Seeing the Fruits of a Dad's Faithful Prayers

Twin brothers David and Jason Benham had a dream with professional baseball together and with her dad's faithful prayers and guidance God's help, we saw that dream come true. This is Focus on the Family your hostess focus Pres. and Dr. Jim Daly I'm John Fuller and you're about to hear an incredible story about family and faith John were at the home of David and Ward Benham near Charlotte North Carolina. We got some friends in the house so let's hear from the friends. This is a great setting. Go to talk about a family story and David and Jason work together their neighbors. They live five doors apart is that right yes that's pretty cool and they've written about their story in a new book called miracle in Shreveport. They love the Lord and I'm looking forward to learn more about their story. David, thanks for inviting us over for little dinner here is been amazing.

If you're looking at Jason but I say why I'm where we deliver our nametags often throw you down off how far apart are you birth to minister whose first. David is a little brother what you listen, you know, in the Bible that the older would serve the younger truth is that I have heard that I recounted here anybody else left. You obviously don't love each other very much and it's funny because somebody after one time we spoke and we ran each other all the things that a lot of time in locker rooms and and that this man goes you know really you guys ought to encourage each other a little bit more and Jason said what would you like me to say any goes, will the next time you're on stage. I want you to put your hand on your brother shoulder and look at the audience and say my brother is God's gift and I love him very much and Jason looked at him and said that will never know. I love it brothers and I could see that I have two brothers so I get that would not be funny. She said what and tell lie what you do love each other so don't write us or email us and we get it.

They love each other at David and Jason, your story really begins with your relationship with your dad and this is Father's Day and also with you. Grandpa, there's a whole story connected there, what was their relationship like will dad and grandpa. It was a little difficult early in life. Grandpa on the saloon called Benham's just outside of Syracuse University whelp Mike grandpa worked all the time had a gambling habit and so my dad didn't get to see him very much, but then grandpa one tumbled my dad up in the middle of the night. Well is probably three or 4 o'clock in the morning and he said what would be the one thing you would want more than anything in the world he was about 11 years old and my dad said I want to go to Yankee Stadium. Grandpa had already made arrangements for Yankees tickets and he had already arranged a flight pull my dad out of school. They went to Yankee Stadium that day together in our dad. He is a raving Yankees fan says it was that oh yes, still 69 years old but he said it was that moment that he became a Yankees fan for life.

He loved baseball for life because it was the biggest investment. His dad had ever made in his life and how impactful that was for an 11-year-old little boy and it really birth love for baseball and the Yankees in our debts when sacked in the book you say that that was the best day of his life.

That's exactly that how he described in our dad said that was the one day where he felt more connected to his father than he ever had in his entire life. And so, from that really burst.

Honestly, the dream of baseball in his heart and so that's one of the reasons why he raised us on the game you know it Father's Day.

It's a mixed message for me because my dad was not a great father and the course. My mom and dad divorced was five, but I can remember, I lived with them for one year when I was 11 and we went to a doubleheader Dodgers double-header and we missed the bus to get there and it was 30 miles away and on. You know, not a very good strong salary. He said let's jump in a cab and he drove us in a cab and he took us there in the cab to the game Dodgers and the Cincinnati and were there early.

I got all the signatures Pete Rose Charlie Johnny bench everybody and that it was one of the best days I had with my father's well like your dad. I could relate exactly our dad made a commitment. He was a pastor made will tell little bit about that story. But he made a commitment he was in a coach.

All of our baseball teams. Let me ask you this question about your dad because you talked about your grandfather owning a saloon and all the tragedy of that and then you're talking about your dad accepting Christ what what happened there for your dad. What triggered him to look toward his heavenly father, not as earthlings right dad when he got out of the military.

My granddad gave him a saloon called the Mad Hatter in Orlando, Florida and my mom was pregnant with my brother and I my sister was three years old sister Tracy and and dad was just he was an alcoholic chain smoker me that he just had so many habits very much like exactly he was going in my grandfather's footsteps. One day my mom says that's it, you're going to church with me and so he goes to church a little Free Methodist Church in Kissimmee, Florida.

He gets radically saved.

He said that it's it was as if the Lord took the roof of the church building.

Often the angel stepped into his heart and and opened it up for Jesus and he was crying so hard he couldn't drive home. See had mom drive home.

He walked home in on that two-mile walk he surrendered to full-time ministry. So for the next six months he was stocking the beer cooler singing amazing Grace and witnessing to everyone bellying up to the bar and he finally sold the bar and paid for seminary as very theological seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, and then we started the church in Dallas Texas.

Jason and I were four years old dad was 74 years into his walk with the Lord and it it gets even better as my granddad began to come to church to the book how miracle in Shreveport why that title what's the connection there for you guys. What was the commitment that you made one another will see our dad when we would take vacations. Every summer we had a pastor salary, so we never went anywhere big and famous. We would always just go to Atlanta Georgia to visit family.

The Holton family.

Jeff and Carolyn are confidence and so we we would drive from Dallas up by 22 Atlanta straight shot we would get up. We it was my brother and on our older sister.

We laid out in the seats and dad would just take often and three hours into the trip, at 730 we were always driving through Shreveport and dad would wake me and Jason up he would reach back in the back seat and ruffle our heads and he was a boy's points. Wake up so we wake up and he would point out of the driver's window and say look at that stadium. Dad would always tell us stories as kids of Yankee Stadium and Yankee greats, and so that looked like Yankee Stadium. So dad would say one day you boys are to play in that stadium together on the same team. At the same time. Let's pray and on the way back from Atlanta same thing this time on the way back. The lights were on, because it was later at night and we chose were never to pull into that parking lot are going to the stadium until we get to play there one date now. We did that all the way until we graduated high school at the age of 18 in 1994 and son baseball scholarships to play liberty and to go from Dallas to Lynchburg. We drove through Atlanta up by 20 and so me and Jason together on our own. Every time we passed Fairgrounds field.

This report Capt. stadium we would pray Lord Jesus, you heard dad's prayer we pray you hear our prayer that we would get to play in that stadium together on the same team.

At the same time. Let me let me ask you this about your dad in his ability to transmit to you the faith because there's a lot of men and women listening that they didn't have that kind of father mother.

Maybe they didn't grow up in a Christian home, what did your dad do that connected you so vibrantly well.

He joined us in our journey and we had a shared goal. We had a shared dream shared vision together are dad actually got down into our world and he helped burst this dream but then he helped massage for us guys just imagine what could happen if you plaited that stadium you guys got to play pro ball together. Imagine what you could do with a platform like that and he really taught us how to imagine he taught us how to dream and have fun. It sounds like it was a black and was more than dreaming about fame and success for something bigger was and that's exactly right.

Dad always taught us.

You know that God wants to do something through you is not just something for us, so he taught us week we got to be conduits, not cul-de-sacs. If God blesses you with this. It's meant to help others to see a clear picture of God and so that that dream was birthed in us. Yes, you in terms of dad's who maybe have blown it.

They haven't had that kind of relationship with their sons or their daughters can dad do differently today. He can simply apologize he go right to him.

I mean even our dad at times had blown it lost his temper. I mean, I've done it myself but I remember a time when dad really lost his temper woke Jason and I both up and with tears in his eyes.

He said I want to ask you to forgive me know when you're 10 1112-year-old kid that means a lot when your debts is on ask you to forgive me. The Lord convicted me and just to hear the Lord convicted me, it's like the Lord's got my back. He saw dad, you know, should probably said that to me, but the Lords got my back and that really has created a craven my brother and I to be the same type of man and what we learn from our dad's example was as dads and husbands. The one thing that kids in our wives that they really will respond well to his humility is bringing them into your struggle been able to look your kids in the eye and say I struggle just like you guys do and I answer to God just like you guys answer to me. So let's help each other. That was something I never too late. God makes beautiful meshes. He gives strength where there is grief so it's never too late.

So let's move through that story you had great high school career.

She went to liberty for college unit up then drafted right we did and let me just take you back to her senior year, my brother, this is Jason speaking. David actually got drafted by the Mets after senior high school I that's too bad. Time but I didn't get drafted and I remember sitting in the church service this Sunday after I cried. It was tough and I just think and you know Lord, maybe you don't want me to play pro ball, but by God's grace against the backdrop of a dream of playing that's right all yes exactly right.

What we both signed to play liberty. David didn't sign with the Mets after our junior year.

David got drafted again and I didn't get drafted somehow.

That's again no a second time yeah and you know that was like strike to and I had to learn to die to the dream again so I knew that going in my senior year.

God needed to do a miracle by God's grace, I ended up being one of the top hitters in the nation.

God turn my swing around. It was miraculous and we both got drafted.

I was drafted by Baltimore David was drafted by Boston, and two years in, I broke my leg and half it was terrible injury and I thought that I'd never get to even walk again.

It was that bad. By God's grace I was able to rehab but it took a year and during that time I had to let the game go again. It was like I was learning how to die. And every time I was on this trajectory then God pivoted me in my heart where I had to let go of it, all the while David the same time while Jason broke his leg in half and he struggling through all of this dying to this dream, I got traded from Boston over St. Louis and that was huge for my career because they put me in major league spring training. So here I was with Mark McGuire and Albert pools was in my Bible study and and now you know I'm playing in front of Tony LaRusso and all the big Cardinal greats and I'm on the fast track and things were really exciting for me. But the dream was our dream.

It was dad's dream. It was with grandpa so as all four of us grandpa and dad and Jason and me and that's when the story really gets. Let's keep going so well workplace well what happened a year after I broke my leg in Baltimore while David got brought up to AA in St. Louis. I actually got released a year later officially released by Baltimore and so that was like strike number four. There's really no four strikes in basement so I thought it was over.

Really, I went to coach in a little independent league in Torrington, Connecticut in 2000. That summer, my career was over. While David was on the fast track. And then he actually called me up after the season was over and he said hey I've got another two weeks. My season left once come watch me in Little Rock and I was like no I don't want to manage Him and and Holland St. Mary taken me a whole summer's almost over 3 1/2 months in the dreams that we feel in his pain a little bit but I thought because Lori was we were pregnant with my second son and she had already taken back to Fort Myers and so I was like, come on, just come up here will work out. The morning will go to the stadium.

You only you don't have to come to batting practice or anything and so I finally talked him into it so that first night were an old war Memorial Stadium. Jason comes in for his flip-flops got a ticket in his hand with a hot dog. I'm sure I was crushing some food and was over with us and hated want you come out tomorrow morning I'm in the lineup. I want you throw me some batting practice.

He's like no way I can do it. It was hard for me to sit in the stands is the first time I had ever sit set the standardize of the death of the dream. That's right, I had already let it go and I think it's coming back again and he's asking to throw batting practice development. I actually gave in and of discovered I can never say no to anything that he says he throw me batting practice out there and and they set us up. That was the next day after the game that he came and nobody was in the stadium but they had the stadium set up for batting practice and so he throw into me and hit balls all over the fields we go to pick up the balls and he's like, man, this is really hard for me in a civil want. You just take a couple hacks and he's like hacks means swings and he goes know I can do it. I succumb on just a couple so I get him behind up there at the plate and I throw the first pitch and crack. He hits it over the fence three or four straight pitches. He's hit the ball out of the yard and as were picking it up. He's like man I can feel it. It's coming back is coming back like a freight train will you pray that God allows me to play on this team and I was like what he said yeah you will get 10 games on late Friday.

There's only 10 games left. Wouldn't it be amazing if I signed with the Cardinals and got the play on this team and I would actually finish my career in AA enlightenment. That's the dumbest thing but I was like okay final price so Jason I right there in centerfield and war Memorial Stadium in Little Rock Arkansas we knelt, we prayed and I just simply said, Lord, you promise you give us the desires of our heart. So I pray for beer will that you would allow Jason to sign and play the rest of the season will Little Rock and so so I was in the stands that night and not David.

Of course, he was sitting on the bench. I think that was like your third straight something clearly only like tailback tailback and your boy here sit on the bench. I remember the second baseman for Little Rock and got the Bay cities on first base. He still secondly slides in and he and he does some to his wrist and he gets up and they had actually walked them off the field. The trainer did. David went down into the dugout to find out that he had sprained his wrist and he was out for the rest of the season and I instantly arrested look. God opened the door for me there still be a domino effect in baseball you know if somebody gets hurt they have to bring a guy out from single-A than a guy from rookie ball and a guy from short season is just a domino effect and that's a lot of headache with with only eight or nine games to go. I said David why don't you pitch the idea they could just sign your brother. I'm right here and I'll play for nothing. That's the dumbest idea, but the next day during batting practice.

I'm sit in the stands. I look over and David what I call my batting group and you know you you hit batting groups or three groups. They call my group and an important pine tar my bat and Jason to sit in the stands and he just looked over at many points. Go talk to the cold weather that we have no way remember I'm on the fast track.

I'm a phone call away from the big leagues I'd been injured earlier in the season, but now I was healed. I was planning AA so I walk up to the coach is the manager's name was Hammer and said Hammer listen, I know there's good to be big domino effect with 10 games are not now nine games left in the season wanted to pull the scouting report of my brother and consider signing him.

He said he play for free, and he looked at me and then look back at field never said a word.

The third day we didn't have cell phones and just before Jason and I left the house. The wall-mounted phone rings and I picked the phone up and he says hey David this is Aaron bronze clubhouse manager is your brother still in town and I said yes and he said good because the Cardinals pulled the scouting report and said it's worth a shot. Let's sign them and I hang the phone up and I turn around and Jason is smiling from ear to ear, shaking his head, and they want to sign me. Don't they had no faith. I actually trusted God when I wrote the story ended there. It would be a miracle but he gets a lot better now.

Okay now now Jason that we jump in the truck we drive to the stadium and I walk in and there's his locker, Jason Benham, there's my locker. David Ben were playing on anything and I'm just in my mind like I can't believe this is actually happening. Jason signs the contract. I wasn't expecting to play. I was just expecting to be a backup guy and rinse with your brother that not David will that night were only bench I don't know why I was on the bench again. I stilled this out, but we were on the bench that night, but now were sitting in the club in the dugout together the night before Jason's and stands right now I'm sitting here next my brother, not just taking this all in like Lord I just did not have the faith for this. This is just amazing. He's in a uniform tent in the dugout right now. Well, sixth inning they had the El Paso Diablo's in town 6 foot seven lefty on the amount going to the big leagues the next day he's throwing us a no-hit shutout, which means nobody got to hit no runs hit score were down, one to nothing in the bottom of the sixth inning. Hammer yells our manager yells from third base.

He says and he says your pinchhitting and he screams and he does the right-handed pinch-hitter move. Well I'm writing David I'd been playing. He's a lefty on the mound. It only makes sense for baseball. The left-handed pitcher throws to right-handed hitter, so I get I hit left I have from the left. Jason hits from the left side so I get up and put my batting gloves on and he yells across the field. No, your member David is tailback Jason sits up real fast. His eyes so big and he was somebody to be somebody to give my batting gloves. He grabs a bat puts a helmet on walks up to the top step of the dugout looks back at all the players and said boys I'll be right back. Anything was going to happen. So now now I'm sitting on the end of the bench and I'm watching Jason walk up to the plate in a pack, state, and thousands of people there.

He's got a bat just like the natural in his hand and he's walking up to the plate and I'm sitting there like Lord Jesus. This is miraculous.

So I slid to the eye was Aurelian which I slid off the bench to my knee and I was afraid. Lord, help them just to make contact.

I can look like such an idiot. He tells all about this guy winds up and lets it loose and I played enough baseball with Jason to know it in matter where that ball was going, he was swinging and he puts it right down the middle the plate in Jason unloads on it and hits a missile and it starts taking off toward centerfield and in my heartbeat now to my chest.

The stands are going nuts in the centerfielder's just digging towards the center field fence.

He was all Al and I thought minis can catch this thing he couldn't catch up to them. It hits off the wall. Jason's in for a standup double in the stadium exploded. Remember that old song cotton eyed Joe you know will let me let me bring it home here just one minute. I remember standing out there and second base.

Just the night before I was in the stands and now I'm here standing on second base got a jersey on actually broke up a no-hitter to guys later actually hit a homerun. We won the game to do nothing.

Sitting in the clubhouse just after the game.

Our manager walks in and he's like guys. This was a fantastic game.

We got four games to go to road trip. I want everybody to show up early tomorrow because were to get in the bus. Shreveport is just down the road we had, we did not even look at. We had never looked at the schedule we did not have that we were going to shrink my goodness, oh my goodness, both of us looked up at each other were like it was almost like the Lord had written the clubhouse roof often said, I am real I hear your prayers and you didn't even realize exactly Jason broke his leg.

I was there. Jason got released I was there I was there all along the way. Even when you got hurt in spring training I was there even though you can't see network and bring it all back home to our dad when we got this report. The next day David and I went to the field early, we found a little gate that was open and we had called her dad to tell them were going Shreveport so he was on his whip again that night.

You never been in this field never). With this field and we got down on our knees and centerfield and we prayed hands up to the sky and when we turned around and we stood up when we look back in our dad was at the top of the stands with his hands in the air same only just appears 300 watching us that their prey and God brought it all back regular dream will absolutely void in his dad you know and into wasn't in her dad and grandpa had already gone to heaven. At that point, but that was powerful something that when Dave and I went through struggle with HDTV many years later we hold held under this story to know that when you go through a dark time you can trust that God is behind the scenes putting the pieces of puzzle together for you. When you put the exclamation on it right there with the lightning in the back. I mean this is a father, a Father's Day story and that scene in my mind of him having his hands held up and centerfield watching his boys pray and thank God for answering their prayers his prayers.

That is what it's all about business staying faithful so even when we can't see the Lord working. We know that is behind the curtain we know is behind the scenes and is crafting our story in writing it into his and for those who didn't have a earthly father. You can trust. You have a heavenly father.

That's right there with you. That is, that is the message and he loves us and cares for us and I love the Scripture is close to the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in spirit.

Your dream was crushed but God was there that I got something else for you even entered on the way. I will play the game. Shreveport that's exact and then what happened. For those are going.

What's the end of the story.

What happened after that Shri Jason actually ended up.

We ended up playing together Shreveport. He was six for 11 which means six base hits and 11 at-bats that which is significant here is over 500.

That's right, he was runner-up in my team that's right was runner-up for Texas league player of the week. He had multiple teams offer him a contract at the end of the season and the Cardinals actually offered him and they called him the day before he left for his honeymoon because he got married that December and the farm director said where you want your contract sent, and he ended up saying no, don't give me a contract. I'm done with baseball.

Live the dream while that was enough. It's exactly right.

And then the Lord. David answered the question for me right now. David, Jason, what a beautiful what a beautiful story about your grandfather about your dad about the two of you living your dream and love in the Lord and that this is the kind of positive Father's Day story that I love, share, and as John said earlier, if you're struggling to get a hold of us. Let us put a copy of David and Jason's book in your hands. The miracle in Shreveport, and wherever your living. I believe that's what you want to do is miracle. We certainly had a fun time at David and Lori Benham's house near Charlotte, North Carolina, and a group of friends seated all around the living room and kitchen and some under in the background and the interaction between those two brothers that were so good to be with people who love the Lord. I mean, I know you understand what that feels like sitting around the kitchen table talking about God and what God is done in your life twin brothers really know how to jab each of the fun.

But what a powerful testimony. What a story about their faithful dad who guided them to faith in Christ. That's every parents wish and dream.

He prayed for their dreams to come true and then nurtured that dream until it became a reality and that grandpa came to faith to win the whole process.

What a story heading in the Father's Day weekend.

If you're able tell your dad that you love.

If these living find some way to show appreciation form for anything good that he may have contributed to your life and maybe those are thin actions but find one and say thank you. Let me turn and say that family is at the core of what we do here at focus it's the universal language is in it.

I traveled to more than 70 countries on behalf of focus and it is true.

Everybody speaks the language of family be a part of changing lives and making an eternal difference by making a monthly pledge to focus today at large or small. That's not what's important. Simply having a large number of people standing with the supporting us praying for us is what will make the difference. And when you do, I want to send you a copy of David and Jason's book miracle in Shreveport as our way of saying thank you for being there for us and you can make that monthly pledge for the position that make a one-time gift of any amount to the ministry will say thank you by sending David and Jason's book that really is an incredible story to have. You can make the donation and get the book by calling us 800 K in the word family check the show notes for the links behalf of Jim Daly and the entire team.

Thanks for joining us today for Focus on the Family I'm John Fuller inviting you back once again help you and your family drive. I was convinced that nothing can change what was going on in our marriage and I want to try anymore but my commitment to God, help me try one more time. We went to a hope restored marriage intensive and it was life-changing. The counselors created the safest environment we could imagine so that let us really talk much different course now I believe we received a miracle that week received your free consultation and hope restored.com