I wrote this the morning after the night before. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
England out on a penalty shoot-out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was 21 when we went out of Italia \u201990 in the semi-finals in the same way, and 27 for Euro \u201996, so it has been a long while since I felt the same way about a football match involving the national team. \u00a0No doubt there are lots of lessons to learn, but two things are for sure – the second half of full time was dramatically different from the first half and the penalty shoot-out didn\u2019t go according to plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can have all the strategies you like, all the plans and practice time, but you can\u2019t control the outcome. \u00a0All we can do is hand it over to the Almighty, try our hardest, and keep going whatever the result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looking back on times of change and struggle, it is often easier to see the Lord\u2019s hand at work in retrospect than it is at the time.\u00a0I think that\u2019s pretty normal.\u00a0But just because we can\u2019t see him actively at work, it doesn\u2019t mean he isn\u2019t there.\u00a0 He is working all things for our good, just as he promised.\u00a0And \u2018our good\u2019 is ultimately to draw closer to him, and in whatever small way to become more like him.\u00a0 Kinder, more patient, gentler, more self-controlled\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can find Mark Hutchinson’s Seminar session from\u00a0
Saturdays TG21 Session at around 1:15:50<\/p>\n\n\n\n