As Ray was sitting in the seats at Fenway Park with Terence, he hears the voice whisper, "Go the distance," and then he sees the scoreboard flash up some random statistic about a ballplayer from the 20's;
Archibald "Moonlight" Graham.
He turns to Terence and asks whether he saw the message, and his friend tells him he saw nothing.
Confused, he takes Terence back to his house and decides Terence wasn't supposed to be a part of this story.
That's what it is like on the road to redemption. Sometimes we meet people or think of people who need permission to see what we see, but when they are too scared to recognize it, we feel our efforts have failed.
What Ray soon discovers is that Terence did see the message; he was just too scared to admit what he couldn't explain.
"It's alright to admit it," Ray says, "it's what told me to find you." Ray finally doesn't feel so alone. What a breakthrough, Terence must know what it means, right? All Terence could say was, "We're going to Minnesota to find "Moonlight" Graham."
When the eyes are opened by God, something remarkable happens. We are no longer loners on a road to nowhere, we are now in a fellowship that believes.
Even though this is the most excited Ray has been in a while, he still knows he can't leave his wife behind. A quick call home should keep her in the loop, he thinks. Little does he know the pressure she is facing at home.
Her family, still blind to the calling, threaten her and her security by telling what a foolish thing it is to stand by and support her husband. They think they know what's best, and her husband clearly does not.
She couldn't bring herself to douse the flames of her husbands excitement, so she bears the burden herself.
Ray and Terence travel from Boston to Chisholm, Minnesota in hopes of gaining some insight to who this next sojourner may be.
When they arrive in Minnesota to find "Moonlight" Graham, they learned he became a medical doctor. They also discovered Doc Graham had died in 1972, some 15 years before they arrived.
Why would the story take them to see a man 15 years after he died, and what is so special about this guy that they had to travel so far to find out?
Terence does some research, but what happens to Ray is one of my favorite parts of the story.
Ray is shifted back to 1972 and meets Doc "Moonlight" Graham. What is happening? Is he dreaming?
Ray soon finds out that Doc Graham a wise old sage who came close to his dreams and missed them, only to feel like the ship has sailed on those dreams.
He tells Ray about getting to the Major Leagues for a half of an inning, but never getting to hit. When he was sent back to the Minors he was devastated. He couldn't imagine another season of disappointment. "It's like coming this close to your dreams, and then watch them brush past you like a stranger in the crowd."
Ray, like all of us on this sacred path asks a great question, "If you could do anything or have any wish?"
"Are you the type of man that could grant me that wish?" Doc asks. "I don't know, I'm just asking" said Ray
As Doc tells Ray what he's always wanted and wished for, Ray tells him of such a place it can come true.
Doc thinks for a bit and then says, "This is my most special place in all the world, Ray. Once a place touches you like this, the wind never blows so cold again. You feel for it, like it was your child. I can't leave Chisholm"
Ray is now adamant that Doc must go with them. "But your wish?" Ray asks. Doc says he has no regrets, it will have to stay a wish.
"50 years ago you came within five minutes of your wish. It will kill some men to get that close to their dream and not touch it. They'd consider it a tragedy." Doc says,"Son, if I'd only gotten to be a doctor for five minutes, now that would be a tragedy."
It's funny how in our zealous energy we feel it's our place to point out the smallness of people's faith. We want for them to truly have life, but sadly we miss what the man said.
Doc had come to terms with what was really important. Following selfish ambition is fun, but investing in the lives of others was a dream come true.
Ray goes back and reflects to Terence, "Maybe we're not supposed to take him with us."
Meanwhile, Ray calls his wife and she breaks the news that her brother has bought the note on their home. "If we don't pay, my brother and his partners are going to foreclose." Ray feels he is met a dead end, tells her they're coming home.
Ending their journey and coming home seems the only logical thing to do, but Ray and Terence are left with more questions then answers. Then it happens, something supernatural.
On their way home, they meet a young hitchhiker looking for a ride. He is looking to catch on with a baseball team, and wanted to just ride along for a while. His name is.....Archie Graham.
The pair are dumbfounded. What possibly lies ahead for them?
Ray begins to talk about his dad to Terence, and how much pain he felt he'd caused his father. He reflects on how much he regrets the last thing he said to his dad, before he left home for good. He incriminated his dad's hero. "I could never respect a man, whose hero was a criminal." Ray told his father.
Ray has never forgave himself for being seventeen and rebelling. Terence tells him maybe all of the whispers have been to bring back the past and right what went wrong. Terence, now is left wondering his part in the bigger story.
When they arrive back at the farm in Iowa, Terence finally gets to experience what Ray had been talking about, and he is mesmerized. He can't believe what he sees before him. Heroes from days gone by, playing the game of baseball on this magical field.
Then "Shoeless" Joe Jackson grabs young Archie Graham, and tells him to suit up and play.
"Unbelievable" says Terrance. "It's more than that, it's perfect." says Ray
This feels like Discipleship.
Everyone is on a journey to find answers, some find the author and some find the deceiver, but all seek the truth. When traveling on your road, be sure to invite those you meet to come with you, they may just be looking for permission to believe. You are never too young or too old, you just have to go.
Archibald "Moonlight" Graham.
He turns to Terence and asks whether he saw the message, and his friend tells him he saw nothing.
Confused, he takes Terence back to his house and decides Terence wasn't supposed to be a part of this story.
That's what it is like on the road to redemption. Sometimes we meet people or think of people who need permission to see what we see, but when they are too scared to recognize it, we feel our efforts have failed.
What Ray soon discovers is that Terence did see the message; he was just too scared to admit what he couldn't explain.
"It's alright to admit it," Ray says, "it's what told me to find you." Ray finally doesn't feel so alone. What a breakthrough, Terence must know what it means, right? All Terence could say was, "We're going to Minnesota to find "Moonlight" Graham."
When the eyes are opened by God, something remarkable happens. We are no longer loners on a road to nowhere, we are now in a fellowship that believes.
Even though this is the most excited Ray has been in a while, he still knows he can't leave his wife behind. A quick call home should keep her in the loop, he thinks. Little does he know the pressure she is facing at home.
Her family, still blind to the calling, threaten her and her security by telling what a foolish thing it is to stand by and support her husband. They think they know what's best, and her husband clearly does not.
She couldn't bring herself to douse the flames of her husbands excitement, so she bears the burden herself.
Ray and Terence travel from Boston to Chisholm, Minnesota in hopes of gaining some insight to who this next sojourner may be.
When they arrive in Minnesota to find "Moonlight" Graham, they learned he became a medical doctor. They also discovered Doc Graham had died in 1972, some 15 years before they arrived.
Why would the story take them to see a man 15 years after he died, and what is so special about this guy that they had to travel so far to find out?
Terence does some research, but what happens to Ray is one of my favorite parts of the story.
Ray is shifted back to 1972 and meets Doc "Moonlight" Graham. What is happening? Is he dreaming?
Ray soon finds out that Doc Graham a wise old sage who came close to his dreams and missed them, only to feel like the ship has sailed on those dreams.
He tells Ray about getting to the Major Leagues for a half of an inning, but never getting to hit. When he was sent back to the Minors he was devastated. He couldn't imagine another season of disappointment. "It's like coming this close to your dreams, and then watch them brush past you like a stranger in the crowd."
Ray, like all of us on this sacred path asks a great question, "If you could do anything or have any wish?"
"Are you the type of man that could grant me that wish?" Doc asks. "I don't know, I'm just asking" said Ray
As Doc tells Ray what he's always wanted and wished for, Ray tells him of such a place it can come true.
Doc thinks for a bit and then says, "This is my most special place in all the world, Ray. Once a place touches you like this, the wind never blows so cold again. You feel for it, like it was your child. I can't leave Chisholm"
Ray is now adamant that Doc must go with them. "But your wish?" Ray asks. Doc says he has no regrets, it will have to stay a wish.
"50 years ago you came within five minutes of your wish. It will kill some men to get that close to their dream and not touch it. They'd consider it a tragedy." Doc says,"Son, if I'd only gotten to be a doctor for five minutes, now that would be a tragedy."
It's funny how in our zealous energy we feel it's our place to point out the smallness of people's faith. We want for them to truly have life, but sadly we miss what the man said.
Doc had come to terms with what was really important. Following selfish ambition is fun, but investing in the lives of others was a dream come true.
Ray goes back and reflects to Terence, "Maybe we're not supposed to take him with us."
Meanwhile, Ray calls his wife and she breaks the news that her brother has bought the note on their home. "If we don't pay, my brother and his partners are going to foreclose." Ray feels he is met a dead end, tells her they're coming home.
Ending their journey and coming home seems the only logical thing to do, but Ray and Terence are left with more questions then answers. Then it happens, something supernatural.
On their way home, they meet a young hitchhiker looking for a ride. He is looking to catch on with a baseball team, and wanted to just ride along for a while. His name is.....Archie Graham.
The pair are dumbfounded. What possibly lies ahead for them?
Ray begins to talk about his dad to Terence, and how much pain he felt he'd caused his father. He reflects on how much he regrets the last thing he said to his dad, before he left home for good. He incriminated his dad's hero. "I could never respect a man, whose hero was a criminal." Ray told his father.
Ray has never forgave himself for being seventeen and rebelling. Terence tells him maybe all of the whispers have been to bring back the past and right what went wrong. Terence, now is left wondering his part in the bigger story.
When they arrive back at the farm in Iowa, Terence finally gets to experience what Ray had been talking about, and he is mesmerized. He can't believe what he sees before him. Heroes from days gone by, playing the game of baseball on this magical field.
Then "Shoeless" Joe Jackson grabs young Archie Graham, and tells him to suit up and play.
"Unbelievable" says Terrance. "It's more than that, it's perfect." says Ray
This feels like Discipleship.
Everyone is on a journey to find answers, some find the author and some find the deceiver, but all seek the truth. When traveling on your road, be sure to invite those you meet to come with you, they may just be looking for permission to believe. You are never too young or too old, you just have to go.
"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."
2 Chronicles 16:9a(a)
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