was me and God. And that's where

my foundation for helping people started. It was one-on-one, 40 or 50 guys in the program at a time coming through there, completely broken, addicted to things, lost, homeless, all of that. And I stayed on as a staff member to help, no pay, no anything, to help people for years. I was there for four years. God bless you. And that's where everything was formed. See, that's the season for me that was hidden

that nobody knows about. And so I didn't mean to give you a curve ball or give the viewers a curve ball. It's not a curve ball. It was literally, I was there hidden for years, like literally till 2015. Oh my gosh. So from 2010 when I got free to 2015,

I was there serving, helping people. Quietly. And no cameras, no social media. No social media. And the reason. People coming up to me like my mom died, my dad died, where was I? Like broken. And those are the type of questions and things that I dealt with while I was there. the reason people coming up to me, like my mom died, my dad died. Where was God like broken?

And those are the types of questions and things that I dealt with while I was there. Wow, Marcus, you're most qualified in life to help the person you used to be. Yeah. And you used to be a whole bunch of different people, but the fact that you stayed there and helped all those people that were struggling with what you're struggling with is just remarkable. I'm blown away by you. Think about how amazing God is. Who'd have thought in the moment that you're being shot eight times in the chest,

you go, okay, that's when it changes. Then you go through this six year abyss into drug addiction and heroin and all that other stuff. Then you stay there another four years afterwards. And that somehow God's going to pick that guy to reach me through social media, through his faith post. And then I invite you to sit here today and you're now going to bless millions more people. Isn't it? There should be so many people listening to go legitimately anything is possible. If I keep getting up, if I keep pursuing my dream, if I, and in this case, the lesson for you, I believe is going to be through God, but

it's just unbelievable. The ripple effects of decisions we make in our life and the impact we make. So I want to say again, thank you for what you do now, because we're only an hour long show, we're going to kind of morph through here a little bit. So that's when really God became a centerpiece in your life, I assume, but it was growing, which sounds more like my story too, right? What made you eventually, maybe I missed a step, go, I'm gonna grab a camera and I'm gonna say, let me bless you today.

Because basically his posts, for the most part, are very simple. It's the camera comes on, he says, let me bless you today or whatever. And then it's a scripture of some type. And it's not only the scripture, if I can be complimentary of you, it's the way in which you say it.

There's a peace into the way that you communicate. I'm even feeling it being with you, that God's given you. That's why I asked you, were you this person before? The answer is no. It comes through on the camera to me. Lots of people quote scripture or read positive things. Why is it that I stick to you? Right? What is it? It's how you actually make me feel when you're doing it. I feel God's love through you when you do it. I just want you to know that.

That's why you're sitting here of all the people on Instagram that I could pick. Right? I'm wondering what compelled you to start doing that? What made you think, I know what I'll do now. I was a heroin addict. I play music. I da da da da, I got shot eight times. I didn't know any of that story till later. You're just all of a sudden doing what you do.

That was a process too, because I went many years not able to tell my story. I was not able to tell my story for so many years. Why? It hurt. That's the simplest answer I can give you. I can't come up with any other words than that. It just hurt to tell it.

And so there was even times where I would be on stage and other people would tell my story. Or when I was doing music, they're like, the keyboard player right there, he got there telling my story. And God is using that story to just shift and reach people. And I couldn't tell it, I'm just sitting there playing. So that was 15 years of me not being able to tell my story.

And I couldn't tell it. So when I tell you it was a slow process of getting there, it truly was. And when I finally was able to tell my story, I had been attending LifeChurch and a pastor, Pastor Craig Rochelle. I think you know him. And, uh, I didn't know Craig was your pastor.

Yes. Yes. I did not know that this, this entire time. I, I did not know Craig is your pastor. Craig, by the way, did the show last week. I did not know that Craig was your pastor. Okay, keep going. What in the, God, what is going on here with you?

Okay. I love him. I started just, I got inspired just seeing how God would use him to share the word of God. And I was sitting in my car one day and I just said, I need to tell my story, I think I'm ready. It wasn't the clouds opened up or anything. I just said, I need to tell my story, I think I'm ready. It wasn't the clouds opened up or anything, I just said, I think it's time.

Just like even coming on this podcast for a second, I said, I think it's time. And I tried to be obedient to those moments and that delay. And I just put that camera up in there and I just told my story. Unedited, no script, no anything. I just shared my story from the heart and God used that story to just reach people

all over the world. I put it up on TikTok and I had no followers. I just opened up a TikTok account, brand new. It was just, I remember it, zero. And I put it up and then someone called me a few days later and was like, hey, your testimony's, I never even opened the app again and checked one and they're like,

your testimony's everywhere. I opened it up and millions of people have seen it. And that was how everything started. Me sharing hope to help other people. It was through my brokenness. So again, that was a, that was a slow path there. It wasn't anything that I planned. I didn't, I didn't really want to do anything. I don't personally want to be on camera. I'm not a person that likes to tension on myself. I'm very much like you as an introvert. Yeah, you are. Protect my energy and very careful with that.

So you feel like when you put stuff out, do you ever feel like, I'm not qualified to be doing this stuff? All the time. I should be like someone like Craig. All the time. When I feel it every day and I feel it because I'm the guy that was expelled from high school. I'm the guy who just has a GED. I'm the guy who got in all types of trouble,

who was a drug addict. I'm the least. And only through God's grace and his power, he allows me to even sit in positions like this. So yeah, I walk with that, realizing I feel that. And I have to actually put those thoughts to the side when I'm about to do things just like this and say like you know you God created you to do this gosh he introduced you to Ed to be able to do this even in moments like that because I have those thoughts

I'm like you're not supposed to be here you're not supposed to be here like you're not supposed to be all these people that have written 20, 30 books and all these things and I'm like God's like you are supposed to be there because one person needs to hear this today. Way more than one needs to hear this today. And you absolutely belong here. I've done very few interviews, conversations, where I'm like, this is, I feel extremely blessed to be in this conversation.

I thank you for trusting me. And even I know that you are very careful about who you have on the show. And it means a lot. Like I said, when for trusting me and even, I know that you are very careful about who you have on the show and it means a lot. Like I said, when you reached out and said, hey, I want you to come on, I couldn't believe it. Yeah, well, I'm honored you said yes. Only 50 people a year sit in that seat

and I'm so thrilled that it's you. Couple things we need to know. Shooters ever reached out to you? Made any contact with you? Well, that's something that, it was in the hospital where a detective came up to me and he told me we won't be able to prosecute and the charges have to be dropped.

And that was the moment where the bitterness in my heart started and I didn't forgive them. Like I was angry at that point. And it was because so many people that saw the shooting, they were scared to come to court. A lot of people don't know that, oh, a statement is not enough. Person has to actually come to back that statement up.

And when it was time for court, so many people did not show up and people were scared and they didn't get prosecuted. And so that forgiveness that I had to get to had nothing to do with actually meeting them in person and telling them that I forgive them. It had to do with me saying that I forgive them right here. And they went on to get in trouble for all types of other stuff. I think they're in prison right now, but in the moment,

I still struggle with that and I didn't forgive them. Okay. You're telling me that because these dudes are incarcerated, the main guy is right. That's not from shooting you. Yeah. From other things. Okay. Yeah. I did not know that. Yeah. But I still struggled with, with, with hurting through that. Of course. Cause at the moment they were still out. Have you ever met him? No.

No. Does he know you forgive him? I don't think he does. Maybe he'll find out today. Yeah. I don't think he does, but I try to remember that, something I heard on,

actually a guest that you had on, Les Brown, and he said that- Loved Les. He said that forgiving others is not forgetting, but it's remembering our anger. And I was listening to that podcast where you had a morning, I was like, wow. And I was like, I think that that's where I got to.

Like I can remember it now and I can say, thank you. And that, again, I know that people out there go through horrific things. So for some people to even get to my stuff would be very difficult to get to. But for me, I can remember it now and be grateful because that's the whole reason why I'm sitting here today. That's the reason why I got to meet my wife, April, and we have four wonderful kids. That's the reason why my life has been transformed

is because they did that. It's amazing. So even in the most darkest things, that's why Romans 8.28 is one of my favorite scriptures that says in all things, God is working together for the good. It's not some things, it's even the most terrible horrific things.

God can still pull, squeeze like a little bit of good out of that, even though it's extremely hurtful, even though it's extremely painful. That's something that I can stand on and believe with all my heart. Gosh, you're a remarkable brother. All right, let's be real. If your gut is off, everything feels off. Your digestion, your energy, your mood, your focus, it all starts in your gut and you know it.

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I've got my own version of my scars. I'm on my back right now like you were except in a different way in my life. I don't know what to do. I want to turn things around. What would your honest answer be? I know there's no simple thing, but I think there's one thing at least. But what would you say? Someone's listening to this.

They're like, okay, yeah, I'm in my own version of that right now. I would say there's more in you. You may not be able to see it right now. You have pressure hitting you from every direction. Your back is completely against the wall. You've cried yourself to sleep each night. You don't even know how you're gonna make it.

But Luke 1.37 says, with God, all things are possible. And if you just hold on and take one more step, just keep going, one more, one more, you'll see that God has had you in his hand all along, he's never left you. That's not easy to hear when you're in the middle of a battle though. So I do acknowledge that,

that you could be in a storm that is crazy. You're like, where is God? And I don't feel him here, but that's our humanity. Like we all feel other things. We're like roller coasters, but it doesn't change. God's love for us never changes even when we're in our darkest moments and he's right there. Gosh, that's so good. Well, you're the perfect example.

God had his hand on you as you're laying in that street, crawling out of the middle of the street, trying to reach your phone. He was with you, even though maybe in those moments, we don't always know that, right? Or when you fall down and you can't walk and you got a colostomy bag, right? Or then all of a sudden you're addicted to drugs. He was with you when you were shooting heroin. Yes, yes. He was with you all those times you tried to get clean.

Because everybody thinks that he's not with you when you're in your dark lows. Moments, that's not true. He was right there with me. Like you're gonna get it. You're gonna get off of this eventually. Like you're gonna be okay, even though you can't see it right now,

you're gonna be okay. I remember people praying for me, even when I was addicted and they would be praying, the whole time they're praying, I'm like, I have to, they hurry up so I can just go get more drugs. Like that's how lost I was. Yes. But God was still there with me.

People were still praying for me. People, even though I was burning bridges, even though I was destroying my family, even though I was just becoming a dark person and just hurting everybody that was in front of me, God was still there. I still got my hand on you. I'm still right here. That's the message I tell to anyone that is feeling like, look, I'm in this. How do I get out? Where is he? Where? How can I keep going? It's you got, you have it in you. Like you literally have it right here. The Bible says, greater is he that's in you. That is in the world. So like you have the power, you literally have the

power to overcome anything if you believe it. It's not going to happen just by, again, the clouds opening up and all that. It's like, you have to literally say, I can do this. It's not gonna happen just by, again, the clouds opening up and all that. It's like you have to literally say I can do this. That's the first step. If it all works, it's dead. Like there has to be something here. Just like I wanna take some action. I'm gonna do this.

And that's why I was willing to go to that one year treatment, even though it was insane to people. They're like, one year? That's crazy. I was like, I'm all in. I'm all in. That was your's crazy. I was like, I'm all in. That was your time in the desert. I'm all in.

Yeah, I'm all in. It was your time in the desert. You know, what's amazing is you were blessed that you had people praying for you, even though you were like, hurry up and you get some more drugs. But I want everybody to know this, some of you don't. Some of you don't have anybody,

it feels like you're alone, you're never alone. God always holds you in the palm of his hand. You're never alone. If you feel alone right now, you are not. Your Father in heaven has his hand on you. He loves you and he will show you a way out. You need to stay faithful. You need to believe in yourself. You need to believe in him. Faith without works is dead. Yeah, that's why I believe in the power of prayer and that's why I show up to do that because I believe that, again, there is some people who have nobody praying for them.

That's why it means so much to me, Ed. It's like, I didn't think I'd be praying for people. There's so many more people, much more qualified, like we were talking about. And I get messages from people and emails of people saying that they pray with me every morning. And these are people that are in church their whole life. People that, you know.

You know, you're so an anoint, you know, you're so humble, I want to tell you one thing. You have found your anointing. And like, I think you just nailed why I love your work. I actually think you're praying for and with me when I see your stuff. There are other people that, even when I pray with them or that I'm with them,

I'm like, what a beautiful prayer. But I didn't feel like it was for and with me. Somehow through social media, and I'm not, so much so. I'm like, what a beautiful prayer. But I didn't feel like it was for and with me somehow through social media. And I'm not so much so that I eventually say, please come on my show and come to my house. I wouldn't let you do it through zoom. I said, I want to meet you. It's just amazing what God's done in your life. Now, let's say one thing here before we like go, Oh, it's all Rosie.

You were booked to do the show. I don't know, what, a month ago, something like that? Yeah, April 9th. April 9th. And then what happened? Yeah, so. You guys like, listen to this. Then what happened? So the short story is, I thought I had a spleen.

I thought I had half a spleen. The doctor said there's no such thing as that. I wouldn't know either, okay. And I didn't know. I can't have half of one. Either got one or you don't. And so there were several things that I should have been taking out for 21 years to protect myself because the spleen helps you with your immune system and being able to fight off normal things that other people can just, they're good and you know, sick a little bit,

get better. And so I didn't know I didn't have this spleen and I had an infection that came on me, just a regular thing that anybody else would be fine and just have a cough or something and be okay the next day. It got in my bloodstream and one night I was just sitting there with my wife and then all of a sudden I started shaking and everything

and I almost discounted it and just said I'm gonna sleep it off. And I later found out that that would have killed me. So I ended up going to the hospital and they identified it very quickly, got me on the treatment to treat it very quickly. And this is the first time since the shooting that I've been in the hospital, I have not been in a

hospital at all. At all. So for me to go to the hospital is a big deal. I was like talking to my wife and I said, I think I need to go to the hospital. She said, I think you do. Go. And I went. But it was something that I normally would not do. Yeah, I felt something felt different. Just like I said, when I was do. But I felt something felt different. Just like I said when I was on that trip. Your discernment told you to go. Something felt different.

And some things aren't, you know, you don't have a booming voice from above. You're just like, something feels different. And that's what I felt in that moment. I said, I need to go. And I was in the ICU for five days and they stabilized me. And I was completely weak. I wanted to I wanted so bad to still come on the show.

Now, I call Stephen. I said, I really want to come. Stephen is my producer. And I just said, I still want to come. And I said, I don't want to be on this show. And nobody knows what happens. Me like, why is he breathing so heavy? Why is he struggling right now?

Because it steps this really I was in stepsis shock and every organ was shutting down. It was like, it was like, I thought that I was going to die in there. That's how quick everything happened. I was, I walked in the hospital and then they rush all these people in there and say, they get him to another room and now it's a serious thing. Marcus, an hour ago before you got here, John Gordon was the previous interview and he just lost his best friend to sepsis. We were just literally talking about this an hour ago.

So thank God you went in and thank God, even when you go in, it's not any guarantee God had his hand on your life again. Oh yeah, it takes people out every day. Sepsis takes people out every day. It's just so quick. I just want you to know something. I don't think you know the depth of what you're doing in your reach. I want everyone listening to this. Like you guys, there's so much possible in your life. Look at this man's life.

Look what God's doing in his life. It's remarkable what you can come through when you're down, right? It's remarkable. That test. It's so corny. That test you're going through will eventually be a testimony. It's remarkable. That test. It's so corny. That test you're going through will eventually be a testimony. It's it's just, it's one of the best, most corny, true sayings of all time. Can we go back to something? We're going to run out of time. But I got to, I got to this angel thing. Right. Like what was that? Like, do you, have you had any sense of, you know, is it someone in your family? Is it like just what we read about in the, what do you think?

I've had those moments. Because I do know that even biblical angels don't look the way that people typically think they are. So I'm like, who was this? I have had that question. If you had people of real devout faith go, what's blasphemy that you had an eight foot angel? I'm sure, I wonder that what you said.

And I've wondered over and over who was this that God sent to protect me in that moment. And I just, I don't know. And I think this is difficult for people to say something like that. But I have no problem saying I don't know to a lot of things. Like his ways are higher than our ways. The Bible says that. Thoughts are higher than our thoughts. And there's some things that I just don't understand. I don't know. Why do you term it? I'm just curious. We're talking a couple of dudes here, right? Like

the term you use is angel. How do you know it wasn't just the presence of God? Yeah, that you are correct. It could have been just the presence of God. I interpreted it with my eyes to be an angel, but it could have been just God's presence there as well. I felt like it was an angel, especially when I saw it again in the emergency room. When I looked over there and I saw that figure, again, not really being able to see details,

but like there's a tall figure back there again, standing there like this. And I could see the only detail I could see was arms like this. By the way, I obviously defer to you on what you saw and felt. You know, it is possible you have an eight foot tall relative somewhere because you're so tall. I mean, it is possible that as tall as you are. Let's wrap up with this question. I think this is one of the most extraordinary conversations I've ever had. It's exceeded my expectations for today. And I kind of want to just give you the floor because you came a long way to do this and

you've been through a long road to sit here today. And I want to tell you that I'm proud of you. Thank you. And you have a real friend in me. Thank you. For the rest of my life. You're want to tell you that I'm proud of you. Thank you. You have a real friend in me. Thank you. For the rest of my life. You're going to outlive me, but for the rest of my life. So, if you had any message, you said, man, I get to sit there and I'm on my Let's Show. And I, you know, we covered a bunch of stuff today, but I got a message that, man, if I leave here, I want to make sure I at least got this to people. What would you say? It could be anything. What would your message be to people?

I want to give you, I've never asked that at the end of the interview, but I want to create space for you to say whatever you want at the end. Well, I have to, when I think about that question, I have to respond with scripture. And the reason why I have to is because I've learned so much through Jesus teachings, especially when he was tempted, he didn't respond with how he felt. He didn't say maybe or I think or all that. He responded with the word of God

when the enemy was trying to tempt him. And so I'm gonna respond with the scripture that is dear to my heart, which is Romans chapter five, verse three through five. It says, rejoice in your suffering. Because suffering produces endurance. Endurance produces character, endurance produces character, and character produces hope.

And hope will not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. And that's my message to everybody that hears this, is that you're gonna go through some suffering, you're gonna go through some pain, You're gonna go through some pain. You're gonna go through a lot of things in this life. Like that is something that is not gonna change

is suffering and pain and hardships. Many things that we go through. But as I said at the beginning of this, God's love for us and His presence and His hand on your life is the one thing that will never change through all of it. And people have told me, even when I've shared that scripture, like, how could you say rejoice in your suffering? Like the suffering, do you understand what that means? Yes, I do understand what it means. And some people understand it better than me. They understand it in a deeper way of what suffering means. And that is what it means to have faith

and to truly follow Jesus and to follow God and to walk this walk. It means that no matter what happens my way, I will lift my eyes to the hills from where my help comes from. My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. And that's my heart with everything.

And I have to pass that on. So I'm sorry I didn't have an opinion or a response to send my words. Please don't apologize for an extraordinary answer. But I had to answer with the word that has carried me rejoicing in my suffering, has carried me for so many years. I don't know exactly when that activated in my heart, but it's activated in my heart every day.

I'm like, cause I still feel pain. I feel pain with every step I take cause the bullet, they can't take it out. It's so risk of me being paralyzed, but that bullet reminds me just how good God is. I'm like, I can feel. So I look at, I frame it through a different lens. I look at life through this gratitude lens.

And I just, I'm grateful. That's why if you hear me do a prayer, I say, thank you first. No matter what, I'm like, thank you God. Because before I say anything, thank you. That's like my number one prayer, dear God, thank you. Because I'm grateful. I know that April 2nd, 2004 could have been everything,

I could have just been a memory. It could have been all over. But God had more in store for me to do, more souls to reach, and it's not about me. I'm not trying to make my name great. I've never even said my name on videos or pictures or branding or what. I'm not like that. I'm like, said my name on videos or pictures or branding or what. I'm not like that.

I'm like, what can I do that draws people to find hope and point to him, not me? So that's my message, if somebody can know. I don't think it's possible to do a better conversation than this today. I will say your name so they can go follow you, which is Marcus Stanley, everybody. Is that where you want them to go? Social media to find you?

Yeah, just search Marcus Stanley. I'm really laid back. He's incredible, and you all know he's incredible after today, and I promised you in the beginning that this would be extraordinary, and you completely over-delivered. I'm so grateful for you. I want to thank you all my heart

for giving me this chance to come be able to share on your platform, your house, your show. It really means the world to me. We can't express how much, how grateful I am for that. I can tell you unequivocally that the honor is completely mine and the audiences. And yeah, I think you did okay for your first podcast, by the way, like a hundred out of 10, a hundred out of 10. I'm very proud of you. I love you. You have a friend for life in me.

You inspire me. And I'm just like in awe of how this went today. It's just, holy spirit's really good. Just everywhere. All right, everybody. You're welcome. I told you this would be great. Would you please share this?

You know somebody needs to hear this. By the way, if you're not on my email list, go to EdMyLet.com. Get on that list so you get would be great. Would you please share this? You know somebody needs to hear this. By the way, if you're not on my email list, go to EdMylett.com. Get on that list so you get the shows early. You know what's happening and follow us on social media at EdMylett. God bless you. Max Outt.