Held secure

I chose quite the day for my first ever Test Cricket game.  The last time I watched live cricket as opposed to following scores on the BBC and catching snatches of games on the telly was back in the early days of 20/20 when a few of us went to see Kent after work.

This time it was the serious business of the Ashes and a friend had got tickets for Day 5 of he first test at Edgbaston. After heavy rain in the morning, the sun came out for the afternoon and with Australian on 107 for 3, needing 281 to win, the prospect of an exciting run chase was on.  For a lot of the afternoon, things were tense, wickets were falling but too slowly, at the same time Australia seemed to be falling a little short of the run rate they needed.  Khawaja had dug in and built up an innings, he didn’t look to be going anywhere.

Then two things happened. First, Khawaja’s wicket eventually fell to Joe Root’s bowling and  Australia not long later found themselves needing 54 runs with only 2 wickets left. Suddenly England had victory in their sights and the Australians needed something dramatic. They were forced to bat more aggressively and start hitting 4s.  Then the second thing happened. Stokes looked to have dramatically caught the ball and taken another wicket but he just could not hold onto it.  It slipped through his hands.  Australia went on to win the game.

Of course, as exciting as the day was and as disappointing the result, it is just cricket. However, two things stood out to me from the game. First, the reminder that just as games can turn so quickly, that life is like that. It’s fragile.  Out of nowhere can come both hope and despair and they can follow one another so quickly. There’s no place for complacency, the idea that life will just go on as normally.

Secondly, this.  In cricket, it all often comes down to the ability of someone to catch and hold onto the ball.  Stokes could not.  I am so glad that when it comes to my life that there is one who is not only able to catch hold but who will not allow me to slip through his fingers. His grip is secure, he will not drop me, he has promised not to let me go. I am safe in Christ.

And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day.”

John 6:39