Thought for the Week – Wales Win!

By Rev David Jones.

Wales 3 – Belgium 1.  The Welsh team are at an all-time high and the semi-final of Euro 2016 tomorrow night (july 6th) will have a whole nation holding its breath.  Not only did the Welsh team ‘just do it’ but all through this competition have done it with style.   Belgium were the favourites last Friday and yet there was that hunch that Wales, with such team spirit were going to defy all the odds against them.   With that first goal we might have expected that the boys in red would have become dispirited, to the contrary they went on the equalise, score again, and that third goal –  well that was the icing on the cake.  As the minutes ticked by the Belgium team fought back but the final whistle saw a victorious Wales now well within reach of the final itself.    The obvious closeness and genuine friendship that exists between all the players has set the Welsh team apart and that’s made all the difference. Gareth Bale’s comments just now on the evening news said it all ‘There are no stars in this team we are all in it together’. Whatever happens tonight we have a team that has done us proud and we’ll be there for them each step of the way!

If that’s our commitment how much more is God’s love and care for us. At one time or another the game of life may have been a hard ride have felt that we’ve been and even continue to be on a roller coaster of emotions. Words may have been said which we regret, things done and even undone which have left us much the poorer in spirit. It may have felt that we’ve been in a different and even an opposing team to those around us and we’ve have felt dejected and alone.  One thing’s for sure, the Bible tells us that God is for us and that nothing can separate us from his love.  He is ever near to us, when things are going well and we’re on the highest of the high and even more so when the pressures and uncertainties of life suddenly descend.   Perhaps now’s the time to heal old divides to pick up the phone and let bygones…. Then we’ll find peace and whatever life may bring know that God is with us and then we’ll certainly be on the winning side!