Walking Away to Save Your Life: The Courage of Jay Knudson

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Courageous Crossroads Podcast, host Jeff Johnson sits down with Jay Knudson, a lifelong Iowan, devoted follower of Christ, and husband of nearly four decades, to talk about what real courage looks like when family, faith, and survival collide. Jay shares how growing up amid chaos, abuse, and serious childhood illness shaped him, and what it cost him to walk away from the landscaping business he built over 27 years with his volatile father, leavingit all behind with no safety net in order to protect his wife and pursue a healthier, God-centered life. He talks honestly about the long shadow of trauma, his ongoing battle with nightmares, the decision to seek EMDR therapy, and how God met him again and again through prayer, church community, and mentors. Jay also reflects on his later career in insurance, his early retirement to refurbish antique furniture and build custom pieces with his wife, and the joy he finds serving in youth ministry and men’s groups, pouring stability and hope into the next generation. An avid lover of cold weather, hunting, and ice fishing, Jay’s story is less about dramatic moments of heroism and more about steady, sacrificial courage over a lifetime, pointing every hard chapter back to the grace and faithfulness of God.Thank you for listening! We hope you feel inspired and encouraged by our conversation today. If you did, be sure to share this episode with others.Let's stay in touch:Follow us on Instagram @crossroadsapologeticsEmail us at [email protected] our website www.crossroadsapologetics.orgSee you in the next episode! Be blessed!