Guest Devotion: Fields of Faith

Meet my friend, Keith Madison.

You may know Keith’s name because of his status as a Hall of Famer at the University of Kentucky for his success as the Head Baseball Coach for 25 years, but I know him as a loving husband, father, and follower of Jesus. As much as Keith loves baseball, he loves Jesus, his wife Sharon, and his family much more. Since retiring, Keith has continued to combine his passions as a board member with The American Baseball Coaches Association, and the USA National Baseball Director for SCORE International. I am honored to have him share in this space, and am grateful for his Kingdom impact in our community.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV).

Recently, I spoke at an event in Tennessee called “Fields of Faith.” It was held at a football stadium and was very well attended. I was amazed how many middle and high school students showed up on a weeknight for this type of gathering. There were also community leaders, parents, young children and others from all walks of life on campus for the event.

Earlier in the day, prior to meeting at the football stadium, the event leader took a few high school students who were active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes to promote Fields of Faith. I tagged along and was energized by these “high schoolers” and their willingness to serve. We were able to speak in four different, very short school assemblies.

One high school was thirty miles away, deeper into the mountains of east Tennessee. The kids were attentive and respectful. I met one young man, either a freshman or sophomore, who was being mentored by the principal. He had been in trouble and was wearing an ankle monitoring device to keep track of his movements.

This observation was a first for me. As a former college baseball coach, I have visited hundreds of high schools on recruiting trips, but I’ve never seen a fifteen-year-old at school with an ankle monitoring device.

One of the leaders of the FCA group was a senior cheerleader, Bella. She was vivacious, beautiful and very confident for a 17-year-old. Her leadership skills and her humble, yet confident, manner caused her to attract the attention of every middle and high school boy at all four stops.

Bella shared with me that she would be giving her testimony of faith prior to my remarks. As the time for her to share drew closer, she began to get more nervous and anxious. She said to me, “I never get nervous when I speak to groups, but I am really nervous right now.” I told her that I would be praying while she spoke.

She was visibly anxious at the beginning, but she was able to share her story without flaw. She mentioned that her father was involved in a car accident when she was only five. Three men were killed in the accident and her father, the driver, was hospitalized for a month. When he regained enough health to appear in court, he was indicted and prosecuted since he had been under the influence behind the wheel. He was eventually sent to prison where he remains to this day. She was devastated, of course.

Then, at age eleven, her older brother died of a drug overdose. She mentioned that he was her best friend. Now, it was just Bella and her mother, alone, dealing with two heartbreaking situations.

Bella went on to share that without God she could have never made it through the two life-changing nightmares. She struggled with depression and anxiety, but she never gave up believing that God would help her through these tragedies.

Prior to Bella’s testimony, if you could have placed in a line all of the high school students in attendance and asked me which of these students has had the ideal life, I would have probably picked Bella. She had the genuine smile, the joy of life and the confidence rarely seen in a person 17 years old. I was reminded of something I heard several years ago from a friend who said, “The face is a mask and behind it are dramas we could never imagine.”

Every person we encounter is experiencing, or has experienced, tragedy, pain and grief. The old saying is true, “You can’t judge a book by looking at the cover.”

In baseball, it is often said, “You are either coming out of a slump, going into a slump or you are in a slump.” It’s the same with life. We either have experienced pain, will experience pain or we are experiencing pain. That is the life we live.

One important thing to remember is this: Don’t confuse God with life. Life in this fallen, broken world can bring loss and devastation. God gives hope, joy, peace, stability and love. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

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