Wimbledon

I loved it as a kid. I used to rush home from school and spend the whole evening glued to my small, blue transistor radio (remember them?) listening to the commentary. And if I wasn’t listening to it, I was playing tennis. I had access to a couple of private courts (people in the church no less had tennis courts in their gardens) so I spent every spare minute on one of them. I wanted to be a tennis player. I had a great serve, a reasonable forehand but a backhand that needed work! Never had the opportunity to have any coaching so my dream of winning Wimbledon never really got off the ground. My hero was Bjorn Borg. Ice Borg. Fabulous player and still the only player to have won five consecutive titles! And I hope it stays that way! Every year we are obsessed with the British players, desperately hoping this will be the year. It rarely is. And I don’t think it will be this year either. We are obsessed with winning. It’s all about winning. Trouble is, only one person can win (or one pair if it’s the doubles). What does it say about everyone else if the only worthy thing is to be the one who actually wins? And, as I know to be true, only some people ever get the chance to be good enough to play at Wimbledon and an even fewer number ever have the chance to win. Only some people have all the things you need to be able to pay sport at the highest level. I wasn’t one of them. What does that then say about me? Or you? One day Jesus sat down on a hillside and began to teach. And he said that everyone there was a winner! He didn’t use those words, but that’s effectively what he said.. He actually said that the Kingdom of the Heavens was close to them and that meant they were blessed. And a winner! A winner because they could know that the King of the universe loves them. A winner because they can live their life on the knowledge of that deep and profound truth. I’ve given up my dream to be a winner at Wimbledon. I’ll never lift the trophy or have my have engraved on it. But, here’s the thing: my name is written somewhere far more important and somewhere where it will never fade or be forgotten. My name is written on the palm of His hand. Oh, and in the Lamb’s Book of Life. And that means I am a winner.