"It matters a great deal who is going to win, but not at all who won"
European Football Championships
It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. Amos 5:19
So England will not be in the European Championships! We will have to find something else to light up our summer. The whole campaign has seen a rollercoaster - the ball rolling over Paul Robinson's foot into the net in Croatia, emphatic wins over Israel and Russia at Wembley, the harsh penalty in Moscow. This week's match seemed to encapsulate more drama than an average month. Surely England can manage the draw that is needed. Seven minutes gone and a shot bounces off Scott Carson and into the net. Already we are fleeing from the lion! Less than a quarter of an hour gone and 2-0 - where did that bear come from? England somehow claw themselves back to 2-2. Qualification beckons. Poor defending, slippery conditions or Croatian opportunism? The Croatian winning goal sure felt like a snake bite to me. The dream was over. Sport is so unpredictable that is part of its fascination. The ability of any team to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory is always there. Another Scripture that came to mind was Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Those words help put things in perspective. They remind us that in Jesus we have the only ultimate certainty in life. That does not mean however that the pain of that defeat is not very real. Please pray for Steve McClaren (England coach) as he copes with losing his job as a consequence of England'd failure to qualify. Pray that he would be aware of the Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday and today and forever