Laid Off but Led by God Into Something Greater with David Tucker Whitaker

What happens when a layoff becomes God’s invitation into something deeper? In this episode of Hope Unlocked, Kristin Kurtz talks with David Tucker Whitaker about career disruption, faith, purpose, impostor syndrome, discipleship, men’s ministry, and trusting God when life doesn’t go as planned. David shares how God used unexpected transition, chronic pain, and health transformation to strengthen his calling, deepen his conviction, and expand his capacity to serve. If you’ve wrestled with identity, calling, spiritual growth, or starting over, this conversation will encourage you to keep going.

David's contact info:

Email - david@tuckerwhit.com

Website - tuckerwhit.com

Book:

Called to His Purpose - COMING SOON!

🎙️Hope Unlocked Listener Exclusive! Feeling stirred but not sure what to do next? Book a 45-minute Holy Spirit-led 1:1 coaching session w/ Hope Unlocked host Kristin Kurtz, founder of New Wings Coaching. This powerful conversation will help you move from stirred to activated—with peace, clarity, & a Spirit-led next step. Book your call HERE now–special pricing to listeners!

Transcript

Leaving Tech For Ministry

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Welcome to the Hope Unlock Podcast. I'm your host, Kristen Kurtz, and I'm also the founder of New Wings Coaching. I help and empower wild-hearted and adventurous women of faith feeling caged and stuck, unlock their true purpose and potential, break free from limitations, and thrive with confidence, courage, and hope. If you're curious to learn more about coaching with me, head to newwingscoaching.net and be sure to explore the show notes for ways to connect with me further. Get ready to dive in as we uncover empowering keys and insights in this episode. So tune in and let's unlock hope together. Welcome to the Hope Unlocked Podcast. I'm Kristen Kurtz, your host. I pray this episode is like a holy IV of hope for your soul. Please help me welcome David Tucker Whitaker to the show. So excited to have him here today. We chatted a little bit before we got started, and I know he's going to have so much fire to bring to you guys today. So, David, would you just share a little bit about yourself before we get into your story?

SPEAKER_03 1:10

Yeah, great to be here. Thank you for having me. Excited to talk a little bit about uh what's going on with me. Um, I'm I am in the midst of, I would say, maybe about 75% of the way through a life transformation. My background is in tech. I worked with a lot of tech startups, venture back startups, and enterprises around software development up until a couple of years ago when the Lord called me out of that uh into that world and into ministry. And initially, uh, as you can imagine, you know, there's some bewilderment as to what that's going to mean, you know, what that's going to look like. I had my tech world trajectory pretty well kind of mapped out in my head. Uh, and I've spent the last couple of years just trying to get a sense of the vision that the Lord was casting for my life. And a big part of that is writing. And so I've spent the the last couple of years doing a lot of writing, and I'm very close, uh, very close to publishing my first book. So exciting, which we'll talk about. Yeah, very close. Uh, so it's it's been quite a journey, quite a process um uh of unfolding over the last couple of years.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

That's beautiful. Well, I would love to hear, let's go back to that couple of years ago. Like, what what was that moment? Like, were you on a walk and all of a sudden like you were called to go on a different trail? Like, what did that look like for the listeners to kind of get an understanding, like paint the picture for us?

SPEAKER_03 2:38

It's it's interesting, it un unfolded over time. So, so I was at a tech starter working for a startup, um a little bit more sophisticated in a startup, had you know received a lot of venture capital money, so it was pretty well established. And uh, I had actually just been promoted to director, so I was managing a pretty sizable software development team. And I was a couple of months into that role, and I just felt in a period of prayer, uh, Lord say, uh, don't get comfortable. I'm shifting you. This was probably you know spring of 2023.

SPEAKER_01 3:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 3:18

Um, I had just bought a house, I really like gotten you know, was financially kind of invested in being a in a tech entrepreneur and all that. And uh and so yeah, I didn't think much of it. I thought, well, certainly he's talking about you know, shifting me into my own startup, me, you know, me being a CEO of my own startup. Okay. Uh, but as that year progressed, there were some challenges within the business, not not you know related to me, just you know, financial challenges with the bit with the business, business model challenges that ultimately led to a bunch of sweeping layoffs at the end of that year, and I was one of them.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 3:56

And so that was the that was the uh you know transformational event that was like, okay, well, you were telling me something was gonna happen. I wasn't expecting this, but here we are.

Learning To Be Still

SPEAKER_00 4:07

Wow. So, like, what was that first week like after leaving?

SPEAKER_03 4:13

Mayhem. Yeah, so you know, it's you know, um, I'm an entrepreneur at heart, and so um I I I shifted into entrepreneurial mode, shifted into okay, well, what am I going to do? Let's start, you know, thinking about tech startups that I can launch or this thing that I can launch, and so on and so forth. And I spent a couple of weeks just really in kind of frenzy mode, right? Um, trying to figure out what was next. And really, as you can imagine, you know, and it seems so clear to me now in hindsight, you know, the uh the whole objective was uh to be still and know that I am God, right? In fact, that was the the voice, the the the line, the the sensation, the unction that I felt so often through that period as I was like, Yeah, yeah, God, but I just have to launch this website. Yeah, yeah, yeah, God, I just need to finish this business plan. It's like be still. I don't think you understand what be still means quite yet.

SPEAKER_04 5:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:14

And so there was some some grace uh through those couple of months to help me get to that point of being still.

SPEAKER_00 5:21

Yeah, and that you're referring like Psalm 46, 10, right?

SPEAKER_01 5:25

Yes, yes, yes, in essence.

SPEAKER_00 5:27

It's so interesting because um back in 2017, I he he brought me through a process of what I call unwinding from grinding. And the first thing I heard in my spirit for the you know, that kind of that first still small voice moment was be still and know that I am God and you are not.

SPEAKER_01 5:47

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:47

And I said, Are you talking to me? Really? So what did that process look like for you to be?

SPEAKER_03 6:01

Because, you know, I I not only was do I think he was shifting me from tech world into ministry world, and we'll talk about what that has looked like in a moment, but I think he's also shifting me from this mindset of I have to do it all in my own strength. Yeah, that I have to be this like super business, you know, whatever type of person that was, you know, figuring out all the world's problems and you know, packing them into these business plans, yeah, but that I could get to a place and ultimately needed to get to a place, not optional, needed to get to a place where I was looking to him as the author and finisher of my faith and allowing him to instruct not just the the long-term vision, but the near term, the short term, to today, Tuesday, March 24th, 2020. Right? What does that look like today? Uh and and and to put that trust in him to craft those plans and to walk me through them.

SPEAKER_00 7:00

So prior to you know leaving this position, how what did that look like for you to integrate him into your days?

Finding A Voice Without Titles

SPEAKER_03 7:10

Um casual, I I I think I I would have to say if I'm being honest. I think there was uh there was a portion, there was a box I had put my my faith walk into, my my relationship, my intimacy with God, and that was you know over there somewhere, right? It wasn't kind of the main thing that was front and center on my desk, front and center in my mind. It was it was a compartment off to the side. And um, you know, I I thank God for that, that he so lovingly and graciously, although it was uncomfortable in the moment, but redirected it uh my my my gaze, redirected my perspective to to you know more squarely focus on him and understand you know his role in my life and and my role and as a as a child of God. Um and all of that, I think, you know, was was was such an important blessing of this transition period that I get that realization, that awareness, that mindset, such that I really could start to put him front and center.

SPEAKER_00 8:16

Yes, that's so good. And you know, just even that be still and know. Like if you were to say like the biggest knowing that you he really wanted you to catch on to during that that time frame, what was that?

SPEAKER_03 8:30

That he had a plan.

SPEAKER_00 8:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:32

That he had a plan and a purpose for my life um that um was better than my plan, number one. Um number two, you know, allowed the skills and talents and gifts and abilities uh and all of those things that he endowed me with to be useful, maybe not in the way that I intended, uh, but still, you know, useful, impactful towards the Great Commission and towards just building up the saints. And so yeah, to accept that, yeah, you know, the plans that I had laid out for myself were great in their own way, but the plans that he has and continues to lay out for my life are even better.

SPEAKER_00 9:14

So good. So you you have all these gifts and talents that you utilized in that world previously. How has that moved into this next step of your your walk? Um, you you mentioned ministry. It's quite a shift.

SPEAKER_03 9:28

Big shifts. Big shift. Holy shit. It's a yeah, it's a big shift. I remember, you know, one of the, you know, before leaving that that startup for leaving that company, I remember having a conversation with one of my colleagues there saying, you know, I really feel like God is desire directing me to be more vocal, and I don't know how to be vocal here. And so, you know, it was interesting that uh what you know, whether it's for that specific purpose or not, but um he's definitely putting me in in a in a season in a in a mindset where I recognize not only that I can be more vocal, but must be more vocal.

SPEAKER_02 10:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 10:07

So I have you know accepted the the assignment into evangelism, uh mostly virtually now, social media, still type of stuff, but uh certainly open to any ways that he looks to expand that that role, that capacity in me uh in the future. Uh but yeah, I mean I think one of the big things is is my is number one my uh confidence with technology and using technology to be an evangelist.

SPEAKER_00 11:16

So I want to I want to kind of highlight this because I I find that a lot of um, you know, even in my own walk with using my voice and kind of coming out from behind the curtain in essence, um, to be out there speaking more. Um you you mentioned this uncomfortable. How uncomfortable has it been for you to kind of step out and use your voice in in a new way?

SPEAKER_03 11:40

There was a period where it was very difficult. And um, you know, if if if if I were at um uh I'm just you know a fictional venue in which one room was, hey, come in and talk openly about technology and software development, and the other room was come in and talk about God and the Bible, I would have walked into the tech room nine times out of ten. You know, nine point nine nine nine times out of ten.

SPEAKER_01 12:08

That's good.

SPEAKER_03 12:09

Right. And so, you know, there was there was certainly a portion of study to show myself approved, have the same level of expertise and confidence discussing things of God that I do discussing, you know, tech things. And so I did need to go through that period where I felt like I was grounded, right, uh, in that knowledge and and knew it well enough that I could speak intelligently and not be fretting about, you know, you know, saying something that was inappropriate or inaccurate. But even when I got to that level of conf yeah, confidence, there was still, and maybe this was you know a bit of warfare, there was still that impostor syndrome manifesting itself, right? As in those settings, because I'm not pastor so-and-so, I'm not prophet so-and-so, I'm not apostle or bishop or you know, all these people that are seemed so eloquent and so knowledgeable in those spaces that I was in. You know, for me to come forward as brother David, right? Just you know, regular lame minister, lay person, David, always felt it very intimidating. And so I did it took took some time, took some labor to get to the place where I felt like, no, my voice matters.

SPEAKER_02 13:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:18

Um, and that you know, even if I'm not at the you know, whatever level of you know, other people, that there was something that God placed in me, a point of view, a unique perspective, a tone of voice, even something that was useful to the body of Christ, and that there was someone in those venues, someone in those spaces that was going to respond to me, even if as brother David, even if I didn't have those titles, because there was some synergy, some connection that they could respond to. And so that's something I've tried to really uh wrap my mind on around and embrace more of late. That there is, you know, beyond the titles and the all of that, there's something specific that God puts in each of our voices, even in our in our stories, the way we unfold our stories, tell our stories that is useful to the kingdom.

SPEAKER_00 14:04

That's so good. You know, I I I go back a lot to you know, we we can get titles, of course, titles. It's great. The you know, the work we go into, certifications, title, you know, degrees, all the things, right?

SPEAKER_01 14:16

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 14:16

But I always like to say, like, the the best name and the title that I can put behind my name is G-O-D.

SPEAKER_01 14:23

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 14:24

That's that's the best and most fascinating one that I can ever hang on to. Absolutely. Especially when it comes to something that you know, there's that old adage or or quote you know, he he calls the he doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called yes, wouldn't you say?

SPEAKER_01 14:45

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 14:46

In this this last two years, like what would you say to that?

SPEAKER_03 14:51

Yeah, that I think that's exactly what's what's un unfolded is is that he shifted my he number one shifted my mentality to that more of that perspective, which is that you know, even without the titles and and frankly, projecting forward, I I I I just like being brother David, right? I like being right, like there's some value in just being, you know, one of the of the body, one of the the peers, one of the brothers and sisters in the fellowship, that we can all just you know be at the same level, regardless of you know, whatever our various titles or spiritual gifts in. But even beyond that, um absolutely, I think a great transformation, a great lesson has been you have something important. You have something you we all do, right? Not just me. We we all have something important. There's a there's a young man that um isn't gifted with great speech uh at my church, isn't gifted with great speech, but he has a great heart for it. And what I've seen, you know, seen him unfold over the last couple of years from being really shy uh in Bible studies or in you know prayer calls to being someone who's first on the line, right? Because he's gotten that revelation that it doesn't matter whether he stumbles or stammers or all of that, or he doesn't use fancy words, he doesn't invoke the Hebrew or the Greek, right, when he's reciting scriptures. He just says what's on his heart and he speaks to the will of God, and that's what matters. And I'm just always so pleased to see him grow in that capacity because I think it's the kind of growth that God desires of all of us, right? That we all come forward with the unique gifts and talents and point of views and perspectives that we have, and not worrying about whether or not that perspective is validated by a title, but that it's validated by God, it's validated by Christ, and it's validated by the presence of the Holy Spirit in each of us.

SPEAKER_00 16:43

Yes, I I hope listeners are catching that. Um, you know, there's so many, I feel like just even in this this season, in this era that we're in, he's really calling out um, I really love the underdogs. I love the overcomers. Kind of the underdogs, like the ones that, you know, there's that verse about confounding the wise, right? You might know it offhand. But you know, we some of us are out here doing things that maybe aren't gonna make sense. And even some of the things he calls us to like on paper don't make sense. And I over in my life, I've I've found um, and just even the people I worked with that a lot of times if it doesn't make sense, it's God probably has a big stamp on it. What'd you say?

SPEAKER_03 17:25

Yeah, uh I mean he he wants people to us to operate in ways that are interesting, bold, right? Kind of you know, get people asking questions, but why, right? Why would God operate in that fashion? There's so many of those very stories in the Bible about why why that way, right? Specifically to get people's attention, specifically to to to to shake, you know, kind of the status quo up and see have people see situations through a different perspective. And the fact that he's still doing those things through uh through his people today is is no surprise whatsoever.

Nehemiah And Conviction-Led Purpose

SPEAKER_00 18:01

Yes. Well, speaking of speaking of the Bible, like who would be one of your favorite, whether it's disciples or somebody like a character person in the Bible that has been maybe kind of like a I don't know, a guide for you? Because I know like for me, I have definitely ones that you know I left corporate about almost five years ago. Um, and there's definitely ones that I resonate with in this faith journey. Would you say that there's a a someone or some ones in the Bible that really have helped you?

SPEAKER_03 18:28

There are several uh for different reasons. Uh, but if I had to hang my hat on one, so to speak, uh and and what the one that I you know think about the most, meditate on the most, it would probably be Nehemiah.

SPEAKER_00 18:43

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:45

Um and um yeah, so so Nehemiah. I'll I'll give Nehemiah.

SPEAKER_00 18:51

Okay. Well, tell us more why. Why why Nehemiah?

SPEAKER_03 18:55

You know, what's what's fascinating to me about Nehemiah, um unlike many others in the Bible, is that you know, there there is no prophet that appears to him, there's no angel of the Lord, there's nothing that to suggest early in the story of Nehemiah that he was prompted by anything other than desire to see something addressed, desire to see uh Jerusalem restored. And he had such great conviction about it, right? You know, I think the you know one of the um insights that you know the Bible, the writers of the Bible hope for us to derive, the Holy Spirit, as the inspirer of the Bible, hopes for us to derive from that story is that sometimes God will give us a conviction about something, right, and relate it to purpose, right? There was a very specific thing that Nehemiah felt compelled to do was repair the wall. Right. It's just a he thought you know and the way it does the Bible describes those first, you know, those first first couple of verses of that book is you know how he just was almost consumed by it, right? That he spent all of this time in prayer and fasting, like, Lord, I need to do something about this. And certainly, you know, even though I made the point of pointing out that you know there is no um kind of um call, you know, outward call to it. We can we can glean from the story that this was an unction of the Holy Spirit, unction of God that led him into that motivation. But he carried it, right? He carried it for months and finally present when he had an opportunity to take action, he did. And the you know, rest, as they say, is history.

SPEAKER_00 20:33

Yes, yeah, I love I love Nehemiah as well. Um, one of my favorite verses, um, I don't know if you have a favorite verse in the book, but it's Nehemiah 6.3, where he's saying, I'm doing a great work and I cannot come down.

SPEAKER_01 20:48

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 20:50

And he's being taunted like by those three. I don't remember there, like San Balat, all the funny name people I can't remember. There's three of them, they just kept taunting him. He's like, Yes, leave me alone. I'm doing a great work. Yeah. Have you been taunted in your blog? Because I don't I don't know about you, but sometimes when we make a big um, I'll say holy shift, there's gonna be people that are gonna be like, What are you thinking? What are you doing? Have you encountered any of these ones?

SPEAKER_03 21:18

Um not as overt as I had feared, uh, but certainly, you know, relationships that were strong when I was in the world have, you know, those relationships have faded. You don't, I don't see or hear as much from those people as I as I used to. I I would say the resistance, you know, the I faced more of that internal resistance, that warfare, that imposter syndrome that I mentioned, right? Being uh someone who was in the world for such a long period of time and didn't have maybe some of the the you know the upbringing foundations, right? Of someone who was raised in the church, you know, all that type of stuff, you know, to think, you know, can I still be someone at you know at such a late stage in my life? So can I be someone that is useful? Can I make the transition? Can I complete this renewing of my mind, right? All of those types of questions I had to battle uh uh quite a bit. Um and so yeah, I would say most of most of the the the the resistance uh that I faced was was in that context mentally, you know, just really, you know, believing that that transformation could take root.

SPEAKER_00 22:27

Yeah. Well, and then you know, Nehemiah had, you know, I don't remember how many different people he had on the wall with him that were each taking their place to help complete the work. But you know, in walking out our calling and our purpose, that when it's especially when it's kind of wild, right? Um, we do need people around us that are gonna support us. Have you had kind of on the flip side um a lot of people that are really like helping you out and holding your arms up when you need it?

SPEAKER_03 22:54

Absolutely, yes. That that that is that is another theme that I that I talk a lot about. So purpose is number one, fitness and well-being, number two, but uh this one, um fellowship and more specifically, discipleship uh in their role in in taking us from faith to faith, glory to glory, and helping us to evolve as as saints and as servants in whatever capacity of our spiritual gifts and whatever titles we are ultimately called into. It is it is hard to overlook and diminish how significant the that early Acts church, that you know, that upper room fellowship was in laying the ground for work for what became the church, right? Over the next uh couple of years uh in the book of Acts, and then certainly you know the last couple hundred years, um, it's hard to overlook how significant you know having tight fellowship, uh as the word says, being in one accord and having all things in common, those themes are so important. So absolutely, I would be remiss not to acknowledge people, you know, virtual fellowships and and church, you know, my church on the ground fellowships who have it who poured into me and supported me and encouraged me along my journey.

SPEAKER_00 24:14

Yeah, so good. I love that. And you know, just even in this day and age, too, it it's it I feel like more people are starting to kind of reconnect, but it there was definitely obviously a period where the enemy was on a mission to try to keep people isolated, and that is like the worst thing you can ever do. Yeah. Um, so with that being said, so since you have you know shifted, um, what does it look like for you to come alongside others and disciple them in this time?

SPEAKER_03 24:42

Yeah, that that is something that I'm really um investing a lot of of time and prayer in. I had someone speak that word to me a couple of weeks ago. You know, it was always it was already something that's been on my heart, uh, specifically for for men. But um, this person you know very spoke very prophetically that, yeah, not only is it something that you care, but it's you know, similar to Nehemiah. Not that is it's only is it something that you care about, but you know, it has it's God desires for you to do something about that.

SPEAKER_00 25:12

That's what I'm like. So what are you doing about it?

SPEAKER_03 25:15

So so amen. Um, and so yeah, I mean, I think we we really have to look at um how you know what the expectations are we set of our churches, uh, what the expectations are that we set of ourselves, right? I mean, you know, I talk about the upper room, and for all intents and purposes, that was somebody's house. They were meeting in someone's house, right? It wasn't just, hey, we'll see you guys on Sunday and we'll we'll get you know, we'll do a little something for a couple of hours and then we'll you know depart and see each other the next Sunday. They were really trying to find ways that they could do life together, you're right, as much as possible. Breaking bread, studying the word, preaching, going about and serving their community together. And so I think you know, I'm uh I'm really looking to figure out ways that I can do life with others and invite people into my life, be a part of their life, not just on Sunday during that one service, but throughout the course of the week.

SPEAKER_00 26:16

That's beautiful. Well, I I definitely see you, and if you're okay with me saying this, it's almost like coming alongside is almost like a spiritual father to the younger generation.

SPEAKER_03 26:27

Sure, yes. And um uh I I am not a pastor, but uh you know, those who who I fellowship with virtually, you know, in virtual settings as well as on the ground have taken to to referring me in that way, and which I appreciate. I'm grateful for because I, you know, I I believe that they see that desire to to to to pour into not just younger people, although that that's that's certainly important, but old people who are maybe um older but less mature and spiritual, right? Less knowledgeable in terms of you know what what the Bible says about them or all of that type of stuff. And so I do take that responsibility and I do take that as a priority, right? To to to do whatever I can to contribute to so pour into people um, you know, locally in my church, in my community, and abroad.

SPEAKER_00 27:19

Yeah. So um, if I heard you right, are you like mostly coming alongside men at this point or women as well?

SPEAKER_03 27:27

Um, you well, you know, from a from a you know, decency and order perspective, I would say, you know, that you know, if I was going to have some real intense personal uh mentorship or discipleship, I should probably lean towards men, you know, just to avoid any any issues, right? But um, but I do have uh have women um that you know seek my counsel in various things. Um, you know, certainly because I have expertise in certain professional areas, like technology, like entrepreneurship, so on and so forth. But um, but yeah, I I think overall uh the Lord has put a burden on my heart to to to minister to men. Um, you know, men are uh um, I think, unless you tell me otherwise for for your fellowship, are across the board, underrepresented in our in our churches, in our ministries, our fellowships. And so there's a pressing issue, you know, challenge or pressing opportunity there, uh, you know, probably worldwide, to help men feel at place, feel at home in the church and and feel like their contributions matter. So that's certainly something that I spend a lot of time thinking about and and and focusing on.

SPEAKER_00 28:44

Well, what would you say? Um, maybe just in a general sense, like when it comes to you know, coming alongside men, like what what do they need in this time? Like maybe maybe a a guy is listening in today and you know might you might say something that would spark them to be like, yeah, I I really actually need some fellowship.

SPEAKER_03 29:03

Yeah. You know, I think the the the challenge in today's A and Age, and and and you can see it in the news reports that are unfortunately twisted a lot. Um but but the underlying theme for a lot of men is I don't know what my value is. And and there's not a lot of environments, um, and I'm talking about from school to workplaces to to to church that really cater to the unique needs of men. Um, you know, um there's a there's a there's uh economist um Richard uh Richard Reeves, he wrote a book called Of Boys and Men, and he in his book he talks, he he outlines data worldwide. So these are you know, these you know transcend any particular uh country, city, you know, socioeconomic status or anything, but it talks about how men fundamentally have different educational needs, and because those different educational needs are aren't met, uh men tend to you know come out of educational environments feeling like they're underperforming, feeling like they aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing. And what's uh and so what I would say, you know, is has to be a focus for us in this age is meet men where they are, is is to not force men to accommodate or uh or acclimate to uh the settings that women excel in. Like women excel in church environments, they excel in that social environment, they excel in kind of the emotional vulnerability and all of that that that goes along with most of our, you know, most of our worship uh places of worship. Men do not. And so we need to figure out how we can adjust or recreate the worship experience, the the fellowship experience for men in a way that you know caters to them.

SPEAKER_00 30:59

Yeah. Wow, well that I you know it's not something I think about a lot because not a man, obviously. Um but I'm just thinking of you know, like for example, you know, my husband at church, they had a uh lumberjack days. So they all the guys were out there cutting trees down, but that a form of worship, right?

SPEAKER_01 31:22

Yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 31:23

So they're getting their hands dirty. They weren't getting their hands dirty, you know, and sewing with you know, not saying that we sew or anything, but you know what I'm saying? Like getting your hands dirty and fellowshipping together.

SPEAKER_03 31:34

It's so important because so much of men's identity is tied into what do I do? What do I produce? What do I make different in the world? Giving them physical, visible, tangible things to say, yes, you made a pile of wood, right? Is is a way that contributes to this. Yes.

SPEAKER_04 31:55

Mm-hmm.

unknown 31:56

Yeah.

Healing Through Fitness And Stewardship

SPEAKER_00 31:57

So and you and you mentioned like you're into fitness too. Is that something that you've like also you know brought into like almost the ministry edge as well?

SPEAKER_03 32:05

Absolutely. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 32:07

Tell me more about that.

SPEAKER_03 32:08

I I I've gone through as as uh an abrupt and dramatic transformation in health and wellness as I have uh professionally or vocationally. Uh not too long ago, I was you know riddled with chronic pain. Uh so much so that I I genuinely thought, and and it was a it was a point of of sore depression or something close to it. I genuinely thought that I would need a wheelchair. That you know, that today at you know, at 50, that I'd be a wheelchair or or at least walking with a cane. Such was the the state of my physical decline. I mean, I was going to a chiropractor all the time. I couldn't walk or stand for long periods of time without taking pain medication. And so, yeah, I mean, I I had uh had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I was, you know, not not going to age gracefully. Uh, but here I am. I I I I um thankfully no longer experience the you know the that that kind of chronic pain or discomfort. I walk many miles every week. I have a standing desk, right? So I stand throughout the day. Uh I cycle. Uh, you know, I'm a very I live a very different lifestyle, and I give that God all the glory, all the honor, all the praise for that transformation. And I am very committed. Uh, the first book is about purpose, the second book is about wellness. And I and I will I write about both uh you know, uh in my newsletter on Substack and throughout social media, both are recurring themes. And so I am really trying to communicate, especially to people older, uh older adults who for whatever reason feel that that that chronic knee pain, that chronic back pain, whatever it is that they're experiencing is debilitating, that it's done, you know, that their life is is it's written in stone. It's not, it really is not written in stone. You'd be surprised, right, when God says, I will restore the years. He means I will restore the years. We do need to bring something to the table in terms of changing our lifestyle, changing our expectations, but God is faithful, He is faithful, He lives by His words.

SPEAKER_00 34:26

So good. So I would love to hear. Was it like, did somebody kind of whisper in your ear like what you should be doing, or was it the Lord that showed you your next steps in that realm of like wellness?

SPEAKER_03 34:36

Yeah, I you know, I I I had, for all intents and purposes, and maybe not actually, but you know, for as far as my mind was concerned at the time, reached rock bottom. Yeah, I had gotten to a place where I thought nothing's going to change this, nothing's going to fix it. Uh, but I heard this uh line from a Robert Frost poem uh in an Under Armour commercial. So uh it's yeah, yeah, no, seriously. The only way is through.

SPEAKER_00 35:06

Okay, say it again.

SPEAKER_03 35:08

The only way is through.

SPEAKER_00 35:10

One more time.

SPEAKER_03 35:12

The only way is through.

SPEAKER_00 35:15

Somebody needs to remember that one and write it down.

SPEAKER_03 35:18

The only way is through. And I just saw this commercial over and over again. And obviously it's an you know under armor, right? So it's an athletics commercial, people running around, and it just motivated me so much. And I get, you know, thank God that that that it did hit me the way it did, because I just I just started, right? I I started riding my bike and it was it was uncomfortable and awkward, right? I could barely ride a mile without like you know having to get off and walk, right? And and all of that, but I just decided I was going to try. I just decided that I was going to see what happens, that I was gonna put it into the test. And and I wasn't right, this is pre-kind of ministry version of David, right? Pre-knowledgeable about scriptures, David. I, you know, I don't know anything about what the Bible says about healing and restoration and all of that. I'm just taking this unction, right? Taking this sign from the Lord uh to say, you know, don't give up and just try, get out there, see what happens. And one thing led to another, which led to another, and before you know it, I was I'm a I'm a fitness guy.

SPEAKER_00 36:24

Wow, you're on a like accelerated path here. I love it. Um, did you, you know, because I you know I've I've done a lot of stuff in fitness as well. And I've, you know, some people be like, Well, I I don't have the tools, I don't have the money, I don't have this, I don't have that, and there's a lot of excuses. Did you I mean one of my favorite things to say is Lord, what's in my hands? So is that basically what you did? Was like, hey, what do I have? What's available? Absolutely. Yes, what's what I have in my house, my garage?

SPEAKER_03 36:50

Absolutely, yes, yes, yes. Before uh before I long before I started going to a gym with any regularity, I was doing you know, push-ups and you know, crunches and squats and and basic body weight exercises in in my home and you know, just to just to get to the place where I could convince myself that that transformation was possible, right? You know, I'm not I didn't want to invest in a whole lot if you know if it wasn't gonna bear fruit. And so just to kind of put myself to the test and put God to the test, I was doing just basic stuff. Again, I had an old, you know, kind of$50 bike, you know, that I was riding. And that was, you know, that's what I was starting to get cardio exercise on. And you know, again, just very basic stuff until the place where he's like, hey, you know what? This is this is working. It's fun. And then right. And then you start to invest in you know, more tools, some more sophisticated stuff. But yeah, the the basic stuff still works.

SPEAKER_00 37:49

It's still basic training. Let's just start there. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 37:53

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 37:54

So what was like the first um I don't know, the first sign that you noticed in your body, like you know, you said that you had the chronic pain, like how long and like what was that first indication that, hey, this is working?

SPEAKER_04 38:06

Like, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:07

Men, men, men are usually quicker than women, let's just put it that way when it comes to fitness stuff. But that being said, like, how long did it take and what did you notice right away?

SPEAKER_03 38:16

It did not take long. I mean, it did not take long at all. I, you know, I'll I'll say a month just to, you know, just to give it a nice around number. And what you know, what I noticed was less pain waking up because you know, because I, you know, had that kind of sit at the edge of the bed and kind of brace for the discomfort of like starting the day, you know what I mean? Where you just like, oh, all right, let me get get you know acclimated to to what's gonna happen. And I and that stopped happening. I found myself waking up and jumping out, it was like, wait a minute, whoa, I just got out of bed, right? You know, I got ready. Sleep was much more peaceful, much more complete. Um, you know, all of those things started to happen. You know, cardio, right? Coming up the steps and not having to like me get myself together here before. Yeah, all of those little things started to happen little by little, you know, very quickly, as far as I'm concerned. Like right, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:12

Like I said, it sounds like you're on an accelerated path. I love it. Yeah, I mean and I just want to remind people too like, can you can you share your age?

SPEAKER_03 39:20

I'm 50. I just turned 50.

SPEAKER_00 39:23

Like it's never too late.

SPEAKER_03 39:24

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 39:25

Never too late. Were you athletic growing up?

SPEAKER_03 39:28

This was all this this whole transformation is within the last five years, right? So this is all within my 40s. And yes, I was athletic at as a as a young adult, but you know, uh, you know, somewhere in my 20s, you know, when it stopped, you know, doing the athletic stuff on a on a consistent basis because I wasn't, you know, going hanging out with college friends or whatever, right? The you you that steady decline. And I think that's a huge part of the problem is that we do not have those things, even for me, you know, as someone who wanted to be active, did not have the consistent fellowship opportunities within the construct of a church, right? Like cut cutting down the trees, right? Like that thing that we are doing together to sustain wellness, right? Just as much as we might come together for intercessory prayer. Let's come together for physical activities as well. So we keep each other from atrophying and getting complacent and just sitting on the couch for you know six, seven days a week, you know?

SPEAKER_00 40:25

Yeah, I love it. Well, I know like at the church I go to, um, there's actually a couple small groups that one of them meets really early in the morning. I think it's a men's group, they work out, and then um there's another group that meets in the evening, another workout group. Bible study and and and weights, basically. I don't know what the name of it is, but they they do like just think of kind of like a crossfit type of thing. Awesome. Um isn't that cool? I think it's just great.

SPEAKER_01 40:50

So cool. So cool. This is what exactly.

SPEAKER_00 40:53

When you move your body, you also like metabolize things too, which you know, when when you're listening to the word or speaking about things, I feel like when you're moving your body and you're doing it at the same time, you actually retain it more. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 41:08

Absolutely. Muscle memory, right? There's an there's a term for it, muscle memory, right? There's the ability for your body to remember things, which is why we talk about like you, you know, you never forget how to ride a bike, right? Once you learn how to do it, once you have that sense of how to balance yourself, you can always come back to it. And you know, even if you're a little rusty, you'll figure it out because your body remembers how to do those things. Yeah, and so absolutely. Um, you know, I think you know, at any age, right, we're not gonna, you know, for me, it was basketball, it was martial arts, right? You know, the things that I was doing as a teenager in the 20s, I'm not gonna be still doing those things, but I have the fun the some of the fundamentals that I can still do, right? And still get back into those settings and have enough, you know, know enough and do enough to have fun and to remain active. I don't have to be the triple black belt or whatever to be fun and healthy, right? I can just be out, be just be engaged in the in the in the activity.

SPEAKER_00 42:01

Yeah, and that's the key too, right? What you said, it's fun. And then uh can I if I can add too, it's just really knowing the why behind why you're doing it. Oh yes, right? Because when you when you get that why, it it it fuels you.

SPEAKER_01 42:16

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 42:17

So, what is your like main why as far as continuing to move your body?

SPEAKER_03 42:21

Absolutely. Well, well, well, first, uh, you know, I do think it's a ministry. Um, I actually started writing the book about wellness before I started writing the book about purpose, uh because that was was that was uh how it was given to me.

SPEAKER_04 42:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 42:36

Um, but it um and so that book will come out shortly after the the book about purpose. Um, but you know, um, so the the fact that it's a ministry, number one, um, it you know, keeps me honest, right? Because I need to represent that ministry. But but you know, it for me personally, I recognize that being a good steward physically is the same as being a good steward of everything else. Being a good steward of the word, right, and being someone who can teach the word and mentor others, as we talked about, is is a is a is an important responsibility, right? And that's a responsibility that we all have. Right, uh the great commission is go, right? And win souls and and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. So Jesus is very um convicting us of two things. One is to go, not wait for them to come to us, uh, but then also then when we go, that we be faithful in the word. And so those both of those things are are acts of stewardship. We have to be faithful with the word and faithful with our body so that we can go, yeah, so that we can go and and go to various places and within our communities and abroad, such that we can be ministers of the gospel. And so that's how I see it. That that's the thing that keeps me going is to say the more I preserve my body, the longer I can serve the Lord in ministry, the more faithfully I can serve the Lord in ministry. I don't have to worry about, oh, but my back this or my knees that certainly have some of that. And right, I'm 50, right? I'm not completely it. Yeah, life is still lifing. Yeah, I'm still experiencing life physically, but to the best of my ability, I am preserving myself such that I can do what God's called me to do.

Writing Books On Purpose And Wellness

SPEAKER_00 44:24

I love that. That's so good. Well, I want to make sure that we talk a little bit about writing. So, um, writing for you, has that always been something that's been Easy for you? Did you like write as a child? You know, as an adult? Is this something that maybe was tucked away for a long time or and it's been kind of resurrected? What does that look like for you?

SPEAKER_03 44:48

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Writing was always there. It was always a it was always a gift. Um, not one that I always appreciated. And I would say just communication in general, you know, verbal as well as written. Um, not one that I always appreciated. Um, I grew up in inner city New York. And so being well spoken and well and uh and a good writer is not always not an attribute that you know people would uh would would uh relative uh readily celebrate when I was young. Um, but yeah, I mean, um I I thank the Lord that I I've had the ability that it did help me academically. I was in honors English and all of that type of stuff and did well on SETs and got a scholarship and with the god, you know, all of that. So it did help me for sure. And professionally, in terms of writing proposals and drafting emails and all that type of stuff, writing helps, but but I don't think that I saw it as much as a service as much as a um, you know, just something that you know was helpful, you know what I mean? Um yeah, it's like you you know I I knew it was something I was good at, but I didn't always connect the dots in terms of something that he really did, you know, God really wanted me to explore and to do professionally. And that was also part of this you know period of transformation. And and because I was not convinced initially when when I get first got that unction to be a writer and you know, to be a minister. It's like what writing, are you sure? And it took me uh some time and quite a few conversations. I had to I had to get confirmation, right? I was like Gideon, are you sure? I like if you're if this is true, tell this person, right? To to to to affirm it. Yeah, and so that's what happened. I had to get some people to affirm it and speak life to that gift for me to feel confident to move forward that journey.

SPEAKER_00 46:50

Yeah. Well, what it like, what did it look like? Did you like did you ever think that you would write a book? Is that like kind of the last thing? Do you remember having any thoughts of doing that? Maybe when you were younger, when I was younger, perhaps.

SPEAKER_03 47:02

Yeah. When I was younger, you know, I'm doing like elementary school. Um, you know, I I I thought, you know, oh at some point I'll be wise and mature enough to write a book about my life or whatever the case may be. But like so many things, you know, that we we fantasize about as youth, right? It it got beaten down and overrun by the realities of the world. And you know, you hear all the time, you know, that you make no money with writing and you know, you get a good job. And that stuff like that. So you get practical about things like that and say, nope, this is yeah, I'm gonna stick to this tech path because this is what's working.

SPEAKER_02 47:39

Right.

SPEAKER_03 47:40

Uh, but yeah, God, you know, God made it abundantly clear that writing, uh, using that communication gift was something that He wanted me to tap into.

SPEAKER_00 47:49

Yeah, well, I'm so glad that you gave your yes. Um, I always say that your yes has generational implications. So what you're stepping into, even though it hasn't been birthed yet, your book baby, um, there's gonna be so much goodness that's gonna come from it. And libraries, I mean, you never know. I mean, there's just so much that can happen. You could have volumes of books by your yes.

SPEAKER_01 48:10

Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 48:13

It's almost like you take that step, you know, like Indiana Jones. He took the step and the stone appeared. It's like you you start writing and you've got books kind of flown out of you, it sounds like.

SPEAKER_03 48:23

Yes. I do. I mean, now now that I fully acknowledge this, not you know, as a as a as a as a assignment from the Lord and and embracing the the gift of communication. Yeah, I've got I've got many, many, many book ideas in the hopper. And so I'm excited to to to kind of walk walk this thing out as an author and continue to bring those things to life. As I mentioned, I've got two manuscripts that are you know 99% done, and so I'm hoping to publish both of those today, or not today, this year. Hey, but uh, but yeah, many more after that uh on all of these topics that we've discussed today: discipleship, manhood, health and wellness, all of it.

SPEAKER_00 49:08

That's so good. So are you able to disclose the name of your first book yet? Or is that to be is it kind of under wraps for now?

SPEAKER_03 49:17

No, no, no, absolutely. Yeah, called to his purpose. It is based upon my favorite scripture, Romans 8 28. Yeah, and we know all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. And I explore the life of King David as a model for walking in purpose and unpack some of the key patterns and themes and insights that I think we all see in our lives, whether our you know our lives aren't all going to look like King David's, obviously, but there's some themes there that we can pull out and apply to our lives and say, okay, yeah, that makes sense. Now I see myself a little bit in the life of King David.

SPEAKER_00 49:55

So good. Well, I can't wait to hear more about the next volumes of books. Um we will be sure to, even though the book has not launched yet as of our recording today, when the book launches, we will have that um link in the show notes and you can grab the book right away. So be sure to support David in that. Um, I do want to ensure that we capture like the best ways for people to get in touch with you. Um, do you have a website or how can people reach out to you on substacks?

SPEAKER_03 50:26

Yeah, I do I do uh a fair amount of writing uh on my Substack, uh, which is all thingswell.net.

SPEAKER_04 50:36

Okay. Okay.

Where To Find David Plus Prayer

SPEAKER_03 50:37

Um and so yeah, uh my my my podcast is there. Uh some of my long form weekly writings are there, which I wanted to uh do more of, um, as well as some uh some like notes, kind of daily short form notes that I post on the platform as well. So there's a lot of stuff, and you can email me and message me on that platform. I'm at Instagram at at TuckerWit underscore C O M. So basically tuckerwit.com, except not dot, it's an underscore.

SPEAKER_04 51:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 51:13

Uh and uh Tuckerwit is uh is my uh website as well.

SPEAKER_00 51:19

Amazing. Well, it has been a joy to have you on today. Um as we close this um episode, I would love for you to just think of somebody who's listening in today. I do this for the one. Um if you have any thoughts or encouragement that you'd like to share, any wisdom for this one that's listening in today, I would love for you to speak that over them. And when you're done with that, would you pray us out today?

SPEAKER_03 51:46

Absolutely. I think the the the most transformative, powerful revelation that anyone can get um is to know that God has crafted, handcrafted, right? Not not just run off the assembly line, but handcrafted this beautiful, wonderful purpose for our lives.

SPEAKER_04 52:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 52:12

And it looks very different uh from anyone else, which is the challenge of comparing ourselves, the challenge of looking at social media and saying, why isn't my life like them? Why is it like them? Uh, but to but to kind of push all of that out and say, Lord, get show me the unique, wonderful, fearfully and wonderfully made purpose that you've made for my life. As he told Jeremiah, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. He has these deep, very personal plans for us. And the challenge is that so much of the world rejects our not only rejects the notion that we have that kind of individuality, it also rejects the our ability to discover it. And so there's always this opportunity that we in turn reject the rejection of the world and use that as an opportunity to explore exactly what God has has planned for us. And that is very simple. Heavenly Father. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Heavenly Father. We ask, Lord, that through prayer and supplication, Lord, that you would reveal yourself to those who are desiring to understand, to see, to trust and believe that individual, wonderful purpose that you have for their life. Well, all they need to do is ask. We know that, Lord, that all they need to ask, your word says that he that lacks knowledge should come to you and that you will give it without any repercussions, any uh any uh feeling bad, making them feel worse or anything. You would just give it to them freely, just for asking, Lord. So we thank you, Lord, that you are God of graces, you are great, a God of uh liberal generosity with wisdom and truth and honesty and insight about all of the things that you have planned for our lives, Lord. And so I speak that right now over the listeners of this podcast, that they would not only believe that they can come forward before your throne of grace and ask of you, but that they can operate and do so with a spirit of expectation, knowing that you are faithful to respond, faithful to give those insights and those revelations, and faithful to help them to not only know what to do, but to begin to walk into the truth of that purpose you have for their lives, to develop the gifts and talents that they've get you've given them, to for them to be emboldened by those things, such that they can walk out the purpose you have for their lives with boldness, with joy, and with conviction. We speak this now in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus Christ, who himself walked out his own unique purpose during his time on earth, as did so many others, all of the others that we read about in the Bible, who had to come into the knowledge of the plan that you have for them, seek the your presence, seek your face, seek your revelation through the Holy Spirit and through your word. So they could walk it ultimately in spirit and in truth. We speak that spirit and truth right now over the listeners of this podcast that they will get the revelation, get the discernment, get the confidence, get the boldness to pursue it, so that they can walk it out in spirit and truth. We ask these things, Lord, in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus Christ, and we say amen, amen, and amen.

SPEAKER_00 55:43

Amen. Wow. Thank you, David. Thank you for being a brave voice who's setting so many free. I am going to close with our anchoring verse, which is May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. And that's Romans 15, 13. So we'll have to have you back another time, maybe when your next book comes out as well. Yes. So be sure to reach out to David, go find him on Substack again. I will have all of the contact information in the show notes, and I'll be back with another episode next week. Thanks, listeners.