We all have scars, no matter how deep we’ve hidden them inside of us. This week’s guest is no stranger to them—in fact, he’s had almost half of his body covered in them because of a devastating incident. If God is truly so loving and kind, why does He allow these kinds of moments to happen to us? How do we remain faithful to Him when everything seems hopeless?
In today’s episode, Cody Byrns tells us about the fatal event that put him in a coma for three weeks. He shares with us his initial reaction upon waking up, his journey to recovery, and the mindset that allowed him to remain faithful through it all.
If you’re trying to remain faithful to God during times that seem hopeless, tune in to this episode!
Resources
3 Reasons to Listen
- Learn how you can free yourself from your scars.
- Discover the importance of a spiritual relationship and how it can lead you to your purpose in life.
- Find out how to remain faithful to God and why He allows devastating moments to happen in our lives.
About Cody
Cody Byrns is an internationally recognized speaker and bestselling author. After a near-death experience and years of surgeries and rehabilitation, he chose not to dwell on his scars or feel bitter and defeated. Instead, he uses his story to uplift and inspire others.
With the goal of helping people live free from the bonds of their scars, he shares relevant, applicable, and thought-provoking messages. He is also the founder of the Cody Byrns Foundation for Burn Survivors.
You may connect with him through his website or send an email to info@codybyrns.com. You can also reach him through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.
Episode Highlights
[02:24] The Life-Changing Incident
- On May 31, 2013, a truck running a red light hit Cody.
- His vehicle blew up in flames and got pushed through the intersection into an embankment.
- When the fire department arrived, they thought he was dead until they saw his hand move.
- Cody sustained severe burns. He woke up from a coma three weeks later.
[10:03] “I’m a big believer that our time here on earth is a process. It’s not an event; it might be a series of events that sort of define us. But it’s a process.” - Click Here to Tweet This
[11:08] Cody’s Reaction
- According to Cody, it’s a natural human tendency to want to control things and their outcomes.
- He remembers very little, but what stuck to his memory were his mom and her prayers for him.
- He was thankful to be alive, but he sometimes asked what he did to deserve such a situation.
- He eventually came to understand that his vision was to always bring hope and God’s message to people.
[14:04] “I’m just thinking to myself how so often in life we all need those people, when life takes a hit, to remind us to keep our focus on the vision and what is most important.” - Click Here to Tweet This
[16:52] How to Remain Faithful: The Importance of a Spiritual Relationship
- When your world is rocked, your faith is put to the test. How can you remain faithful to God?
- Your spiritual life is no longer just going to worship service.
- In the face of devastating or discouraging news, you simply have to pray genuinely.
[18:34] Why These Things Happen
- Cody never got mad at God, but he did get frustrated and wondered why his accident had to happen.
- Everyone has their moments, but God knows our heart, and He will wrap us in His warm embrace.
- Cody doesn’t believe God was punishing him, quoting Jan Crouch who said, “God did not do this to you. But He allowed it to happen because He could trust you with the scars.”
- God gave humans the right to make decisions. The driver who hit Cody was operating on his own free will, and it just so happened that he was not paying attention.
[26:26] Explaining the Unexplainable
- It's a natural human desire to want to know the answers to everything.
- Cody thinks there’s still going to be so much that we’ll never fully understand.
- That is why in the end, we all need to have a relationship with God.
- We can try to do things without Him, but it would be a lonely life.
- All we have to do is trust that God knows what’s right, and that someday everything will be brought to light.
[31:57] Benefits of the Situation Cody Went Through
- The first benefit is personal growth.
- Cody felt that he grew deeper in his walk with God, and he discovered the truly important things in life.
- Pain let Cody grow in maturity in ways he wouldn’t have if he had not gone through such an experience.
- It allowed him to refocus and go back to the core questions: Why am I here on this earth? Who do I want to be? What do I believe God is calling me to do?
[35:25] On Freedom
- We all want freedom, but it requires effort to get to that place.
- In our walk with Christ, it’s understanding that through Jesus and what He did for us, we can have freedom from sin.
- There’s also freedom from knowing you don’t need to be liked by people, because you realize their opinions don’t matter.
- The biggest freedom for Cody was embracing the fact that he has this story, and God has a purpose for his time on earth.
- No matter what goes on in the world, he has inner peace knowing that through Jesus Christ, he can do anything.
[39:11] The Physical Journey
- Cody sported second, third, and fourth degree burns from the accident, and 40% of his body was severely burned.
- Many people tend to hide their scars in today’s world, and they can do it extremely well.
- One of the most emotional and traumatic moments in his journey was seeing the damage done to his body after the incident.
- The biggest challenge about scars is learning how to embrace them.
[44:07] The Book Journey
- The title of his book came to him when he was going in and out of therapy. A scar release procedure does not remove the scar itself; it only allows for mobility.
- He connected this to the emotional and thought about how people have gotten scars throughout their lives.
- When those scars are not properly dealt with, our movements and functions become limited. The way to free ourselves is to get to the root of the issue.
- We usually want to run from things that cause pain and fear. But the quicker you address the issue, the better off you’ll find yourself.
- His book is not about his story, it’s about the message that is being delivered to help you where you are at in your life.
[48:10] “Fear is the one thing that gets smaller as you run towards it.” - Click Here to Tweet This
[53:08] Cody’s Message
- Cody believes there is something greater for us in the future.
- You only have one life, and it’s your choice on how you want to live it.
- As for the process, God will direct you. But a lot of it comes from us being obedient, trusting Him, and taking actionable steps to get there.
- The best thing you can do is surrender your life to Jesus Christ, put your hope and trust in Him, and allow Him to heal you to restore you and get you to where you need to be.
[55:21] “No matter what has happened yesterday, understand that there can be a better tomorrow. It’s all a matter of what you do today. That’s what makes the difference. And how do you truly want to live your life? What is the example that you’re wanting to set?” - Click Here to Tweet This
Enjoy the Podcast?
Seek Go Create is for anyone seeking excellence, moving towards success, or creating something new. We share topics, stories, and conversations that allow us to rethink how we live, work, and lead.
If you were inspired and educated by this episode, feel free to subscribe to us on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify so that you never miss another episode. Also, share this episode or what you’ve learned today on your favorite social media platform.
Love to give us 5 stars? If you do, we’d love a review from you. By doing this, you can help us reach more people who want to redefine success in their lives.
Connect with the SeekGoCreate Network! For updates and more episodes, visit our website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.
To growing and becoming all we are created to be,
Tim
