Brian Albright and the Courage to Knock on the Door

Brian Albright is a 42-year-old Iowa native from Ankeny who has spent more than two decades in public safety, including years as a 9-1-1 dispatcher and continued service as a reserve police officer, and who now serves as office administrator and communications manager for the Iowa State Fair Police Department, leading a seasonal team of dispatchers from across the state. In this episode of Courageous Crossroads, Brian sits down with host Jeff to unpack a hard-earned, faith-shaped view of courage, tracing his journey through professional setbacks, traumatic line-of-duty incidents, depression, and a painful divorce that pushed him to the edge before friends and family intervened and he sought help through counseling and a supportive church community. With candid humility, he defines courage as facing the hard thing head-on and choosing to do what’s right for the right reasons, shares how his Christian faith (especially Isaiah 43) steadied him through fire and flood, and explains how those experiences deepened his empathy and changed the way he shows up for others, including encouraging people not to isolate, to take life one week at a time, and to be the kind of presence that knocks on the door instead of merely saying, “Call me if you need anything.”

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.

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See you in the next episode! Be blessed!

Full Transcript

Announcer: Welcome to Courageous by Crossroads Apologetics, a look into what motivates us to step out and courage, and the everyday bravery of men and women like you. In each episode, we hear a personal story of bravery centered around this question. What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done? And now your host, founder of Crossroads Apologetics, Jeff Johnson.

Jeff Johnson: Hey everybody, this is Jeff. Welcome back to another edition of the Courageous Crossroads Podcast. So grateful to have you with us again. And you know, just like your fingerprint, your answer to that question, what’s the most courageous thing I’ve ever done is absolutely unique to you. In all of human existence, there’s never been another you. And so your experiences are absolutely unique. And even though they do carry that special fingerprint, if you will, we can all learn from each other. We’ve all been through a difficult time. We’ve all been through challenges. We’ve all looked at obstacles and thought, how am I going to overcome that? And the way that you answer that question has such power to encourage somebody else. And there’s a listener out there that needs to hear from you. So reach out to us here at crossroadsapologetics.org. Is the way that you reach us. Crossroadsapologetics.org. That’s the mothership where we host the courageous Crossroads Podcast. And we’ve got some other resources there on our webpage. So please go check it out. But reach out to us and let us know if you’d like to come on the program. And if you’ve got a story to tell. Just like our next guest, Brian Albright, another good friend of mine. I can’t wait for you to listen to Brian. And his story is unique. It’s got its own special touch, its own special shine. And he’s got his own special answer to that important question. What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done? So without further ado, here is Brian. Folks, we are glad to welcome Brian Albright to the program here to the courageous Crossroads. Brian, good to see you. Thank you so much for joining us today.

Brian Albright: Thanks for having me Jeff. I appreciate it.

Jeff Johnson: Wonderful. So Brian and I know each other as well through Cross Trainers, this little men’s group that I get a chance to attend every once in a while. Are you are you pretty regular there, Brian?

Brian Albright: Yeah, for the most part. Yeah.

Jeff Johnson: How long have you been attending?

Brian Albright: About six months probably. Okay. Chris Barron invited me at some random doing church and Chris invited me.

Jeff Johnson: So Chris got a succinct to me. Which is good when Chris gets a succinct to you there into you. That guy is carved out of a solid piece of granite. So one thousand percent of you. Does he ever call you up and leave you messages and say, Brian, I just appreciate you so much. You’re so fantastic here. Does he do that every once in a while?

Brian Albright: He has not done that. I usually get some text messages once in a while from you and from him. And it’s just, man, I feel like I’m ready to run through a brick wall after talking to that guy.

Jeff Johnson: That’s right. He’s got the gift of pumping people up. He can be my height man anytime. Oh, my goodness. Well, I’m looking forward to getting to know you a little bit better. Brian, so for my benefit and for the benefit of our listeners before we get into the topic of courage, can you give us a little bit of history on who Brian Albright is?

Brian Albright: Sure. Yeah. I’ll be 42 at the end of the month. Born and raised here in state of Iowa, grew up in Ankeny just on the north side of Des Moines. Still living in Ankeny. I haven’t venture too far from home. So yeah, born and raised in a Christian home had great parents. My parents are still married to this day, which is huge. I’ve got three siblings and older sister, a younger brother and a younger sister. I’m a little bit older than my wife and I. We have 19 nieces and nephews.

Jeff Johnson: Oh, my.

Brian Albright: We stayed busy. We don’t have a wife and I’ve only been married. We’re coming up over two years in March. So we don’t have any kids of our own. We kind of found each other later in life. So we’ve got 19 nieces and nephews. The love on. And then we got that’s a three pseudo nephews will call them up by Marshall town. We’ve been pouring into them a little bit. Yeah, I’m graduating high school. No two. I went to college for a little bit college wasn’t my thing. I’m not a not a book person. School’s not my jam. Started a career in public safety in 2004 and then look back. So I worked for the sheriff’s office here in Des Moines for a little bit. Left there in 2012. The sheriff and I agreed that I should pursue other hobbies and interests and dismiss me from my employment. So that was a pretty eye opening experience. I was married once before in 2011. And that came to a pretty abrupt halt in 2018. I spent some time being single again. And met my lovely wife on e harmony. A few years ago.

Jeff Johnson: All right.

Brian Albright: She was out in the Seattle area. And we’ve had to figure out how to date. 17 hundred miles apart, which was kind of fascinating. But yeah, we’re 21 years in public safety. We’ve worked a lot of different things. I work full time for the Iowa State Fair and the police department. I do their office administration on the communications managers. So I’ve got a team of 12 dispatchers from across Iowa that come work for us during the summer months. And I hold a reserve police officer certification through the state of Iowa. So I get to do a little law enforcement work here and there. So. Get a little wide array of things.

Jeff Johnson: And you got a you got a wealth of experience. You’ve had a lot of you’ve had a lot of life. Can I ask you how your wife likes the state of Iowa? The cold. What does she say to you the other day?

Brian Albright: The cold hurts my face. Yes, it does. She loves Iowa though. Like she just she loves the value. She loves the Christian values, the conservative side of the state. Like just loves it all. She’s from a pretty interesting part of the country grew up. San Francisco area.

Jeff Johnson: Okay.

Brian Albright: So we’re going to go to the city of Iowa. And then move to just East Seattle. So kind of some interesting things that go on those parts of the country. So. Come in here where we’re just we still do business with a smile and a handshake and integrity. And it’s just she loves that. So. You probably ought to lock your doors, but you don’t necessarily have to kind of thing.

Jeff Johnson: Yeah. Right. Exactly.

Brian Albright: So her big thing. One big thing that we learned. Because you get married. You find out different things that you didn’t find out when you’re dating. Like, you know. In regards to history, we’d be bringing the groceries in the house. And she would she would shut the trunk of the car. And it was… And like, why do you keep shutting the trunk of the car? She goes, well, I’m not standing out here by it. Aren’t people going to come steal our groceries?

Jeff Johnson: Oh, my God.

Brian Albright: Not in this state. They’re not. No. They’re not doing that here, but apparently that’s a thing out where she was from. So I’m like, well, that’s fascinating. So, anyway.

Jeff Johnson: Yeah. This is. This is not. about me will get back to you here in a second, Brian. But just along those lines, I remember I was sitting down in a hotel room or a hotel in Atlanta and I went to breakfast there with a friend of mine and he’s out from Richmond, Virginia. And I it was just a buffet, you know, and very nice hotel. So I was sitting there at the hotel and I put my wallet on the table and I got up to go get my breakfast and he was looking at me going, Hey, what are you doing? I’m like, what do you mean? Let’s go get our breakfast. You know, I just didn’t want to tow it with me. And he said, you might want to pick that up and put it in your pocket. And I was like, well, maybe I’m that naive, but back home, you wouldn’t have to do that. Nobody would. I mean, it’s just I was great, man.

Brian Albright: Like we have some pro I mean, I work in public safety and have seen a lot of things. We have some problems, but it’s I mean, I’ve left my truck unlocked before with my wallet sitting in the console and it’s there the next morning. Like, I’m not advocating. That’s a good habit to get into by any means, but it’s just like, right, we live in a state where people have integrity and we live in a good area. And it’s just it’s all good.

Jeff Johnson: So right, right, right. Um, so you had a job experience where you weren’t you weren’t wanting to leave the job.

Brian Albright: Yeah. Um, so yeah, 2012, we had a pretty uh, share of serace here was pretty contended. Um, real heavy. Um, I was supportive of the other candidate. And I just Jeff, I had a lot of ego and arrogance and thought I knew everything and I’d been around that for about eight years and shot my mouth off kind of just said what I was thinking and just said it to the wrong people and that that uh, that opened up a pretty lengthy internal affairs investigation that came down to it that uh, uh, they deemed Brian had caused a hostile work environment and I was dismissed from my employment. So they gave me the option to resign or you can go either way, you no longer work here.

Jeff Johnson: What did you create? What did you learn from that interaction?

Brian Albright: I learned that Brian doesn’t have all the answers. There are people that have better ideas. And um, I learned how to dialogue with people from a humility standpoint and not a I’m right standpoint. I mean, I’m not perfect because that all the time just asked my wife, she’ll tell you. I kind of get in the load of it’s my way or the highway sometimes, right? But uh, but I went from I went from working as Sheriff’s Office, making great money, uh, worked for the large Sheriff’s Office in the state to I was doing more security at Valley West Mall in West Des Moines. And go from kind of having a pretty good gig and getting to do a lot of things to now I’m literally living Paul Bort Mall cop and uh, roaming the halls of a mall. And uh, that was I went from making 50, 60,000 a year back in 2012 to about I think my first year at the mall, I made $15,000 that year.

Jeff Johnson: That’s a change.

Brian Albright: That’s a huge, that’s a massive change. So yeah, so I had that and uh, yeah, that would put some stress in my, into my first marriage pretty heavily. And um, but yeah, I ended up working for the City of West Des Moines 2018, 14 rolled around. They had a nine or no dispatch of job come open. That’s kind of been my bread and butter for 18 years. And uh, they had a position come open. I went through the interview process and Jeff, I’ve been through got 62 other job application processes and all of them were like, no, no, no, you’re not a good fit for us.

Jeff Johnson: Yeah.

Brian Albright: And uh, it’s going to West Des Moines opened up an opportunity. And I applied for it and I was like, here we go again. We’ll just check 63 off the west. I zero faith that I was getting going to land that job. And uh, I was starting to look at some things like, okay, God, what do you want me to do? Like if this public safety is not where I’m supposed to be, you’re going to have to show me something else.

Jeff Johnson: Yeah.

Brian Albright: And uh, well, I’m going to be holding through the process and the City of West Des Moines offered me a job and to come back, uh, gave me a shot of redemption and I ended up working for them for about nine years, just shy of nine years. Um, doing 901 dispatching for West Des Moines Clive, Urbandale, Doorwalk, uh, walkie, and Windsor Heights.

Jeff Johnson: Wonderful. Yeah. And you’ve been happy doing that.

Brian Albright: Yeah. I was happy doing that. We, I’ll be honest, like the job was good. Um, 2016 rolled around and I worked some pretty horrific things. Um, uh, some friends of mine were in a gunfight in Urbandale. Um, so years ago we didn’t know for what seemed like an hour, uh, but really was all of just a couple of minutes if our cops were okay.

Jeff Johnson: Yeah. Stressful.

Brian Albright: Um, that guy took shot at the police and they, and they, and they did what they do. And uh, got done with that and six weeks later, um, two two Des Moines police officers were killed in the line of duty and walkie. I was, uh, I was one of the first nine or one call takers on that accident turned out, um, one of the victims in that car accident was one of my best friends. Um, so that added a element to it.

Jeff Johnson: Yeah.

Brian Albright: Um, and honestly, Jeff had put me into a working and that it put me just into a real deep bout of depression. I was angry. I was mad at the world. Thought I was owed something like just nothing was going right. And, uh, um, and I started questioning a lot of things and, uh, that, uh, that frustration was coming out and angry at home and just being, just being pissed off and like punching holes in the wall pissed off and, uh, scared the living crap out of my wife at the time and, uh, she ended up moving out.

Jeff Johnson: She moved out.

Brian Albright: And that was rather eye-opening experience. And then in the midst of her moving out, uh, about three weeks after that, uh, good friend of mine was, uh, ambushed in a squad car in Rubindale and, and died. And, uh, I’m just like, does this ever stop?

Jeff Johnson: Yeah. When does, when does it stop? You know what I mean?

Brian Albright: And it just, it was rough. Work was rough there for a while. And, uh, um, but by the grace of God, I had a supervisor who was a, who, uh, is a believer, um, Mike and Jen Colby. Um, Jennifer was my supervisor at my, at my job. And, uh, she saw just some things are going wonky with, with work and, and with my marriage at the time and where I was at in church and just like it was all going, it was all going bad. And, uh, she, uh, she asked me if I’d ever heard of Valley Church. I said, uh, have, I mean, I don’t know a lot about it, but whatever I know of it. And, uh, she’s like, I would like to invite you when you’re, when you want to come, I’m going to send you their website. And, uh, there’s something on there I would like you to see. I’m not going to tell you what it is, because I don’t want to like guide it. I just want you to kind of look into it. I’m going to pray you find what, what might be good for you. I said, okay. So I jumped on Valley’s website and, uh, I found their divorce care ministry. Um, at that time, my wife, uh, my ex-wife had filed at that point. And I just, I mean, I grew up in a Christian, pretty conservative back to some divorce was never an option. And now it’s right here in my face. This is happening. And what, what, what do I do with this? You know what I mean? And, um, met John Berglund and, uh, uh, uh, went through that 13-week support group. And John was just a really sweet guy. And, uh, I was dealing with some massive, massive struggles in my church. Um, it was just, it was, I’ll spare you all the glory details, but it was about as bad as it gets and, uh, just dealing with it. And, uh, uh, I walked in, to that farmhouse that’s across the street from Valley. John met me at the back door. And, uh, he shook my, and I had never met John before to, I didn’t know who he was. And he shook my hand. He goes, you must be Brian. And I said, uh, I am. That’s a pretty random guess because we’re the last one here. I’m like, okay, we’re just sure I sat in my car across the street for 20 minutes wondering, like, I’m in my 30s. And this is what this is what I’m doing on a Wednesday night. Like, this is not what I had dreamt of, right?

Jeff Johnson: Yeah.

Brian Albright: And, uh, and he shook my hand. He goes, he goes, I’m gonna give you this card. It’s got a phone number on it. I said, okay. He said, we sat down. I sat down with some of the pastors at Valley. Uh, and Pastor Quentin wanted you to have this phone number. It’s too as assistant. I said, okay. Uh, he said, I don’t, he goes, we just sit down and pray through the names of people who are coming to this divorce care class. And, uh, I said, okay, he goes, uh, um, Pastor Quentin wanted me to pass along the message to you that we love our public safety in West Devoin. You guys serve us selflessly. And it’s Valley Church’s turn to invest in one of you. And if you need anything at all, you call that phone number and we will make it happen for you.

Jeff Johnson: Mm.

Brian Albright: I’m like, I just walked in the door, man. Like, I hadn’t ever met anybody really from there. Did no anybody that went there other than Mike and Jen. And, uh, I was like, well, this is a different flavor than I was getting from, from my church that I had been a part of my entire life. Like, what’s, what’s different? You know what I mean? What’s going on? And, but honestly, Jeff, it was just that soft kind of approach.

Jeff Johnson: Yeah.

Brian Albright: That made me want more. I’m like, okay. I’m not the nail. They’re not a hammer like they just want to be kind. Welcome to the watch.

Jeff Johnson: Yeah. Those really good. Wow. Wow. Um, I want to migrate into the topic of courage. So I want to ask you first, Brian, how you define that? What’s courage?

Brian Albright: I’ve been, I’ve been listening to some of your podcasts. I hear the, I hear you ask that question. Like, boy, how would I answer that? And like, Jeff, I don’t, I just, I don’t view myself as a courageous person. It’s just to me. It’s, it’s looking the hard thing in the face and not shining away from it and saying, okay, we’re going to do this. We’re going to walk through this. Um, I want to do the right thing at the right time for the right reasons. And, um, before God, I want to do what’s right in the situation. And I may, and I, and I’m gonna say, I may get named, I may take a hit on it. Um, but uh, why are you scripturized? I have 43 when I was going through my divorce, I was a huge chunk of scripture for me. Just super encouraging where it talks about, you’ll go through the fire, but you won’t be burned. You’re going to go through the waters, but if they won’t overcome, you like, Jesus has told us, you’re going to get hot. You’re going to get sweaty. You’re going to get dirty, but you’re not going to, you’re not going to get burned. We’re going to go through the water. You’re going to get wet.

Jeff Johnson: Mm hmm.

Brian Albright: And it’s going to feel like you’re drowning potentially, but I’m right here next to you. And we’re going to do this together. And uh, looking at that divorce situation, I was like, okay, let’s, let’s get it on. As, as they say in the UFC world, let’s get it on. Let’s go.

Jeff Johnson: Mm hmm.

Brian Albright: And uh, just facing it head on and um, um, um, I met Don DeWay at Valley. And he met, he had some really powerful orders for me. I was like, Don, I’m a, I don’t know what to do. Like I, I just, now what? The reset button has been hit in my life. Like, what do you do with that? And uh, he said, I would just encourage you to plan your life a week at a time. He goes, don’t get overwhelmed in the what’s going to happen next year or five years down the road. Or he’s like, heck, don’t get overwhelmed with what’s going to happen at the end of the month. Let’s just start over, start planning life just kind of a week at a time.

Jeff Johnson: Mm hmm.

Brian Albright: And uh, see where I see what happens. And that was, that was massive for me. Yeah. So I guess I would define courage as just, you see the hard thing and you make a decision to engage it and not avoid it. And um, and engage at the, and engage at the right way.

Jeff Johnson: Mm hmm. So who do you have, who do you have in your purview or people that are close to you or historical figures? Who do you look up to as being a courageous person?

Brian Albright: Um, I would say, I would say historically King David’s a courageous person.

Jeff Johnson: Yeah.

Brian Albright: Um, like just a shepherd boy and there’s a giant and everyone’s running scared of it. And he’s like, I’m here. Let’s go. I got, I got, I got stones in a slingshot. Let’s go, let’s go end it. You know what I mean? And working in the law enforcement field that that resonates for me. Like there’s a problem. Let’s go solve it. You know what I mean? Um, I look at and in my life right now, my dad, I would say is a pretty courageous person. The man’s 68 years old and still gets up and swings a hand every day and physically labels like, I mean, he’s, he’s, he’s in the fourth corridor life, right? And he’s still, he still wants to model the, you work hard for your family, you provide for your family. And I’m just going to lead by example on, on thanks and, um, and not tell people how to do. I’m gonna show them how to do it.

Jeff Johnson: So that’s, that’s the hard thing. I’m to mine. That’s looking the hard thing in the face and just doing it anyway. San Ok, yeah. Just doing it. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, Brian. Well, let’s jump into the big question then, Brian. All right. What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?

Brian Albright: So I’ve got, I’ve got a couple things and they kind of tie together. But the, the, the first thing was just, just walking, just walking that road of divorce. And I’m telling Jeff, I am, I am absolutely, I don’t know if you myself is a victim in that like, when you look it in the face, um, I had my part like you just don’t, you don’t go from happily ever after to a divorce court overnight by any means or decisions along the way that happened. And, um, I own those, um, but I will tell you as I was walking through it and just seeing some things that were going on and kind of putting the pieces together, I started questioning everything. I started questioning my faith, started questioning like, who is on my team? Like people who I thought were gonna, were loyal to me were friends of mine. Um, Jeff, they walked away. Turned their back and walked away at the hardest point of my life. They walked away from me. And, um, I tell 911 dispatchers this what I get to teach a handful of times a year, uh, at the I will enforce an academy, um, the brand new dispatchers and, uh, given some of the things I worked and then walking through a divorce, I started to Jeff, I started to believe the lie from Satan that this world was better off without me. And, uh, I had a plan. I was ready to punch out and just be done.

Jeff Johnson: Oh, it’s just end it. Be done. Let’s move on.

Brian Albright: And I thought about it for, for, uh, for a hot second and I kid you not, uh, as I’m thinking about it, there’s a knock at my door and, uh, and I went to the door and it was my sisters and I’m really close with them and, uh, my sister who’s older, she’s very type A. She’s a decision maker. Let’s fix the problem. She’s kind of, she’s kind of a boss lady is what we call her. And in all the good ways. And, uh, they came into my house and my younger sister was with her and, uh, um, and I, Jeff, I had kind of shower probably in a few days and just like life sucked, man, like it was just horrendous at that time. My house was a mess. Like, I just wasn’t taking care of me. I, and, uh, my sister asked me, she’s like, when’s the last time you had a shower because you smell like I don’t know. So I get in the shower. I was like, no, I’m not doing. She’s like, I will wrestle you in there myself. Like this is what we’re doing. Okay. So, um, she, I, the shower, I get out, she, um, shared my wallet and, uh, she, can’t have had a haircut. No, it doesn’t look like you’ve shaved it a month and a half. Let’s get you up to street your barber. Let’s go get it done. So my younger sister drove me up there, got my haircut, got shaved and I went in my barber, I walked in and he goes, what? Just came through my door. I mean, I was bad. And, uh, I said, Jerry, I think I’m getting divorced man. Like, I just, life’s bad right now. It’s just really bad. And, uh, and he, and he swine. He’s like, have a seat, man. So I sat down and he cut my hair and shaved me. And I went to pain. He’s like, it’s on me today, man. Get yourself together. Well, um, I got you. And, uh, I said, okay, came home. My house was picked up. It smelled better. There’s a pot rose going in my crock pot and, uh, my sister, my older sister hugged me and, uh, she said, before you do something stupid, um, I want you to think about you got a handful at the time. There was just a handful of the nieces and nephews. So like, there are a bunch of little kids that wouldn’t know what to do without you. And I walk over to my table and, uh, they’re sitting on the table as a photo of my nieces and nephews.

Jeff Johnson: Wow.

Brian Albright: And Jeff, I sat on the floor and cried like a five year old fight. What am I thinking? You know what I mean? I’m making this about me. We can take a step forward, right? So, um, made this and I’m like, okay, I’m going to go work tonight. I was working midnight at the time. Kind of got composed. Went to work. Um, two o’clock in the morning rolls around and a buddy of mine is named John. Um, John’s my chief of police and state center now. And John walks through the door to a clock in the morning. And that’s that ass. My supervisor like, Hey, can I have your guy for just a little bit? I just need chat with him. And she’s like, okay, take forever long in need. And we went outside. Uh, we walked around the building for an hour and a half and he just talked to me like a friend. And it’s like, I know you’re going through some stuff. You’ve been through some work stuff. Your friends have gotten killed. Um, you’re going through a divorce. Um, uh, I just want to make sure you’re okay. I just want you to be okay. And that resonated with me because again, I thrive on loyal. Loyalty is a big deal to me. And, um, I’m loyal to my people. I like people being loyal to like loyalty is huge for me. And I saw a guy show up at two o’clock in the morning for me. And, Um, I, I, we joke because he, he showed up with a mountain doing Snickers bar for me. And that’s Jeff, I’m a fact kid. I love mountain doing Snickers. My type to diabetes doesn’t like mountain doing Snickers, but that would be a good way to go down. Right.

Jeff Johnson: That was your love language though.

Brian Albright: That was my love language man that’s what he showed up with. And, um, and he left that day. I was like, okay, I called my sister next morning, told her what had happened. I said, I said, Julie, I’m gonna tell you I feel like I’m losing my mind right now. Like, it’s just, I’m losing my mind. And, uh, I said, I’m not huge on medication for that, but I need something just to level me out. Like, so I can think straight. I don’t feel like I can think straight. And she’s like, okay, and my sister’s the nurse has been a labor and deliver nurse for 25 years. And, uh, she goes, she tells us like, I, she’s like, I got a doctor. We’ll, uh, she’s like, I’ll help you get an appointment. No problem. She goes, well, we can get you next a plan to get off it. Let’s get you to all the help you out.

Jeff Johnson: Mm hmm.

Brian Albright: She goes, but the tool I want you to go find is you need to go see a professional counselor, therapist, whatever. Somebody who’s not a pastor at your current church that you’re a member of, find somebody else because they’re not helpful. And I’m gonna tell you, Jeff, that was empowering to me. So I grew up, um, you have problems. Life problems go past your church, go past your church. Do this. And I was doing those things and it wasn’t going. It wasn’t going good.

Jeff Johnson: Mm hmm. You know, and it’s not their fault. I think some of it they did the best they could with what they had, but they’re broken people.

Brian Albright: Yeah.

Jeff Johnson: You know, they’re not going to get it right every time. And, uh, you just need what you needed and you needed to find the right fit.

Brian Albright: Yeah. And sure. Exactly. And I found a guy, his name’s Don. He’s a counselor in West Des Moines. And I found him on a Google search. And he scheduled me for four o’clock on a Friday afternoon. And I’m telling you right now, Jeff, no, I’ve, I’ve worked in government long enough to know nothing happens at four o’clock on a Friday afternoon. I mean, nothing happens.

Jeff Johnson: Yeah. It just doesn’t. Yeah.

Brian Albright: And uh, it’s like, boy, what are we really going to accomplish at four o’clock on a Friday? But I sat down with him and, uh, he started in and he said, it’s like typically Brian, he goes, I scheduled people for this late in the day when their first time comment, when their first come to me said, because, uh, he goes, when they’re coming to me, I found that they haven’t had anybody really listened to them and hear what they got going on.

Jeff Johnson: Mm hmm.

Brian Albright: And he goes, so four years and we’re here for however long it takes. And I was like, Oh, wow. Well, that’s different. Um, I was there, I think for nearly three hours that day.

Jeff Johnson: Wow.

Brian Albright: I was like, Holy smokes. The due to pages upon pages of notes. And I got done. And, uh, he said, I don’t know where you stand, faith wise, what can I just pray for you? I said, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I’m all good with that. And, uh, he prayed for me. He goes, I want to see you next week and we’re going to start going through this one bite at a time. And I will tell you, I started seeing that guy once a week for several months and just it was one of the most refreshing, it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done because I’ve got to face that, I got to face that hard thing, right? Like that, that what I’m dealing with then had to face it and I needed help. And, uh, and it’s kind of sometimes it’s kind of a scary thing to ask for help. And, um, but by the grace of God, that guy was helpful. Um, and, uh, I mean, I still go see him once a week.

Jeff Johnson: Uh-huh. Just get getting married. We’ve got almost two years marriage under our belt now. Um, and how long did it go was the divorce?

Brian Albright: Uh, it was finalized in 2018.

Jeff Johnson: Okay. So it was single for a few years. And I will tell you, like, God has a God of redemption and second chances. And at a time when I thought singleness was going to be my, my mode for the rest of my life, I haven’t told my dad’s like, I’m good with it. Like, God wants me to be single in rest of my life. Cool. I’m, I’m game. And, uh, then I got strong armed into getting on e-harmy. My cousin got blessed. She, she’s strong armed me into it. And, uh, I met this great gal from the West Coast and she moved here. I mean, we did, it was even really a hard conversation when we got to that point where I’d been out there a couple of times. She’d been here a couple of times and like, okay, what’s happened to conversation with this looks like you want we’re doing. And, uh, I made the comment like, I’m, I’m an eye with kid. I’m not moving. Like, I’m just, I’m not moving out to the West Coast. Like, I’m not looking for a new job. I’m vested with my retirement. Like, a lot of good things going career-wise for me. So this is going to work. I think you’re going to have to move here. And Jeff, she didn’t bat an eye. She’s like, okay, how does moving out there in January sound.

Jeff Johnson: Okay. Okay. You’re crazy, but okay. You might want to wait until it dries out in the spring. You know, a little late in the spring. But, okay. Yeah. Right.

Brian Albright: And she moved, Jeff, she moved here with, uh, four suitcases and the clothes on her back. Man, that’s all she came with.

Jeff Johnson: Wow.

Brian Albright: She was like, she was all in. Let’s go.

Jeff Johnson: Right. Right. Go. Say what her, say what her name is.

Brian Albright: Uh, Allison, is her name.

Jeff Johnson: Allison. Well, I got a question for you, Brian. A little observation first. Sure. This is very interesting to me because you are very transparent, Brian. I think it’s refreshing to have somebody with the throttle wide open. And there’s no errors. You know, you’re just talking, you’ve been through some stuff. You know, you got fired from a job, you know, and you really enjoyed and you’re just, but you have got this, um, you’ve got this presence that is different than, than arrogance and pompousness and stuff like that. You know, it’s got just the right amount of humility that’s mixed in with it, that get that leaves you joyful. And I just can’t help but think there’s a lot of courage that’s gone into the mix to leave you where you’re at right now. Let’s dive in there and talk about that a little bit more. But I want to ask this question first. What would Allison say? If I asked her, what’s the most courageous thing about Brian? What would Allison say about that?

Brian Albright: Oh my, you know, I’ve not even ever, I’ve never asked her that question. And that’s a good question. I would hope she says, my husband’s loyal to the core and will defend me and defend people to the end. However, he’s got room to grow in things. I think that’s how she would answer it. She plays both sides. She’s getting seeing both sides of it. But, uh, and she wouldn’t be wrong, Jeff. Like, I, the thing that drives me as people, I love relationships with people. Yeah. I love standing up for injustices for people. Love defending those who can’t defend themselves. Like that just, because this world is full of hurting people. Like, it’s just, and I will tell you, that’s one thing I learned, going through my termination in land in a valley west mall. I’m working with guys that are making 10 bucks an hour. Like, and they’re just, they’re wondering where their next meal is going to come from. And just to see the hurt that they have going on in the pain. And then, just walking through a divorce, I saw people, other people walking through that and the hurt and the pain that they’re going through. And it just, God has given me a love for those people. People just going through hard things. And when, when scripture, Jesus gives the example of, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Like, he never leaves us, right? You like, read Isaiah 43 again. He doesn’t leave us. I’m like, Jesus examples, he doesn’t leave people. No matter what, he’s, he’s with them on their best day, he’s with them on their worst day. And just a few years ago, I had a buddy going through some things. And I’d worked together. He ended up getting arrested for an internet crimes against, internet sex crimes against kids and was looking at federal prison. And I ran into him. He showed up at the valley church. And I started talking to him and we started meeting and we got connected with Joe Johnson and just walked that road with him. And he’s, he got out of prison a few months ago. And the guy, the guy I knew and I worked with him versus the guy I know now is, it’s just night and day different. Jesus has changed that man, you know, and it’s, and as we started going, I just felt convicted by the Holy Spirit. Do not leave this dude under any circumstances. You’re sticking with this dude all the way through. Yeah. And it’s just, it puts a fire in my belly, Jeff.

Jeff Johnson: Well, I get my hats off to you, Brian, that you’re empathetic like that. And again, I’m just telling it that that proceeds you into the room. It just, that’s, that’s a gift that God’s given you. And I, and I think that that’s so wonderful. What happens when you go through a divorce, you go through a season like you went through, you mentioned that that’s the most courageous thing that you did. Yeah. And you walk through it on the other end. Are you, are you overly emboldened or are you just more empathetic towards people? You talked about taking some of this stuff to your training with the nine dispatchers. But what does it, what does it do to you once you’re equipped with this courageous act?

Brian Albright: I think it, it makes me empath, more empathetic towards people. And it’s, you know, we live in a day and age where Jeff, we want, there’s a lot, I mean, just go to social media. You see what everybody is against. Like there’s just so much hate and just nonsense going on. You know, it’s just, I’m like, how do you expect to, to have a conversation with somebody about something you know you’re going to disagree on when you’re not empathetic to their situation? You don’t listen to understanding, gain context of where they’re coming from. You’re listening to respond to them and tell them how they’re wrong. Like you’re not going to win it that way. You know what I mean? You’re not going to, you’re not going to, you’re not going to make any headway there. Yeah. And I think we, especially as Christians, have to, we have to listen to understand people. And there was a missionary that just nailed it for me one time. When it comes to people, he’s like, you have got to be a restore of people and not a judge. I mean, look at the Pharisees and the Old Testament. Even through the New Testament, like they were just, they judged people. And Jesus came in and just shook all that up, man. Yeah. And then restored people, you know. And so I guess my dry and things are questions. It’s made me very empathetic towards people and trying and just, I mean, I got a galleys work with it. We always kind of, we kind of joke like we, we stand on very opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to who God is and who Jesus is and who, what our politics are on this very opposite. But she looks, she goes, I know you would show up for me at three pocket of the morning if I needed something. And it’s just having that ability to, to disagree agreeably. Because here’s the end of the day. Like I think it’s, we need to be able to share our faith with people and share what Jesus has done for us. But you can’t, I mean, there are people where you can’t start it there. You got to start with who are you? Where do you come? Just get to know them like a, my hand shake and ask them how they are. And be ready to listen when they tell you they’re not doing well. Yeah. You know what I mean?

Jeff Johnson: So you’re very well equipped for your job, right? I appreciate it. You know what I mean? I don’t do it perfectly. I mean, I don’t do a perfect thing by any means. There’s definitely a lot of room to grow. You know, it’s, no, but I mean, that kind of understanding and that kind of, that kind of, you know, not to overuse the term, but that kind of empathy and coming from a place of, you know, being courageous staring at the thing and saying okay and going through it and it’s a, it’s a powerful thing. And that’s a beautiful testimony to, to be able to give to somebody. When you meet people, you know, you get to know somebody that’s going through a difficult time. Is there a, is there a story that you naturally go back to? Is it the one about walking through your divorce?

Brian Albright: Sure. Yeah, it is. That’s, that’s, that’s probably, that’s about 90% of it with, with people. And then they’re, and they look at me like, well, the divorce is pretty common. And it’s like, okay, well, let’s talk about, especially with law enforcement group that groups that I’ve worked in and people and I’m like, okay, well, let’s talk about, let’s talk about some dates in 2016 when five cops were killed in Central Iowa. Let’s talk about that. I mean, I work those things, you know, and walk through how that, how that was for me. And that wasn’t great by any means. But, but to get to share, because there are still people, I’ll tell you this, Jeff, and I’m not going to dime anybody that I’ll buy any means, but there are still people, those events in 2016, there are still people that that is so very fresh in their mind. It’s like it happened yesterday for them. And it’s, that’s just where they are. You know, some people would say, well, man, it’s been almost 10 years. Get over it. Well, I don’t think you can tell someone to get over something when you have it walking their shoes. Yeah, you know, what I mean, you can’t do that. That’s not fair, right?

Jeff Johnson: Yeah. You’ve got the experience. You got the experience you’ve, you’ve lived through that. And I think, I think, again, I think it’s wonderful that you’re choosing to share the, the lessons that you learn and the blessings that you’ve received from that. So yeah, what do you, what do you say to somebody then who’s, who’s sitting in their apartment, sitting in their house, now I’m showered in a couple of days and they got that scruff on their beard and their part, their place is a mess. And she just walked out and she’s filing the pay. I mean, what do you, how do you encourage them? What do you tell them to do?

Brian Albright: I show, I mean, honestly, I show up. I go knock on the door. Like I had people that were bold and came in knock on my door. You know, we tell people all the time, like if you need anything, call me. Reach out to me. Well, you’re putting all that on that person when they’re in the, when they’re in the, I mean, for like, they’re walking through hell right now. You’re putting it on them to reach out. Why don’t you reach out? God calls us to be the hands of feet of Jesus to go minister to people. I didn’t see Jesus saying, if you need something, get hold of me. I see Jesus showing up for people. You know what I mean? And it’s, I think just showing up for people, knocking on the door no matter what time of day it is. And just sitting there with them, crying with them, hugging them, listening to them, listening to their anger and all the disgustiness that it is. And all the gore and all the, and I say to discuss this thing, the disgust is of what’s happening in life. Like it’s gross. Right. But being willing to sit through it and not be a judge of them. And just in the goals to restore them, right? Or for believer, the goals to restore them. For a nonbeliever, non Christian, like the goals to share Christ with them. Let me tell you how Jesus changed my life because I walked through some very similar things that you did. Let me tell you, how can I tell you, and ask permission, don’t just dump it on. Ask them, would you mind if I share how I walk through that and how God changed my life? And I have, I’ve seen people just very receptive to listening to that. And hearing how it happens.

Jeff Johnson: So, man, that is very wise, Brian. And I love that you’re talking about how Jesus came and knocked on the door. You know, that’s very famous from Revelation. You know, I stand at the door knocking and we all know that home and hunt picture. Very famous where he’s knocking on the door. And there’s not a door handle on the outside, because he’s not going to presume to open it. The door handle is on the inside. And it’s for us to open it and welcome him in. But, but it’s not a passive thing that he’s standing at the door knocking. He wants to come in. He wants to come in. And the way that you put that is very, very profound. So, that’s what you do with other people. You stand at the door knock. You’re not being a nuisance. You’re just, but you’re there.

Brian Albright: Yeah. Yep. And it’s, it’s, it’s crazy. And it’s, you know, some people tell me like, go away. I’ll, I’ll call you tomorrow. Okay. Cool. Well, if I haven’t followed up with me the next day, tax message, hey, just check in for you. How are you? I’d like to come see you. When’s a good time? If you want to get together, I’m here. I will make time for you.

Jeff Johnson: This isn’t a, this isn’t a fair question. Brian, I’m going to ask it anyway, though. Are you in your, are you in your ex-wife clothes?

Brian Albright: We are not. There are. And I will tell you with again, I don’t view myself as a victim in this divorce situation. I will tell you, there are some unresolved issues from my old church. That, you know, I would like to see a result, but that takes two people to get together. There are some issues that happened in the divorce that are, I would consider not resolved. And, and I, and I talked to my wife about those things. And I told her, I said, if those opportunities every, ever present, I would, I would willingly go have those conversations with people. And, you know, I messed up, I messed up bad. I had a lot of anger built up and anger is a scary thing. You know, it’s just, it’s, it’s not good. And I still have some of those proclivities to get pissed off over things, you know. And Jeff, I’m six foot three and three hundred seventy pounds. Like, when he’s angry, when that, and I’m a big dude, and when, when they’re angry, like, that’s like, oh, shoot, I’m staying out of Hulk’s way. Like, I’m going this way. You know what I mean?

Jeff Johnson: Right. It’s, it’s airy, right? And it’s not a good thing.

Brian Albright: And, um, but, uh, but no, like, we’re, we’re not close at all. I haven’t seen her in probably five plus years, which has been good. But I mean, it’s been a blessing. Like, I don’t, I don’t, she’s got a desire to see me. So, whatever. Like, she’s moved on. She got remarried. Um, and that was the other thing. Like, when the divorce happened, like scripture talks about God hates divorce, right? He hates it. But it happens, right? And today’s day and age, it happens. So, um, I had made a commitment once it was finalized. I made a commitment to the Lord and, um, made it to my family as an accountability thing. But I wasn’t going to pursue any relationship until she was either remarried or had passed away. Which everyone came first. And that was just, because I believe God is a God of reconciliation. And I believe He could bring it back around if that’s what was in the cards. And, uh, just a little over now, I’ll pray 15 months after our divorce was finalized. She was remarried. And that’s was like, okay, now I have to fill my commitment. I’m free to move on. But we’ll do it when, when, I’m ready and when God brings it, brings it to fruition. If that’s a thing. Otherwise, if it’s not, I’m good being single. I just got to figure that out.

Jeff Johnson: How does, how does faith relate to courage? Because you talk about being a faithful person, you know, that, yeah, that comes off of you as well. How do you, how do you intersect faith and courage?

Brian Albright: I think faith relates. Like, I’m going to go back to Isaiah 43, like, um, where he talked, where God talks about, you’re going to go through the waters. They’re not going to overwhelm you. You’re still going to get wet. You’re, you get in the water. You’re getting soaked and wet. Like jump and say over like, you’re going to get wet, right? Um, but there’s a promise in there that God makes of it’s not going to overtake you. I’m with you. I will not leave you. Normal. I forsake you.

Jeff Johnson: Yeah. I’m with you.

Brian Albright: Yeah. I’m with you. And I think that, that gives me the courage. Like, okay, I’ve got somebody right next to me and we’re going to, we’re going to do this. It’s not going to necessarily be fun. It’s not going to be comfortable. It might hurt. I might get hurt, whatever it is, but at the end of the day, like, when you’ve got somebody with you, it gives you that, that courage. Like, and I’ve been on the street dealing with people before in a law enforcement capacity. And I will tell you what, when I got another buddy that’s standing there next to me with the badge and gun on, I’m like, yeah, I’m a little more confident in that we’re going to get out of it. We’re going to be okay. We, we may throw down with this guy. We might get hurt, but you know what? We’re going to come out of this on top. We’ve got this. It’s not going to necessarily be fun, but, but I got my battle buddy. You know what I mean?

Jeff Johnson: Yeah, they’re right next to me. Yeah. So, wow. Brian Albright, man, a great courage. Final thoughts. On, on courage. You feel like it’s lacking in society? I ask a lot of people that question. I’d be interested to ask a law enforcement officer. Do you feel like courage is lacking?

Brian Albright: I do. I see, I see courage lacking with men, specifically. They just, I’ve been in homes where it’s like, man, get, get control of your house, man, like step up and be bold and deal with these things. And they, they either don’t want to. They’re scared to whatever it is. And it’s just, sorry, I go back to, I’ve called my dad several times after being in a house for just things are weird. And I’ve called him like, I know I was hard for you, dad, but good grief. Like, thank you for not raising me in that kind of environment. Thank you for being bold and stepping up to the plate. Like, I came to faith, Jeff at 22. I’d made a profession like when I was seven because my siblings had it just didn’t mean anything to me at that point. It was just something to do. And at 22, my dad called me and said, we need to talk.

Jeff Johnson: I said, okay, and it was just that tone. We need to talk like right now. It wasn’t this could wait a week or two or whatever it was. Yeah. That was a good time. Okay.

Brian Albright: And I went to their house and we went to the basement. And there are two places where deep conversations happen at the all-bright house. And it’s in the basement or it’s in the garage. Those are where the intense conversations happen.

Jeff Johnson: You know it’s coming.

Brian Albright: I know. I knew something was I’m like, oh, this is bad. This is bad. And he had a legal pad with notes on it. I was like, oh, this is this is not this is made a made a made a we there’s a problem will rob and send pull up and wait. And I was like, oh dear. And my dad had the guts to call me out of my sin. And he’s like, you are not the person you say you are. He’s like, you show up on a Sunday, you do things, you say the right things, your actions are saying something totally different. And yeah, it just and I’ve told them that several times. I leave these house going, thank you for having the courage to call me out of my nonsense. Thank you for having the courage to call me out on my faith walk. And thank you for being a man who provided for us and not being afraid to be a parent. And my dad had told me several times when I was going up. He’s like, friend, I am not your friend. I will never be your friend. I don’t want to be your friend. I am your dad. And that is a higher calling than your friend. You’re going to have a lot of friends. I’m never going to be one of them. I’m your dad. And I have a responsibility before God.

Jeff Johnson: This conversation happened when this conversation happened when you were 22.

Brian Albright: That’s 22 years old.

Jeff Johnson: So he read you the he read you the list off of the legal pad.

Brian Albright: He did.

Jeff Johnson: And you said at the end of that, dad, I was like, come to think of it. Come to think of it. I do want to be washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. Right.

Brian Albright: And like when I left that day, I was mad. Jeff, I was so mad at him. I’m like, who does this guy think he is? Like, get over yourself, bro. And so my plan to prove to him that he was wrong was, I’m still going to show up for church. I’m still going to do what I do. Watch me prove him wrong. And then I showed up on a Sunday. And the pastor then was preaching out of Titus where he talks about there are people who claim to know God, but by their actions are detestable and unfit for any good work. And I will tell you that cut to my heart. Hard core. I’m like, Oh crap. You know, dad, come to think of it. You’re right. You know, and I told you what’s going to be your old kid wants to admit dad’s right. Nobody. Right. Not of them. But it was. And it was, I mean, I walked the aisle in my church and looked my pastor in the face that I had known for years. I’m like, yeah, that’s me. I’m unfit for anything good. And that was the day I gave my life to Christ at 20, 22 years old. So.

Jeff Johnson: Wow. Good job, dad. And you look back on it now. And you’re like, thank you Lord, forgive me, such a good father. You know, and my dad and I will disagree from time to time on different things. But I look back at the end at it all on my clique and disagree on these stupid little things, whatever. But at the end of the day, my dad had the balls to call me out. And he didn’t shy away from that. And I wish I wish more men would do that in this world. Well, that’s the answer to the question. That’s a that’s a perfect treat us encourage. Right there, Brian. Brian, all bright, law enforcement officer, man of cross trainers, man of great courage, redeemed son of God. Thank you so much for joining us here on the courageous crossroads Brian. I really appreciate it.

Brian Albright: Really appreciate you having me Jeff. It’s great.

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