By Mallory Mattingly
Savannah Bananas player Robert Anthony Cruz, also known as Coach Rac, recalled two moments in his life that “broke” him but that “God used it to build up” his faith and character.
“I can point to two very specific moments, actually. I could probably point to many more. My goodness, I guess we’ll go past college in pro ball, when I was with the Nationals,” he told Movieguide®’s Kaelii Williams. “We were in spring training in 2022, and two weeks in, I got released after only being signed a year prior. I did not see it coming.”
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“It came out of left field — no pun intended — and on the drive home from that, I didn’t really know what was next,” he continued. “I remember crying. I was like, this has been my dream since I was a kid, and it seems to be no longer a thing now.”
But Coach Rac remembered James 1:2-4: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
“As I drove home, upset and not really knowing what was next, I just felt the comfort of God and the peace that comes with that. I felt just as joyful driving home as I did the day before at practice,” he shared. “…this is the truth — I have felt God the closest in the moments when things have not gone my way. I was reading earlier today in Psalms about how God is near to the brokenhearted. I forget exactly where it is — maybe Psalm 32 or something like that — but I’ve really found that to be true.”
The second instance occurred just a few months ago when Cruz appeared on CNN, and as he was doing a back flip on live TV, he fell and busted his chin open.
“Even through that, over the following weeks, I saw people reach out and message me saying, ‘Hey, I had an embarrassing moment, and this was encouraging to me,'” he told Williams of that moment. “Time and time again, I’ve seen God use the lows or the difficult times to encourage and refine me and to make me more like Jesus. In addition to that, I’ve found that God is nearest to me in those moments when I might be feeling a little down.”
Through both experiences, Coach Rac learned that God’s presence isn’t defined by success or comfort but by trust and surrender in every circumstance. Whether on the baseball field, in front of cameras or in moments of quiet disappointment, Cruz continues to lean on his faith, finding purpose even in pain.
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