How a Simple Text Sparked a Comback Story

One obedient text at 9:37 AM changed everything. A father had given up hope. A young man’s dream was dying. Then the Holy Spirit nudged me to reach out. What happened next will challenge you.

Marco (Faith Warrior) Benavides

November 9, 2025

7–10 minutes

ComebackStory, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2114, DivineAppointments, DivineMathematics, FaithWarrior, GenerationalHealing, NextGeneration, SpiritualFatherhood

One obedient text at 9:37 AM changed everything. A father had given up hope. A young man’s dream was dying. Then the Holy Spirit nudged me to reach out. What happened next will challenge you.

I stared at my phone, thumb hovering over the send button.

It was 9:30 AM on a Thursday morning, and I was about to do something that made absolutely no sense. I was about to reach out to a man I barely knew, asking for his son’s phone number so I could encourage a kid I’d never texted before.

This is crazy, I thought. He’s going to think I’m overstepping.

But the Holy Spirit had been nudging me for two days straight. That persistent whisper that won’t let you sleep, won’t let you focus, won’t let you move forward until you obey.

So I hit send.

The Backstory

Jimmy was a ballplayer. Good kid. Friends with my son Aidan. But his season had ended before it even started—cut from the team twice. First during summer tryouts, then couldn’t even try out for spring because his GPA had dropped below 2.0.

I’d heard the news through the parent grapevine. The kind of news that gets whispered with head shakes and “such a shame” comments.

But something about it wouldn’t leave me alone.

Maybe it was because I saw my own sons in Jimmy’s story. Maybe it was because I know what it’s like to face a dream dying before your eyes. Or maybe—probably—it was because God was orchestrating something I couldn’t see yet.

The Father’s Response

James texted back within minutes.

“Hey Marcos, thanks for reaching out. Yes, it is very disappointing and frustrating for us. He gets so distracted from his homework and studying all the time. We get on him weekly about it but didn’t realize it was that bad.”

I could feel the weight in his words. The exhaustion of a father who’d run out of solutions.

Then came the sentence that broke my heart:

“I think his days of playing baseball are finally over. I really don’t see him coming back from this. Coaches already see him as a slacker and probably wouldn’t be willing to chance giving him another shot next year.”

A father who had given up hope.

I sat with that for a moment. How many times had I been there with my own kids? How many times had I wanted to throw in the towel, convinced that the pattern was too strong, the damage too deep, the comeback too impossible?

But then I remembered something: Our biggest setbacks often become our greatest comebacks—but only when someone speaks life into the darkness.

I typed my response, pushing back against the death sentence that had been pronounced over this young man’s future.

James gave me Jimmy’s number.

The Message

I crafted the text carefully. Not too preachy. Not too long. But honest, direct, and full of belief.

I told Jimmy the truth: his coaches see him as a slacker, his parents are frustrated, and he’s facing an uphill battle.

But I also told him this could be the beginning of his COMEBACK STORY.

I hit send and looked at the time.

9:37 AM.

My heart stopped.

For those who know my story, you know about Divine Mathematics—the way God stamps certain moments with prophetic numbers that confirm His hand is on a situation. 937 is one of those numbers for me. It shows up in the most impossible moments, like God’s signature on a divine appointment.

And there it was, timestamped on the exact moment I sent encouragement to a kid I’d never met, believing for a comeback nobody else could see.

Okay, God. I see You. I’m paying attention.

The Response

Jimmy’s reply came faster than I expected.

“Thank you so much for this, and yeah it is very hard but I don’t really see myself giving up on baseball yet. I still have faith and I will get my grades up. I feel I have the ability to make the team again, but it’s all up to the coaches. I thank you so much again for this message and I’m will always be thankful for you believing in me still.”

Humble. Hopeful. Grateful.

This kid wasn’t done fighting.

I sent him one more message—short, encouraging, reminding him to focus on what he could control. I told him to reach out to my son Aidan for study support. Iron sharpens iron.

Then I went about my day, praying that the seed I’d planted would take root.

24 Hours Later

The next morning, my phone buzzed.

Jimmy again.

“I promise you I’m trying my best. Since yesterday I’ve already gotten 2 grades up and I’m going to keep that going. I won’t let you down I promise you that.”

I read it three times.

Two grades up. In 24 hours.

This wasn’t just a kid saying thanks and moving on. This was a young man who heard someone believe in him and decided to prove it—not to me, but to himself.

I texted back immediately, celebrating his progress but redirecting his motivation. He needed to know he wasn’t doing this for me. He was doing this for himself, for his future, for the comeback God was writing in his story.

His next message came an hour later:

“Thank you so much and I will try to get them up to a 3.5 by winter break. I’ll keep you updated when my grades go up but thank you so much again.”

A clear goal. A commitment to accountability. A young man on fire.

And it all started with one obedient text at 9:37 AM.

The Ripple Effect

Here’s what I’m learning about divine appointments:

They’re never just about one person.

Yes, Jimmy needed encouragement. But this moment is also about:

His father James, who needed to see hope reignited
My son Aidan, who’s about to step into a mentorship role with his friend
Every parent reading this who’s tempted to give up on a struggling kid
Every young person who feels like their dream is over

When we obey the Holy Spirit’s prompting—even when it feels awkward, even when we don’t know the outcome—God multiplies the impact beyond what we can see.

What Happens Next?

I don’t know how Jimmy’s story ends yet.

Maybe he makes the team next year. Maybe he doesn’t.

Maybe he hits that 3.5 GPA by winter break. Maybe he falls short.

But here’s what I do know:

This young man will remember that someone believed in him when it mattered most.

He’ll remember that when his own father had given up hope, a man he barely knew reached out and said, “Your story isn’t over. Your comeback starts now.”

And that memory—that moment of someone speaking life over death sentences—will shape him for the rest of his life.

The Question I’m Sitting With

As I write this, I keep coming back to one question:

How many divine appointments am I missing because I’m waiting for the “right” moment?

How many Jimmys are out there, one encouraging text away from a breakthrough, while I’m busy, distracted, or convinced it’s not my place to reach out?

How many 9:37 AM moments am I sleeping through because I’ve learned to ignore the Holy Spirit’s whisper?

To Be Continued…

Jimmy’s story is still unfolding.

Every week, he’s going to text me updates—grades, baseball prep, life. We’re building something here: accountability, mentorship, spiritual brotherhood.

And my son Aidan? He’s about to learn what it means to be iron that sharpens iron, to use his strengths to help a friend rise.

This is generational impact in real time.

But here’s where I need your help.

I’m going to keep sharing Jimmy’s journey—the wins, the struggles, the setbacks, the breakthroughs. Because I believe his story will encourage parents, challenge young people, and remind all of us what’s possible when someone speaks life.

If you want to follow Jimmy’s comeback story, make sure you’re subscribed.

Next week, I’ll share what happened when Jimmy reached out to Aidan, the conversation I had with my son about spiritual leadership, and the surprising way God is using this divine appointment to teach our whole family about Kingdom economics.

Don’t miss it.