EP 4 - Just Like You: ROCKY CRAIG

Sent 3 15 Podcast - Episode 4

Just Like You - Rocky Craig

Intro: 00:01

Welcome to Sent 315. We're here to encourage and equip Christians to engage in the adventure of sharing Jesus, those that God puts into their life and we're so glad you're here. Hey Sarah, I am stoked that we're taking a second to tell people about what they're about to hear.

Sarah Marie Mayne: 00:24

Yeah, I'm excited too.

Kevin Miller: 00:26

I think some of my favorites... I love talking and listening to you. I like our conversations that we have in here, and I think it shows... I hope it does. And then, just when we're in the office or prepping, or just through the day; I love conversations. And this is a very, very special conversation with Rocky Craig that people are going to hear from someone who is super normal. He's not abnormal, he's supernatural. I could have gone on for hours.

Sarah Marie Mayne: 00:58

Definitely, it's a great interview and I love just... Rocky says something a little bit into the podcast and he says, "What gifts do you have, that you're not using?" And I really felt like the stories that he's going to share; he's a great storyteller

Kevin Miller: 01:19

He sure is.

Sarah Marie Mayne: 01:20

He's fun to listen to, but in the stories, he really embodies that with his life, and you'll really get to hear that and I think it's going to be so inspiring for people to hear and just enjoy. You can tell he's a man who walks with the Lord very closely, and powerfully and isn't complicated about it.

Kevin Miller: 01:41

Yeah, that's really true, isn't it? I think another part that's so valuable in this is that he's going through some significant adversity. So, for people that are going through a tough time, this is encouraging and inspirational.

Sarah Marie Mayne: 01:55

He's going to share a little bit of his testimony at the beginning. And then he gets into a lot of those stories and other things he's going through. So, we hope you enjoyed today's episode, and we'll see you guys next week.

Kevin Miller: 02:07

Let's get to it. You should be blessed and feel very, very fortunate. You're getting to listen in on a conversation today with a guy that I hold in the highest regard. Mr. Rocky Craig.

Rocky Craig: 02:26

Thanks, Kevin. Great to be here and

Kevin Miller: 02:27

I'm so glad you're here man. Rocky, I got to ask right off the bat and I don't want to get any surprise questions on you here but I might have a couple. Were you named after Newt Rockne?

Rocky Craig: 02:36

I was.

Kevin Miller: 02:37

I saw the spelling of your name is officially Rockne.

Rocky Craig: 02:40

Not many people know that. When they see ROCKNE, they say Rocky? The only time I've ever been called ROCKNE, I got a bat order when I was with the Royals, it came in Rockne Greg and the equipment manager went "Uh-oh, they screwed it up." And I'm like, okay I kind of like that, that's pretty cool. That's the only time. All my friends weren't aware that ROCKNE is Newt Rockne. [Crosstalk: 03:03] supposed to be a football player, I didn't make that.

Kevin Miller: 03:05

Well, you did as people probably are catching on to right off the bat, you did a little bit of baseball. I'm going to try really hard and Sarah Mayne is a very good producer, so she'll help me with this. This could just be a couple of old-school baseball guys geeking out on the good old days, the golden era of baseball but it sure was a part of your life for sure. I did do a little bit of research and it looked like you had a lot of fun. I know you played in some farm systems, including the Padres, I think the Astros and the Royals?

Rocky Craig: 03:37

Mostly the Royals, five years with the Royals. A lot of fun a lot, a lot of wonderful days, memories, friends that never go away.

Kevin Miller: 03:45

Can you explain that a little bit for folks that have never played Major League Baseball, what is that whole lifestyle like, and just tell us a little bit about it, a little background?

Rocky Craig: 03:55

You meet people from all over the world. Do you bond as a team, you become a team, you're friends, their family, you're together all the time. And as the year goes on, you realize how close you have to be a team. You've got to work together, you got to have common goals, you've got to help the weak ones get strong, and it lasts a lifetime. But the problem is, you get traded, the careers get over and then many years go by or you're raising families, you're in different parts of a season of life. So, as I got older we kind of reconnected, especially through cancer. I've got some bad cancer and cancer has brought back an amazing amount of friends in preparation to find out how I'm doing, but also to see the joy that I've got in cancer. That's where my story is more than anything.

Kevin Miller: 04:44

Yeah and I really want to go there. As you and I were talking about what Sent 315 is all about is just helping regular folks share their faith with respect, and gentleness and doing it the way that you personify. And I know a little bit about your battle, and what's going on right now and I've seen that joy. We talk about living a life that compels people to ask questions because we're supposed to be prepared for anybody who asks.

Rocky Craig: 05:11

That's right.

Kevin Miller: 05:12

People are asking you; like, wait a minute, you're having the situation in your life and it's really, really hard but you've got peace and joy that folks don't understand. It sounds like that's going on.

Rocky Craig: 05:24

It's comforting to see other people want to know why I've got the joy, why I'm smiling, why I'm happy when I'm getting these diagnoses that aren't so good. Everyone has problems and what I try to tell people is you don't let your problems identify who you are. Don't let the joy go away. When coming back to church two weeks ago, and Mark was talking about rejoicing in God, and that losing your joy; that's exactly what I'm trying to tell people. Whatever is going on in your life, and there's a lot of things going on in our world right now. Everyone has these pitfalls and these valleys we get into. In those valleys. I've learned the strength I had when I was a baseball player, when I was a father of four and everything was going good, beautiful wife, living on a hill, good job and benefits; I didn't have Jesus. I was living a life that felt good, it felt like everyone felt I was a good father, good husband, good man. But with some circumstances in life, with divorce and things like that, a marriage that wasn't working is how I found Jesus and it was not because I was looking for Jesus; I know he had a plan for me. I went into a church, didn't want to be there, felt very uncomfortable there. I raised my kids in the Catholic Church and I had to become a Catholic to get married, so I wasn't raised in a church as a kid. We had good parents who taught us integrity, and honesty, and good things in life are consequences to bad accidents and things like that but as far as God we didn't get much. But that day in church when I went in, there was no Jesus on the cross, there's no Mary, there's no holy water, no kneeling views. A small little church out in [unintelligible: 06:55] on 13 Lexington and I went there not even know what kind of church was. But that day, the pastor walked in... And in Catholic Church when the priest walks in, they've got robes, and gowns, and bells and whistles; it's big deal. This guy walked in with a turtleneck, walked upfront; hey, guys, good to see. His first words were; this will be the longest sermon I've ever given, don't worry about your kids, we've taken care of childcare. Well, I'm sitting at the back of the church thinking; I'm out of here. So, I started to turn because it didn't sound like where I wanted to be and he goes; we're going to talk about how to resolve marital conflict.

Kevin Miller: 07:32

Wow.

Rocky Craig: 07:32

That hit me that was all that was wrong in my life. I had a wonderful life but my marriage was not doing too good. So, I stayed and he gave a good sermon on how to resolve not only marital conflict but conflicts with children with bosses and stuff; it centered on marriage. That service he asked for people with a broken heart to stand up. I did not want to stand up. I didn't want anybody to know I was in there but I did stand up and ask for hands-on prayer. That day I felt like the whole church who prayed for me, probably two people. It felt like they prayed for an hour. It's probably two minutes but it melted me down and when I sat down, I was a different person. When church was over I couldn't get up, I had no legs, just sitting there and just... what am I do? And this guy came walking over, he goes "hey, I wanted to introduce myself, my name is Bob Hobbs, 10 years in this church, I helped build the church. We don't do hands-on prayer very often. Pastor Ali, when he asked us to do it, I was sitting two doors down for you with my family, came back and prayed." They explained some things to me, I started reading the daily bread which I've been doing for 21 years now.

Kevin Miller: 08:33

Sure, right on.

Rocky Craig: 08:34

I got the Bible, I actually took the Bible right out of church because [unintelligible: 08:37] big print, this is what I want right here, and that started a journey, and it's been a real good journey. And each time that I've had problems, I had heart problems, I've had a stroke, I've had cancer; each one of those brought me closer to God and that's where my story really is. The things that people think are weakness has made me strong and when I was strong... all American baseball and stuff like that. I didn't have Jesus. So my strength was only in me. And with Jesus, it makes every day a mission. Every time I wake up in the morning; thank You, Lord, for today. In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus. And then I asked him to put people in my life like you're talking about, that we can hear their story, we can witness a little bit. I don't preach, I reflect on what Jesus has done and it works with me.

Kevin Miller: 09:26

Can you give me an example Rocky, just a hands-on example of how that works in a practical way, where you're able to share the Lord through what you're going through with somebody?

Rocky Craig: 09:35

I've got many examples.

Kevin Miller: 09:37

Give us some. I think it'd be really helpful for somebody to put themselves in your place and go; okay, I get that.

Rocky Craig: 09:43

One I love is Psalm 139. I was sitting at a Starbucks outside, just by myself, not reading the Bible, not doing anything more than having a cup of coffee and a barista walked out that I don't know. She's a smoker and she needs your smoke breaks. Her hand went on my shoulder and she goes; are you a Christian man? I said, I am. She goes, can you get me a Bible? I go, I can. She walked down to the end to have a smoke and I walked down to see what's going on in her life, and she had a broken life. She'd been beaten up in life with abuse, drugs, alcohol, some prison time, just a bad life, a lot of pain. And after finding out her story, I said, I'll have your Bible this afternoon. When I came back, she wanted to know about Psalm 139 because I told her. She goes, where do I start in the Bible? That's a good question. It's a hard book if you don't understand it. I said, well, I want you to read Psalm 139. She goes; is it a long Psalm? It's pretty long... I go, but it kind of explains life. Those last two verses, 23 and 24... It says God searched my heart. No, my anxious thoughts. Change me, anything that needs to be changed, and guide me on a path to eternal life. If we all did that every day, every one of us, our world will be different. Search me, know my heart, test me, and know my anxious thoughts. Especially now, right now.

Kevin Miller: 10:59

Oh, yeah.

Rocky Craig: 11:00

Changed me, what [unintelligible: 11:01] you need to change me and guide me. She wrote it down, when I came back and saw her she got into a church out in Santi called Seven, got into women's group, got into the Bible, loved the Psalms, kept in the Psalms. And that Psalm itself has helped me many times minister to people. And usually, in my weakness, I had a biopsy of my lung and they punctured my lung at the hospital [unintelligible: 11:23] and it can be serious. They put a pump on you and send you off to another room. The lady in charge of Internal Medicine came in, I don't know her. All I can see is her eyes. She’s got a mask on, a hat on. I couldn't speak because I had no air and she started telling me her life story without me asking. It was a couple of hours, probably waiting to make sure the blood didn't fill up, and in that time, as she told me her story I was thinking about where God had her now. She'd been in bad relationships, a bad family growing up, no God, no church, no nothing. Men were abusive over and over and over. She's probably I would guess, close to 50. So, when I finally could breathe, I asked her do you go to church? She goes; no I never been. Do any of your staff here go to church? "They go to church and they go to journey, a lot over there," I said, well, why don't you go with them Sunday? Go with them. Do you have a Bible and she goes; no. I said, well ask them for a Bible, they'll give me a Bible they're a church. And she kind of ho-hummed about it and she goes; well, why? I thought about 139 again, Psalm 139. And when I said that she wrote it down a little pad. When I explained to her what it says she wrote a little thing down. I went into chemo right after that and I saw her six weeks later, I wanted to see how she's doing. When I saw her, she ran up to me and she goes, "Oh, my God, I love the Psalm. I love what you gave me. I'm in a women's group. I'm going to church every Sunday." That's how God works. In my weakest point where I couldn't speak, God had her speak and her story was one that needed Jesus. And I told her, I said, let Jesus transform you. Don’t be looking for another man, don't be looking for your way of fixing this. Let Jesus transform you. Let him make you because you're beautiful. I don't know if you're beautiful, looking but we're all beautiful and God's plan for us. So, that's one of my favorite stories. I don't know where she's at now, but I know she's with a good group of people wind she's chasing what we all want; transform a Jesus, not by herself.

Kevin Miller: 13:25

Yeah, whether we know it or not, he's the answer. I know, so much of the time I've seen in my life and in other people's lives, he'll give you an opportunity if you start off, as you said; that preparation is not memorizing the Bible and not being a theologian necessarily, right? The preparation is a preparation of our heart. Lord, I really do care about the people that you're bringing into my life and if you show me those opportunities, I'll step into it and I'll be faithful to do it. And talk about strength and weakness, you can't even talk, you don’t have oxygen.

Rocky Craig: 14:00

No.

Kevin Miller: 14:01

But quite frankly, it caused you to be a pretty good listener I bet.

Rocky Craig: 14:05

Well, that's a blessing to be a good listener because everyone has a story and most people don't want to be preached to. They want to tell you their story and then hear why you have joy. I call cancer the gift of time, I've done a video on that at [unintelligible: 14:19] Hospital and it shocked people to hear that cancer can be the gift of time. I said for me, with cancer the initial diagnosis wasn't good, it's been four half years now and it's not got any better, but the time that I've been given... four and a half years, I've wasn't supposed to make two.

Kevin Miller: 14:36

Really?

Rocky Craig: 14:37

But it's been four and a half and I'm feeling pretty darn good. I think that the time is getting close to God, getting close with word, asking him every day to use you, to let your eyes see your ears hear, your heart absorb and your mind be able to give his words. Your listening is very important and like you just said; you want to hear their story. They want to hear your story. Your story is not even quite as important as listening to theirs, you can help them because God gives us comfort so we can comfort others.

Kevin Miller: 15:08

Yeah, right there in Corinthians.

Rocky Craig: 15:09

I love that, it's so true.

Kevin Miller: 15:11

I hear it so many times in memorials, that's part of what our job is; to comfort people with the comfort that we've been comforted with. That's what you're doing, you're just letting people know what you found to be true, which you've experienced and what is really, really helped you. You've done a lot of volunteering haven't you, an Astro, one of the programs at the hospital?

Rocky Craig: 15:34

I did, yeah.

Kevin Miller: 15:35

What did you do as a volunteer and what opportunities did you have during that?

Rocky Craig: 15:38

That happened in church. Our pastor was saying; what gifts do you have that you're not using? And I was involved in the church, I was an usher and I work at a homegroup and things like that. I worked with the youth, but I had time, the gift of time is what came to mind, He gave us about a minute to just pray on what gifts we weren't using. And I've been told by a friend that a Grossmont Hospital volunteer would be a good thing for retired mem like me. My granddaughter, I was raising her and I take her to school in the morning... all day long I was free pretty much, so I could work a four-hour, six-hour shift at the hospital and I went over and volunteered. Well, I thought I'd just walk in and just be a volunteer. It's a pretty good process. They do background checks, and there's some training and you figure out where your gifts might be. And because I was a UPS driver for 30 years, when I got out of baseball, mine was driving the Blue Angels shuttle, having no idea how that was going to prepare me for my journey in cancer. Because I love people, I love reading, I love giving hope. And I was a Christian man and when I started you don't get a chance a lot of times to give your faith as a volunteer unless you're one on one with people because the other volunteers are different denominations. And you got to be careful because of people's emotions, you got to be discerning on when. That journey, I would take people to the cancer center in a golf cart and I'd pick them up in their golf cart, and I bring back their car and they're beat up.

Kevin Miller: 17:04

Yeah, I bet.

Rocky Craig: 17:05

And a few of them, quite a few of them... I would let them vent, let that didn't tell me how they're feeling... what's going on. And some of them I have asked; can I pray with you? And some of them had never been prayed for. There's a lot of people that have never been asked that question. So, when I was diagnosed with cancer, it came suddenly. I've never smoked, never had a cigarette in my life, but I get lung cancer and it came when I was volunteering. I had a bad day and it turned out my heart was out of whack and they could tell I was clammy and off-color. And that biopsy, that scan he did on my heart they found lung cancer. I said you got the wrong guy that started another journey. So, as time went on, I realized that God had me right where he wanted me. He really had me sharing some stuff with people and some of the experiences at the hospital prepared me for my journey in cancer. And then they thought I was cancer-free in August of 2017. We did the chemo, we did the radiation and I give a pretty good PET scan so we celebrated. And that Astro award you're talking about was for volunteers that have battled through cancer. It's a national award, I had no idea what was going on but I got a chance to speak to 800 research radiologists and oncologists down at the convention center. I wasn't supposed to speak, I was supposed to get an award but I want to tell them. I wanted to tell them my journey so I gave a pretty good talk about how the teams that work on you are amazing. The piece I had during chemo and radiation, and being able to share with people in that. You're with a bunch of people when you're going through chemo and radiation, and there's fear and there's lack of faith and to have joy going through that was unusual. But I know God gave me that joy so that you could share with other people at that point, at their weakest points. And I've got lifetime friends now that [unintelligible: 18:53] been through and I noticed the ones that lived in fear didn't make it. Their fear, and their anxiety, and their worries took them more than cancer I think. I've gone through this journey with a love for the Lord, but also love that my weaknesses made me strong and Jesus and that's where I want to be.

Kevin Miller: 19:12

So, there are people that are listening for sure, that are going through a very similar trial similar time that you have, but there are other people that are in those other challenges in their life. What would you say you've learned in baseball, you learned some team things that really translate to life and how life works best? The team you're talking about that works in cancer process and everything. So, what would you translate to people that are just going through tough times right now, that would really help them not just share their faith but to have people compelled to ask questions?

Rocky Craig: 19:49

I think the main thing is to not identify with your problem. To identify with the joy that you have. To look back at how God's already been in your life, all the things he's done. Even before I knew him, I didn't find Jesus until I was 50, so he's a very patient guy. It's not like I a bad man but I didn't know his word, I didn't have a desire to know much about Jesus. I knew God created the world, I was going to heaven, I was a good guy. That's why I like the things and there was an awareness pretty quickly that I did not know Jesus, and I didn't know his word. I would tell people not to wake up in the morning think; oh, God, I got cancer... oh, my goodness, I got chemo... I've got radiation. The doctor said I have two years to live. Instead of doing that, think about all the blessings. My first thing was, I didn't believe I had cancer. The next thing was thank god, it's me and not my children and my grandkids or someone that doesn't know the Lord. I knew God was with me. I knew he knew I had cancer and there's a purpose there. Now, that's where the journey starts. What is that purpose? And it becomes a daily mission like you're saying, to wake up in the morning and say, point me to someone... having no idea which direction you're going to go. Cup of coffee, lunch, out on a walk, everywhere you go... a store. When you ask a waitress, can I pray for you? And you watch her meltdown because he needs prayer; it's a wonderful feeling that God opened that door. I don't do it every time, everywhere I go. The Holy Spirit says, that person there looks like [unintelligible: 21:15] and you ask them; Can I pray for you? It's amazing how God opens doors. But if you focus on your problems, and it's not just cancer... I mean, there's Parkinson's, there's death, there are kids in trouble. Our world's pretty messed up right now and if you focus on, if you're watching the news all day, it'd be a mess. But my sleepless nights, I call them quiet time with God, and COVID I call it quality quiet time with God. Because it's triple the time I have to do devotionals and prayer and talk to people. I'm in a different season of life than it was when I had four kids and was working. It would have been very hard to be as cheerful I think as I am now with the situations and also if it was my children that had cancer, it'd be a lot different for me I think to have the faith that I have. It's a bit more challenging when it's your children or grandchildren, you hurt. When it's you, you know God's got it and you're going be alright.

Kevin Miller: 22:08

Yeah, I think there are some people that don't know that and need to know that. So, much of the time we ask the question, why? Why? Why? Instead of the question, okay, what now? Where do I go with this and what's your purpose in this? One thing that you've said, that really impacts me... you said; I’m not going to let this disease this condition define who I am. I'm not going to be defined by it. So, if you're not going to be defined by; I'm a cancer victim, you know, blah, blah, blah. How would you define yourself?

Rocky Craig: 22:38

Thankful for the weaknesses that God's put in my life because it made me strong. The strongest I've ever been to people was when I was a professional baseball player, all American, things like that or a father of four, a working man with good character. I loved being a father, husband. That's when people thought I was strong but I was playing a game. I just checked the box by going to church on Sundays in a big country Squire station wagon with four kids. I very seldom got anything out of the priest’s message. There were things I liked about it. I loved Our Father. When we'd sing Our Father in church and hold hands all the way through the church. I loved Peace, the sign of peace, where we meet some people around you.

Kevin Miller: 23:18

Oh, yeah.

Rocky Craig: 23:18

There are certain things I loved about it, but it was in Latin when I was younger.

Kevin Miller: 23:22

How was your Latin at that time?

Rocky Craig: 23:24

Zero. I just happen to pick [unintelligible: 23:27] friends that went to Catholic churches at that point, but I'd kneel and stand, nothing out of it. And with my kids, we get doughnuts or breakfast afterward and everybody thought I was a good Christian man. The whole family out there and we get them into CCDs and we get them confirmation, all the things in the Catholic Church, but I really had no desire to know more until God opened my heart and my mind to him and I got hungry for his word.

Kevin Miller: 23:51

For all appearances, you were a Christian and this was happening, but there's the outside and then there was a real commitment. I know for a fact that it doesn't take a life-changing disease for that commitment to click on

Rocky Craig: 24:08

No.

Kevin Miller: 24:08

We can make that decision today and say; okay, Father. Here I am. Here we go. Let's live this adventure. I want to live the kind of life you want me to live with every breath. You brought up Psalm 139, pretty powerful. Not only in our training, evangelism, youth evangelism training that I went through did we memorize that because it is so spectacular, but my sister sent me a page of the devotional because it's the anniversary of my father dying, and that was the page that he read on the day that he died.

Rocky Craig: 24:42

Wow.

Kevin Miller: 24:42

It talks about this devotional prayer... it might have been the daily read, it really could have been the one that [unintelligible: 24:47] and it was talking about every breath that he provides from the very first one to the very last one.

Rocky Craig: 24:54

That devotion you're talking about, the daily bread; I went to Baltimore for emergency hearts. Surgery in 2006 and I went alone and it was prayerful. My brother and I looked up what a mitral valve is online... took me to the University of Maryland heart center, 3000 miles from home, no one's going to be with me. I have not checked with the insurance company. I called the doctor because they had a video of the mitral valve repair, it was brand new. Minimal invasive mitral valve repair, brand new: Dr. James Gammy. I called down there and the medical assistant got on and she talked for 45 minutes with me because there's a hurricane, she couldn't go home. She was stuck in the office. We really got to know each other and I was telling her... I said, well, I'd like to come down. She goes; well, you're in San Diego, we're in Baltimore. I said; I'll be there tomorrow and I went around that day, got all my hospital stuff... all the documentation I could get in my heart. I Flew with Red, I got into Chicago and then into Baltimore, started a journey. But in that journey, I did have the operation done, she set that up, which is impossible. I didn't have an appointment. He wasn't a doctor. I didn't check with insurance. I was down there three weeks, but about six days into it I'd had some complications and I asked a girl who was cleaning my room; is there any chance you could find my luggage because when I checked in at five in the morning, six days ago, I haven't seen it since it's? She goes; you don't need anything, you’re in a hospital gown, you're stuck in here in the ICU. I said, there's a Bible and a devotional in there like to get. She didn't have an attitude of wanting to help me, she's cleaning a room and she didn't say anything, but about half an hour later, she came back with my suitcase and I got the Bible out, I got the daily bread out and I was sitting in a recliner. And when I opened up the daily bread, I hadn't seen it... September 26th, 2006. The bottom has a highlighted Thought for the Day and it said; for those who love the Lord, it will strengthen your heart. I looked at her and she goes; what are you crying about? I said, "I'm crying because this is why I love this word, this is why I love God's word. Where am I? I'm in ICU 3000 miles from home and God's telling me right here; for those who love the Lord and will strengthen your heart." Well, every day she came back to clean my room, she wanted to know what it says. "What's it say today, what's it say today?" She got hungry for God's word just by that little devotional. And I know God opened that door, that day, for that moment, for her where it went... who knows. That's our journey every day, look for something like that.

Kevin Miller: 27:05

Yeah, our listeners may have already heard his story. I want to share with you just because it's so much fun and it blessed me so much. I at a wedding reception ended up in a bathroom with a guy who gives his life to the Lord, we have this conversation. But I don't hear from him. It was 10 years ago. We've got a website and so, I do a little blog post there about different things that I think will help people and stories that kind of make the idea come alive. So, a couple of days after I wrote that blog post about always be prepared. You could be in a bathroom with somebody [crosstalk: 27:38] they're ready. That's what this adventure is like when you just give into him. And two days after that blog went up, a friend of mine who was the mother of the bride at that wedding, sent me this picture goes, look what I found. The guy that was in the bathroom, they gave his life to the Lord 10 years ago is serving at this church. He's on the greeting team, and he's always smiling and everything and I went Lord, thank you for giving me a peek. Because you never know what with that woman you just don't know.

Rocky Craig: 28:06

You don't.

Kevin Miller: 28:06

And it doesn't really matter, but boy, it sure is encouraging to know that this is for real, that he really is involved and really wants to use you. And if you give him half a chance, even when you're 50, that will change everything.

Rocky Craig: 28:21

Now, that trip home from Baltimore... my son played professional baseball too and when finished up the season he came down to get me because I couldn't have flown home alone, there's no way. He had to take the luggage, and wheelchair me around, and make sure I got on airplanes. We get told to take the blue train which is our trolley back to the airport. So, he's got the luggage, he's standing up, the Chargers are playing the Ravens, it's huge, our trolleys get full. When it got on I had no strength. I needed to sit down. There's no way I could have stood up with that surgery I had and a seat opened up for me. And then a guy asked me; are you going to the airport? I said, yeah, and he goes; well, you missed your stop two stops ago, you're supposed to get off and transfer. So, we get two stops to come back and this other guy gets, he's probably about 90 pounds, he's got no hair, no eyelashes, very weak. And he sits down next to me, there are no seats. I tell him you're a tough journey right now, aren't you? And he goes, "Yeah, I got cancer. I've had it for five years and my doctor told me this would be my last Ravens game if want to go-go. And I looked at him, we have two stops and I tell him do you know Jesus. He goes; well, I pray the rosary every day, I've been doing that for five years. I go, well, the rosary is the Mary [unintelligible: 29:30] Jesus. I go; you've got a golden ticket right now. You know your time is not very long. You need to talk to Jesus and tell him you know that he came for you and died for you. You know you're a sinner and you want to be with him forever and thank you for dying for you and confess that you want to be with him. Two stops, we get off... my son goes; what was that about... it got quiet on the trolley and it's not a quiet toll. I said, well the door opened and he goes; what do you think he's gonna do? I said, well, I don't know what he's gonna do, but I know he heard Those are opportunities that when the door opens, you never know when it's going to be, or why it's going to be here or even if you have the right words because he could have been offended that I was saying something that he didn't want to hear, but he listened and other people listened.

Kevin Miller: 30:13

If we do our job, the Holy Spirit will do his job.

Rocky Craig: 30:19

In his time.

Kevin Miller: 30:19

Yeah, and it is his job, he draws people. We don't get people saved, we're obedient and we're having an adventure, and we're doing our part and then let's see what happens with that conversation.

Rocky Craig: 30:31

Sure.

Kevin Miller: 30:32

I had an opportunity with my wife's dad and he's a rough guy, worked in the construction industry and stuff, and he was on what turned out to be his deathbed. I asked him the same questions that you asked the guy in the trolley and I didn't have much of a relationship with my father in law and so I said; have you ever given your life to the Lord, have you had that conversation with him? And said, "I've been too bad. I've just done too many things, and I've been too bad and I'm just lost." And I said, okay, well, would you mind just given me a promise that you'll ask them that you'll have a conversation with him and just ask him and see what he says. And when you're talking about significant things, and somebody's in the hospital, the stuff you're dealing with, and the people that you're in with; i's significant. It's like a holy moment in time, it's not just your trivial, you had a higher batting average than George Brett kind of conversation. But I went home and I took the versus the Bible of what Jesus said about this man that was towards the end of his life, and it was all Jesus's words and it was the conversation that he would have had with him. Talking about come on to me if you're tired, and you're burdened and I'm not going to cast anybody out. I'm going to accept every single person. I made you, I loved you, I died for you; all of that. So. I wrote that all down, like a letter from Jesus to him but I didn't get back to him in time to give it to him, he passed away and I had this piece because I really believe that he was going to have that conversation and Jesus is going to say to him what they wrote in the Bible, I mean, it's the same message, right?

Rocky Craig: 32:11

It's a promise.

Kevin Miller: 32:12

And I have that piece that he had that conversation with Jesus, and he would have heard all of those verses that were in that letter.

Rocky Craig: 32:21

I love that.

Kevin Miller: 32:21

We do our part and the Lord is going to do the other part. Maybe you beat yourself up, I could have beat myself up, I didn't get back in time, blah, blah, blah, whatever. But it wasn't up to men and so, people who are afraid to share their face, they're afraid to have that conversation on the trolley, they're afraid to talk to the Starbucks waitress; you just do a little bit like the young guy who had the fish and bread. Whatever little bit you got, give that to Jesus, watch him breathe on it, and do a miracle.

Rocky Craig: 32:48

Exactly, and multiply it.

Kevin Miller: 32:50

Yeah, and that can be so encouraging to somebody saying; hey, I'm a Rocky Craig I can't do that, or I'm not an evangelist, I can't do that. Yep, you can, and you can do it just the way that he made you and he will set up those situations for you to do what you're supposed to do. And the more you do it, the more opportunities you're going to get.

Rocky Craig: 33:06

And I think there's a lot of reward in that. We might not ever see it until we get to heaven, but there's a lot of reward if you do it every day. If you can reflect what Jesus has done in your life, and show the joy and rejoicing there in Jesus. Not in cancer, not in divorce, not in strokes and things like that or the world... you'll be able to minister to a lot of people just by your attitude and the way your outlook on life is you. You could be bitter with cancer, a lot of people are with disease. They get bitter, they get angry and worried. You don't know how to function. It's the same with any prayer we have in life, if you let God be your source every morning every day every night, he'll give you the strength.

Kevin Miller: 33:47

The devotion that I heard today was in second Corinthians and Paul was talking about how the Corinthians were his validation for his apostleship, they were his letter. Just wrapping it up. I just want to tell you you're a great letter.

Rocky Craig: 34:01

Thank you.

Kevin Miller: 34:01

You're a letter of Jesus and people are reading that letter. It's affected my life, it’s affected the people that I know that you're around church, but also the people that you're especially around outside the walls and I just want to say thank you for living that kind of life.

Rocky Craig: 34:15

Thank you, Lord, for that. Thank you, Jesus.

Kevin Miller: 34:18

Thanks for sharing today.

Rocky Craig: 34:19

I've enjoyed Kevin and it's always good to see you. As always being around is a treat.

Kevin Miller: 34:23

I feel the same way about you man. God bless you guys.

Sarah Marie Mayne: 34:26

Thank you so much for listening to Sent 315. You can rate and review this wherever you listen; on iTunes, Google, Spotify, wherever you're at. We're glad you're here. Jump on our website, sent315.org. We've got a resource page on there for you how, you can get on our email list and definitely follow us on Instagram; sent_315. You can like and share our posts there. And please, DM us... we want this to be a community. We want to be on the journey with you. We want to hear your questions and get to know you. Thanks so much for listening, have a great day.