Jackie McClafferty, businesswoman, Dublin

Alpha Course turned my life around, says Dublin Businesswoman

Ten years ago, at the age of 57, my father suddenly died. At the time I was seven months pregnant with my second son. At four months old my baby son was rushed to hospital, very ill. His brain was bleeding rapidly and his head was swelling. Doctors decided they would have to operate - but there was only a 50/50 chance he would survive.

I cried out to God in the little hospital chapel. I made a deal with Him: that if He saved my child I would one day follow him. My son’s brain stopped bleeding. The doctors couldn’t believe it. They said it was a miracle! My Baby Boy was allowed home two days later - totally healed. That was the beginning of my journey with the Lord.

At that time I was living life in the fast lane. I was involved in a big social scene, a roller-coaster life of Highs and Lows. I had two businesses and 15 staff. I had nannies looking after my children and other people collecting them from the school gate. On the outside I was a happy-go-lucky person, but inside I was crumbling. I had so much but felt so empty. I had a strong hunger for spiritual things but this led me down the wrong path - I sought out mediums and spiritualists. Because of this, things in my life were going from bad to worse. My sister has a strong Christian Faith and continued to pray for me.

Then I was invited to do something called the Alpha Course. I didn’t know too much about it, but understood it was a kind of introduction to the Christian Faith. It is a brilliant course. The teaching input was so clear and engaging, it always left me hungry for more - and the people were so genuinely caring. Through it all I started to pray and experience a whole new sense of closeness with God.

God has restored broken relationships in my life. He has restored years of my life that had been lost, just like he promised in the Bible: “I will restore to you the years locusts have eaten”(Joel 2:25). He is restoring me to the person He created me to be, not the person the world wants me to be. He continues to perform many miracles in my life. He gives me opportunities to pray with people regularly, including my 8 staff, and he gives me the boldness to step out in faith.

The Lord never ceases to amaze me. He speaks to me through NATURE, through PEOPLE, through SUFFERING and through JOY. His message is simple, it’s us that make it complicated. He is not distant - He is near us in our hearts and on our lips. And I praise Him because we are Fearfully and Wonderfully made.

I have been involved in a number of Alpha courses since and have been so thrilled to see others begin to have a personal relationship with the Lord.