God is good and faithful

the only constant in life

our Rock in whom we trust

My name is Maria and I work in a bank as a cashier. We had a Barclaycard Promotion day at work and I arrived to find someone had brought in a "crystal ball." Apparently as a bit of fun we were each going to place our hands on the ball (like Mystic Meg) and predict how many Barclaycards we would each get. I felt very uncomfortable about the whole thing. For most of them it was just a harmless bit of fun but that didn’t make it right.

Now everyone at work knows I’m a "born again" Christian, so my dilemma was that if I objected to doing it I would distance myself from them as a religious fanatic. How was I then to witness to them or reach them? "What was I to do Father?", was my hasty prayer!

Something I had read months earlier and made an impact on me was the expression

I was the last to go and as I placed my hands over the ball I just said, "I wouldn’t be relying on this but on God’s providence". Of course much laughing and joking followed. One person suggested my target should be 12 - one card for each of the apostles. I let my manager decide for me — 6 were to be my target very high indeed. I didn’t complain or argue.

The doors opened, the first customer came straight to my till and asked me how he could apply for a Barclaycard before I’d even had a chance to wish him a good morning! All the counter staff were amazed and one colleague said jokingly they should have followed my example and left it up to God. No one seriously believed I’d get 6 but happily I did and most amazing of all for me is that my sixth customer’s name was …… Dr Providence! He didn’t stop there either, just before we closed a gentleman handed me an application for a Platinum Barclaycard! My grand total was an amazing 7!

A friend came up to me after the church service and said, "….. you realise He had to make it seven …." - apparently the number has great significance in the Bible. Two was the highest number sold by any other cashier that day. I was congratulated for my achievement at the end of the day. I gave the glory and thanks to God where it rightfully belongs and shared with everyone the "co-incidence" of the name. My manager’s comment was maybe they should all go to church on Sunday.

As is so often the case I find He reveals Himself to me and then directs me to a passage of scripture which illuminates what he has been showing me in my life. He gave me the following three verses: -

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord is faithful."

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work in us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever Amen".

"See, I lay a stone in Zion,

a chosen and precious cornerstone,

and the one who trusts in him

will never be put to shame."

The events of that day were no co-incidence but God trying to attract my colleagues' attention. I sincerely believe it's no co-incidence that at this very moment you are reading this. What is wonderful is that you too can experience God in your own life. It all started for me when I joined an Alpha course here. Thus began my personal relationship with the Living God. It is amazing and I'm sure He is calling you to a similar experience of Himself … it's your choice.