Dr. Dobson: Well, Roger, you're referring to David Ring. He's a man that I respect very highly. His lifelong work has been to tell of God's faithfulness, despite his being afflicted with cerebral palsy and enduring almost unimaginable difficulties and trials in life. His phenomenal testimony tells us that we can be optimistic and even positive, regardless of the problems we face. He has refused to let discouragement and self-pity overwhelm him. He found a relationship with Jesus Christ very early in his life, and together they, including what The Lord has done for him, have made the most of his circumstances. Now, we heard the first half of David's recorded story yesterday, and now we're going to hear the balance of that presentation. Hold onto your hat, this is an incredibly moving story.
Roger Marsh: Boy, it certainly is. As we said last time, David Ring's speech has been affected pretty dramatically by his lifelong disability. He may be a little difficult to understand at times in the beginning, but trust me, it doesn't take long to catch up with him and to begin to understand what he's saying and how he's saying it. From that point on, you will definitely be drawn into his story. Okay, let's get right to it.
David Ring: God not only changed my life, God changed my attitude. I went back to school the next day with a brand new outlook on life, and the school was so dumbfounded by the way I looked. There were going to each other all day long and say, "What happened to him?" The school was so dumbfounded by the way I looked, they had to call together an all-school assembly and wanted me to stand on stage, and wanted to me to tell them what happened to me. I'm talking about a public school. I'm talking about a student body of 1400 students. I'm talking about the same school that called me every name other than my own. Therefore, I got on stage that day. I'd say, "Student body, I went to an old fashioned revival last night. I gave my life to God. I don't understand that, but I know one thing, I don't want to die anymore. I want to live. Why? Because I got something worth living for, because He lives, I can face tomorrow." [crosstalk 00:03:31].
You know what they did? They vote me to be the most popular boy in the student body. I went from a nobody, to the most popular kid. That taken the day after I got saved. Check out the sideburns. I'm a cool dude back then. They vote me to be [inaudible 00:04:09] school spirit. They vote me to be the vice president of my class. I even beat out a good looking cheerleader, and I got the yearbook to prove it. I'm the only 54 year old man you know that been out of school for over 36 years, that still got the yearbook on the coffee table. They want to put it up in the attic. I'd say, "No, leave it on the coffee table. I'm all the way through the yearbook. Leave it on the coffee table." They vote me to be the football, basketball and track manager of the year. Don't that blow your mind? It blows my mind. I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus.
I never will forget going into the football coach office, and say, "Coach, I want to be a part of your team." His eyeball got big, and I'd said, "Now, calm down, Coach. I don't want to be a quarterback. I don't want to be a lineman. I don't want to be a wide receiver. I want to make you the best water boy you ever had in your life." I gave it my all, and God taught me something. If I did not do my job as a manager, nobody else would do their job well. It take everybody to make a great team.
Audience: That's right. Amen.
David Ring: Even water boys. And do you know, water boys don't get their name in the paper? I challenge you to go home today, and get on the computer and Google it, Goolge.com, or Google.com. I can't even spell. Type in water boy, none of them will come up, but nevertheless, I was a part of the team, and people look at me, look at me, look at me. I don't know what job you have today, but it take everybody to make a great team. I beg of you to give it all you got, with all you have.
They told me I would never be a preacher, but I am. I'm preaching my guts out. I am. 1971, God called me to preach, laying in bed one night, minding my own business, and God said, "David, I want you to preach." I'd say, "Who, me? Lord, I can't preach, Lord. I talk funny, Lord. People can't even stand me, Lord. I have cerebral palsy." Can you imagine, me telling God, I have cerebral palsy? I got a funny feeling God said, "Really? You got to be kidding! Tell me something I don't know, big boy." I'd say, "God, if you want me to preach, take a second look and then call me." He took that second look and He called me to do the toughest thing for me to do. He [inaudible 00:08:22] words in my mouth, but my friend, look at me, the devil mean it for evil, but God mean it for good.
The devil would say, "It's over, boy," but God said, "No, it's not over, it's only the beginning. I'm going to take the foolish things in life and confound the wise." God took my greatest liability in life, and made it my greatest asset in life. Now, look at me. Little is much when God is in it. Don't ever judge a book by its cover. I have cerebral palsy. Now, what's your problem? Why are you crying the [inaudible 00:09:25]? Why are you down in the dumps? Why do you want to quit? Why do you want to throw in the towel? What are you doing for the Kingdom of God today?
They told me I would never make it in evangelism. 1973, God called me into evangelism, and preachers told me I would never make it. I only been doing it over 35 years. I may not make it. They told me, "David, you won't get enough invitations to shake a stick at," but last year alone, I received over 200 invitations. I love that ad of me, that came out a month after I'd surrender into evangelism. I may not get my name in the paper being a water boy for a football team, but I got my name in the paper being a water boy for Jesus. I'm a water boy for Jesus. I'm not giving H20, I'm giving living water. That ad remind me I'm still doing what I promised God. I've been faithful, and thank God.
I have spoken in over 6000 venues. They'll never know [inaudible 00:11:23]. I was born dead, but I was born to serve The Lord, and so will you. You know, this is the only thing I do for a living. I know a church staff, I go from town to town. I speak on the average of 200 nights a year, and I'm having the time of my life. Do you know I could be on welfare? I could be on total disability. You could be paying my way whether you want to or not. I know that but I'm not a victim. I'm an overcomer. They told me I would never finish college, but I did. I crammed four year of college into five. You been there too, huh?
That told me that my time is up. They told me I would never ride a bicycle, but I do, without training wheels! They told me I would never find a wife. My own family told me that. They'd said, "David, don't even look for a wife." "Why not?" "No one will love you." "Why not?" "You're not good enough. Don't even look for a wife. You won't ever find a wife." But September 5, 1981, I stood at a church in First Baptist Church, St. Charles, and I looked back at the double door, and all of a sudden, the double door flew open wide, and I saw a beautiful bride in a white gown, coming to me. I mean, she was a knock out. My body might be crippled, but my eyesight: A-OK.
Do you know what? We have been together for over 26 years. Ain't she pretty? I thank God every day for her. I don't deserve that. I don't deserve her, but thank God, only by the grace of God would God put us together. They told me I would never be a daddy, but I am. Not once, but four times. Pretty cool, huh? I'm a daddy to three girls, one boy. April Jane is 25 years old. She already got a Master's degree in psychology. She trying to figure me out. She going to blow my cover. The man next to her, been married to my daughter for 18 months now. He quit the Washington Redskins football team back in July, came and work on [inaudible 00:15:26], and that man today is sitting in your sound booth today.
Ain't God good? Our second daughter is Ashley Dawn. She's 22 years old, look just like her mama, thank God. She graduated from college with a 3.7 GPA. April only got a 4.0 GPA. Both of them have Daddy's brains, because I don't have any. Somebody got mine. Somebody got your looks. You don't have any. You're welcome. Nathan, my boy, my only boy, thank God, he is 19 year old. He is a sophomore at Auburn University, in Auburn, Alabama. I'm so proud of him, but even because God is working overtime on that young man, in a good, good, good way.
Amy Joy, the baby of the family, ain't she pretty? Amy Joy, the baby of the family, she's 17 years old, and she finally made it in the 12th grade, only by the grace of God. Are we on the same page? Amy either going to put me in the grave or in a mental institution. I thought cerebral palsy was tough, until Amy Joy came along. People come up to me and say, "David, are you tilted normal?" Sometimes I think they got the abnormal. Amy Joy and I were talking the other day. She got louder, I got louder, she got louder, I [inaudible 00:18:06] so much, one day she [inaudible 00:18:09], she'd say, "Well, Dad, I did not ask to be born!" I'd say, "Yeah, you better thank God, because if you did ask to be born, I would say no!" Can I get a witness?
But look up here, look up here. I got to land this plane. I'm over time, but every time I look at my family, all I can say, to God be the glory. Great things He hath done. Great is thy faithfulness. All I have ever needed, He hath provided. God will always make a way. When they'd see me, they would say, "there's no way." Look at me. I thank God every day for giving me the privilege to be born with cerebral palsy, because if God did not give me the privilege to be born with cerebral palsy, they would not ever be born. Aren't you glad His thoughts are higher than mine? His ways are higher than mine? How could I ever get down in the dumps?
I live in pain every day. Every waking moment my body ache in pain, but when I look at what God done, I'd say, "God, no pain, no gain." My friend, look at me, I'm so blessed. I'm so blessed. Dr. Dobson, the first thing I'm going to say to my Lord when I see Him, I'm going to say, "Lord, why have you been so good to me?" Count your many blessings, name them one by one. It will blow your ever loving mind what The Lord hath done. It's my prayer when The Lord looks at me, He might say, "Well done, well done good and faithful servant. You've been faithful over a few things. I'm going to make you a ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of The Lord." Dr. Dobson, Miss Shirley, I have cerebral palsy, but thank God, cerebral palsy don't have me one bit. Thank you.
Roger Marsh: Oh my, what an unforgettable message from David Ring, here on this Family Talk broadcast. You can hear the passion and the emotion in his voice. Dr. Dobson, his story just really cuts to the heart.
Dr. Dobson: Roger, as I said at the top of the program, I was incredibly moved by what David had to share, and I want to tell you, I still am today. I've heard this message several times, and it never ceases to touch my heart. It's one that I think our listeners will want to get a copy of and to be able to share with somebody who's going through a hard time.
We didn't want to cut a single minute from this message, and we're right down to the end of the second broadcast now, but do you know what? There is more, because on that day which occurred right before Thanksgiving in a chapel service, and there was a large number of people there that day, and after we had heard David give this message, I walked up on the platform, and I invited David to come back, and I interviewed him. The two of us talked there together, and we're going to let our listeners hear tomorrow, the things that we said to each other. There's also another surprise on that program that you'll hear tomorrow, so you be with us tomorrow. You will not regret joining us on that day.
Roger Marsh: Well, I know I, for one, Dr. Dobson, can't wait to hear David again, and I'm sure many of our listeners would say the same, and especially with that special surprise. That's the teaser, if you will, for the next edition of Family Talk, coming up tomorrow. Now, before we sign off, let me share our most important offer ever. This one has eternal consequences. I can't help but think that there's someone listening to us right now that is really aching for the peace and the joy that David Ring has. In spite of his disability, he has the eternal peace and perspective that only Christ can give.
If that is your situation right now, and you want to learn more about Jesus Christ, please give us a call here at Family Talk at (877) 732-6825. You can call anytime. We would love to answer your questions or share how you can become a Christian. Now, the number again is (877) 732-6825, and please note, you can call us anytime. Thank you for joining us. Be sure to join us again next time for that special interview Dr. Dobson just mentioned, between Dr. James Dobson and David Ring. That's coming up next time on Family Talk.
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