Thank you, Miss G, for granting me permission to post your testimony.
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Many years ago, the Lord gave me the honor of working for a well-known international evangelical organization. I had put in an application over a year before I was actually interviewed. The head of their human resources department said that management held a meeting to start hiring as many people as possible for a huge conference for evangelists. When she went to pull out a large file of past employment applications, mine fell on the floor. She felt that it was a “GOD thing,” so she managed to get in contact with me just when I needed a different job. I was in training to be a telemarketer, and within a few days, I knew that it was a bad career decision. That call came just in the nick of time!
Soon after I was interviewed, I was hired to be part of the conference’s registration department. It was made up of about a team of 20 people. Our duties ranged from everything from data entry, filing, and mail distribution. On my first day, I was assigned to the duty of managing and delegating incoming correspondence from all over the world.
My supervisor brought me two, maybe three, huge catalogues of samples of letters in different languages written by people from all over the globe. I was to, basically, familiarize myself with them, read the ones in English, and decide which department could best respond.
But, if it were an application for the conference, I would note the language, attach it to a form from the translation department, and they would forward it to one of hundreds (?) of translators around the world. The weight of that responsibility led to “self-doubt” creeping in without my knowing it. A mistake, on my part, could possibly cost an applicant a chance to participate in an event that would only occur once in a lifetime. I needed some reassurance that I could, actually, do this job. And, within days, the Lord gave it to me in a way that only He could.
HE KNEW MY FEAR AND RESPONDED
The Saturday after my first week, I decided to take a walk outside. It was Autumn. This was my favorite season so I took my time looking at all the different shades of colors on as many trees as I could see. Maintenance had not raked up the leaves, yet, and they were everywhere. I went to a pile near me, and began to pick some up for a small collection to keep.
To my surprise, one of the larger ones had cloaked a small letter that must’ve fallen when the postal person was putting mail in our boxes. So, I decided to just take it to the address on the envelope. When I knocked on my neighbor’s door, I explained to them that I had found a letter addressed to them in a pile of leaves.
After reading the name, they informed me that the letter I found was not for them. My heart sank a little. But it seems that they had only recently moved there. And, the former occupants of their unit now lived in a townhouse directly across the street. After they pointed out which one, I immediately crossed the street to make a second attempt to deliver the found letter.
As I was walking, I did notice that the small letter was sent from a reverend. A brief thought then occurred to me that, maybe, this small parcel had been prayed over. Who knows?
A knock on a door, a glance at the name, and, finally, the lost letter had reached the right destination of the people it was meant for! At last!
And, my neighbors marvelled at how I came to have found it, and how it came to be in their hands! Only GOD could’ve done it! Agreed?
This was, indeed, the much-needed encouragement that kept me going whenever I doubted that I could do that work!
If the Lord could use me to deliver a letter that was lost in a pile of leaves, then He would certainly help me to do the work that He had given me to do. I was now confident that, with GOD’s help, I could get the right correspondence to the right person as long as I made an extra effort to do it. That’s really all that He is requiring of any of us who are doing work that He has already ordained for us to do. Agreed?
A BLUNDER THAT BECAME A TESTIMONY
After I became acclimated in my job, it seemed like being able to recognize various forms of written foreign languages had become “second nature” to me. My mind was no longer challenged in distinguishing Urdu from Hindi. It might have been my overconfidence that made me make a mistake that I have never forgotten to this day. Amazing grace? Yes!
After several months on the job, I found myself in a private meeting with my supervisor and the head of the translation department. Nervous? You bet!
Supervisor: You sent an application that was written in Italian to our Portuguese translator.
After seeing copies, I found myself stumbling for words of apology.
Head of the Translation Department: But, here’s the best part: that particular Portuguese translator was raised by an Italian family. So, he just went ahead and translated it and sent it back. He included a note to let us know what happened.
The three of us just marveled at how the Lord had brought about an unexpected testimony of His grace through a staff member’s error. What a great memory for all of us!
WHY I SHARED THIS TESTIMONY
There may be someone who has just read my testimony who needs to be reminded that whatever the Lord has given your hands to do, just do it as unto the Lord. He would not have given you that work if He knew that you could not do it. Where is glory for GOD in your failure?
Ask Him for His help…daily. It will come to you. Take lots of notes and refer to them often. And, don’t be afraid to let others help you. When a whole team succeeds, it matters little which member gets the credit. Agreed?
There is a saying that I have shared with many people over the years. It was spoken by an old preacher as part of his sermon.
“If GOD has already proven to be faithful, and you know Him to be good, then worrying is foolish.”
Be wise and stop worrying, Beloved One. He has you…..He has you…..All is well.
