Fields of Dreams, Friendships, and Hope
by David Wright
“A faithful friend is a sure shelter. Whoever has found one has found a rare treasure” was a framed caption I kept on my desk for more than twenty years. Though I understand its use in the context of the quote, I’m not sure that “found” is the correct verb as I consider my friends. I wasn’t looking for them. I thank God for bringing them into my life.
It was early June 1959. My family had just moved to Beech Grove, Indiana. I had just turned 8 years old. Within minutes of the North American Van Lines movers pulling away, another 8-year-old rolled up on his 26-inch bike! Other boys started showing up. And before you know it a baseball game broke out. Complete strangers were brought together by the Great American Pastime, and, I believe, by God’s providence.
Each of those boys is now in their 70s. And by God’s grace, we are still in frequent touch. Our daily baseball games in the neighborhood stopped when we were in our early teens. But relationships continue to this day. In fact, four of those “boys,” including my first friend mentioned, play golf together at least once a week. One was in my foursome at our e2 Golf Outing last weekend.
Two of these lifelong friends have died. Both men were successful, and both knew Jesus as their Lord and Savior. One of these two died just last month. I was honored to serve as the minister at his celebration of life. I was humbled and surprised to learn from his family that he had on his office wall a poem I had written, describing our summer neighborhood days. They asked that I share it during his funeral. His widow also asked that I provide some context for those attending. Let me provide that context for you:
Ten years ago this month, I returned home from spending nearly 90 days in Europe serving with a ministry. Exhausted from the travels, I took a Wednesday afternoon off and went to an afternoon professional baseball game. All alone (my choice for that afternoon), I sat along the third baseline side of Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis. I thought about the trip I had just completed, the way God blessed it. I thanked Him for my family and how I looked forward to reconnecting with our kids and friends. I also took time to daydream about those days in Beech Grove when a dozen boys, on summer days just as this day at the ballpark was, would meet in our neighborhood field to play baseball. We would not have enough guys to have nine players for each team. So, we had to get creative. The poem is simply called The Field.
We made up rules such as “Pitcher’s Hand, Ghost Runners, Right Field is Dead.” I , or my brother Lloyd, would be the one that organized the games and we would play all day. Dads in the neighborhood loved the fact that we gathered together and they took turns mowing our field.
Jesus emphasized the importance of both natural family and the family of faith. In his teaching he focuses on love, sacrifice, and mutual support. Jesus wants to help his disciples to understand what the greatest love is really like, and he focuses on friendship. For Jesus, friendship is a relationship of deep love. Jesus told his disciples in the upper room...
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
John 15:13-17
I spoke of The Field earlier. That field was full of young neighborhood boys pitching, catching, hitting, and running the bases. We would have loved to have nine players on each side. But that did not happen. Though our neighborhood was full of baby boom kids, not everyone wanted to play baseball.
Jesus spoke of a much larger, more important field. He spoke of a field with eternal implications when he said, ‘It’s still four months until harvest.’ But I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest” (John 4:35). The time to harvest whatever plants were in the fields at that time was in the future, but the time to introduce Jesus to others is always “now.” “Indeed, the ‘right time’ is now; today is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2, NLT). Jesus wanted his disciples to notice those that did not know him as their Lord and Savior or his love and grace.
Perhaps our harvest should begin in our homes and our neighborhoods. Those “fields” are very visible to us. Most need look no further than our homes and neighborhoods for fields that are white with harvest. Let’s take to heart the command of Deuteronomy 6:6-7, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
Jesus, when asked by a Pharisee, “What is the greatest commandment in the Law”, responded: “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:33-40).
In my poem The Field, I speak of:
Pitcher’s hand
Ghost runner on second
Right field’s dead
It seems to me what matters more than those sweet memories and rules we created is to consider how the love of Jesus will change our relationships forever:
The Master’s hand – Let’s introduce our family and friends to Jesus. Do what we can to assist in their relationship with a loving Savior
Trust the Holy Spirit – Let’s recognize His role in convicting ourselves and others of sin, guiding people into truth, empowering, and discipling those who believe to live a life that is pleasing to God.
Fields – Miracles happen in open fields and God’s provision can occur there. For example, out of love and compassion Jesus provided food for the 5,000 in a pastoral setting (Mark6:39).
Out of love and compassion let’s look for those fields of service we are called to and invite others to join us!
