The World Was Not Worthy
On May 14, 2022, we lost a dear brother.
A brother in Christ and one whom was like a little brother to Adam.
He was an ambassador of Christ and a light to everyone he met.
We received news of his passing early Sunday morning and have had to navigate through layers of grief, loss, hope, and rejoicing.
They talk about him just about every day, continuing to pray for his family and praising God for "taking him to Heaven."
We miss you incredibly so, Stevie, and our loss is great.
But we are not sad for you; for where you are is where we long to be.
At his funeral, these are the words Adam used to describe his fellow brother and friend:
How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. (Psalms 119:9, NASB)
My name is Adam Conley, I met Stevie at a local gym here a few years ago. When I saw him in the gym that morning he was wearing a CCA baseball shirt and I thought he looked familiar. My first encounter with Stevie I can remember, I helped him with his medicine ball throws, learned he was a baseball player, and that he had indeed attended youth group at our church.
Soon after I learned of him I asked Bryan Twombly and a few others about this young man and after learning of Stevie’s recent struggles during that time in his life reached out to him to go out to breakfast, and line up our lifting schedules at the gym as best we could. For the most part, from around the end of 2019, I spent a lot of time with Stevie in the gym, at the field, at my home, and at an indoor baseball facility down in Jupiter where I threw my bullpens, and he would hit.
One day I was coaching Stevie how to hit, and I thought the best way to do that was to throw him fastballs down the middle and talk him through his swing and what he should be doing. He missed a lot at first, fouled some off… but toward the end he ripped one right back at me, it glanced off the metal fence next to me and hit me in the leg. We had a good laugh about it. I told him I was throwing him fastballs down the middle and had thrown him probably 30. After he hit my leg, I threw him a changeup without telling him I was going to and he swung and missed so bad he almost fell over. We both laughed again, but I laughed hardest.
In early 2020 after a failed attempt to go play baseball in Japan, I threw a bullpen for some rays scouts down at that same Jupiter facility and asked Stevie to come down there with me as he always did… twice a week for months. When I was ready to start my bullpen I asked Stevie to stand in as my hitter, and like always he trotted down to the plate. When he got to home plate the scouts begged we stop, Stevie, 17yo at the time, wasn’t wearing a helmet. He got a helmet, and I threw my bullpen, and we had a good laugh.
I wanted to begin by telling you these things so you would have an understanding about how I met Stevie and some things we did together, but now I want to share with you that these funny stories, and memories I have about Stevie are not what made my relationship with Stevie significant.
When I first met Stevie he didn’t know the Lord. As that was being displayed in his life many of the men in the church here, myself and others who knew him labored to speak truth to this young man, and plead with him to repent of his sin and believe in the gospel. After a short time of knowing Stevie he did repent, and he did believe. For a short time in my relationship with Stevie he was ministry for me. He quickly became a friend.
Let me just say. What I’m about to describe about Stevie is the man we ought to be laboring to become men… and I say this about a young man.
Stevie’s gait was set. At a young age Stevie had resolved to follow Jesus, and obey his commands. Stevie was willing to compromise on his time. He was willing to compromise on his activities. He was willing to compromise on his reputation. He was willing to compromise his popularity. He was willing to compromise his comforts. He was willing to compromise his college baseball career. Stevie had a singular focus in his life, and he would not compromise on his faith, truth, and following Christ. He believed in the promises of God, and boldly lived for the Lord. This is what makes Stevie so dear to me.
In faith Stevie was always seeking ways to serve his church family. He would help me on my farm, come play with the kids, stay for supper, eat three full size helpings, stay for desert, and ask if there’s any more. He helped us with our house, we read scripture together, talked about ministry, talked about how to be a faithful baseball player, talked about staying tethered to the local church while he was away for school. In rare fashion I didn’t have to try and motivate or spur Stevie
on to do these things. Stevie had a strong desire to know the Lord and honor Him with his life. And at such a young age exemplified what it looks like to follow Christ. Stevie is in heaven, the place I long to be. He will walk with His God for eternity, seeing his unveiled face, and delighting in him forever.
Stevie was a faithful servant of God in his life, and now God I ask that you make him useful to you in his death. Lord let us look to you, and learn of the faithfulness of this young man.
Finally I want to share a passage of scripture that described Stevie
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12, NASB)
