My Third Deal With God

Poor Me

The following Wednesday, I'd been in bed since the previous evening, shivering, despite being wrapped in many layers plus hot water bottle, and generally feeling like I was dying (aka man flu, I know). It got to late afternoon, and I realised there was no way I would be going to my Alpha course that evening.

The Deal

I prayed to God, "God, me again. This Alpha course tonight - I'd really like to go. Not for me, although I do very much enjoy it. But, rather, because I feel I'm going to be asked to recount my experience of Saturday, and I strongly believe it will be really beneficial for people to hear about it. Especially coming from me, the sceptical, gobby one. So if you agree, then please go ahead and make me feel better."

So? Did It "Work"?

An hour and a half or so later, just before the Alpha course session started, I suddenly became well enough to go. Right at the last minute. Coincidence? Maybe. But there's more.

Right at the end of the course, ten minutes after we should have finished actually, I'd forgotten all about telling people about my experience. Nobody had made any mention about anybody's experience on Saturday. We weren't even on a related subject. When, suddenly, Sarah, one of the leaders, who was present when I spoke at the Sunday evening service, piped-up "Tell everyone about what happened to you on Saturday, Roger." I felt like it would be preachy, and inappropriate, and a bit "me, me, me", and also that there wasn't time. But everyone said not to worry about the time, that the end would be once I'd told my story. So off I went, with a slightly condensed version.

I see this as God nipping-in at the last minute to get me to tell my story to people that needed to hear it, just as I'd suggested, but forgotten about. Coincidence? Maybe. But I really don't think so.

Thanks, God

I prayed to God, as I walked home, "Thanks for that, God. Nice one. Mission accomplished. I expect to be ill again now, which is fine, coz the deal was just for the Alpha course. Thanks again." But he didn't let me become ill again, neither that night nor the next day. Maybe my virus would've been over anyway. Don't think so though.