It’s been a weird college football season so far, and among the surprises was Alabama losing to Texas A&M last Saturday. Although A&M dominated for much of the game, Alabama came on strong and was actually up 38 – 31 before the Aggies tied it at 38. Alabama was forced to punt on its final possession, and the Aggies came back, kicking a field goal as time expired.

There are a few lessons:

• As always, the past doesn’t determine the future. Alabama hadn’t lost to an unranked team in 100 games. Alabama coach Nick Sabin had never lost to a head coach who was a former assistant.
• There will always be adversity. The question is, how do we respond to it? Here’s what A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said, as reported by ESPN, emphasis mine:

The Aggies entered the season ranked sixth and gunning for Alabama after the Crimson Tide handed them their only loss last season. But by last week it looked as if this would be a lost season for the Aggies after consecutive defeats by Arkansas and Mississippi State sent them tumbling out of the Top 25.

But instead of falling into a bigger hole this week, the Aggies pulled off the upset to snap an eight-game skid against Alabama. It’s their first win in the series since Johnny Manziel’s spectacular performance led them to a 29-24 win in 2012 on the road when the Crimson Tide was also ranked first.

“We had a couple of tough weeks … (but) you’re defined by how you respond to adversity,” Fisher said.“

• Sometimes God answers prayers positively and on the spot! Have you seen this marvelous 25-second video of the kicker’s family during the winning field goal? The kicker’s wife is the young lady toward the right of the screen. The kicker’s mother is toward the left of the picture…in prayer. (And rightly so. Did you see how many field goals were missed in the NFL over the weekend? Five potentially game winning field goals were missed in the closing minutes and overtime of the Green Bay / Cincinnati game Sunday. The Colts’ kicker missed a game-winning field goal Monday night.)

There are surely more important things to pray for than the outcome of a football game, but you have to admire this lady’s fervency.

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3.13, 14, ESV)

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. (James 5.16 – 18, NIV)