BELFAST — A pastor in Northern Ireland has shared a testimony about how God used a housekeeper in the hospital to encourage him and pray for him in the midst of his battle with COVID-19.

Lee McClelland of The Ark Church in Belfast recorded a video telling about the experience and how God knows exactly what His children need.

He explained that on two nights especially, he didn’t know if he would survive and cried out to God to encourage and strengthen him.

“I remember those nights particularly, really crying out to the Lord and asking Him to help me and asking Him to somehow encourage my heart, [to] strengthen me even just supernaturally, just [to] do something that would encourage me and bring me through,” McClelland recalled.

The next night was again difficult — and the pastor was all alone in isolation as no family or friends could visit him.

However, a maintenance worker soon appeared, who happened to be a Christian.

“[A]ll of a sudden, this cleaner had come in … and he was like a ray of sunshine, and he began to chat [with] me, and he asked me how I was, and he began to talk to me and say to me about hanging in there,” McClelland said.

The housekeeper told him that he had been a missionary to Nigeria for 14 years.

“[H]e began to tell me how God had saved many, many souls through his ministry and how God had used him over the years to reach people,” McClelland marveled. “And here he is, now a cleaner, and he’s encouraging my heart. And he’s telling me about souls and about the love of Jesus and the love of God. And I’m just sitting [there], going, ‘Wow.'”

“And this soul was encouraged as I listened to him talk about how Jesus had used his life to rescue the souls of men and how he had traveled, and then just these last couple of years, he had found himself back home in northern Ireland,” he said.

The housekeeper then asked if he could pray for McClelland.

“[A]s he stood at the door — he couldn’t touch me — he began to ask God, the Holy Ghost, to visit me. He began to ask God to heal my body and touch my lungs,” the pastor remembered. “He stood in that doorway and pleaded with God almighty to spare my life and to continue to use me.”

McClelland realized that God knew exactly who to send to encourage his heart. He says that the housekeeper would continue to walk by the window at times and give him a thumbs up.

That night following the visit and prayer, McClelland’s condition began to improve, and he found himself having food cravings — specifically, Tayto brand prawn cocktail flavored crisps, which is a spicy chip with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne — and a bottle of Coke. He asked God if it might be possible to have some somehow.

The next morning, the housekeeper arrived at the door with a bag, simply stating that it was “a gift from the Lord.” Inside were two oranges, a bottle of Coke and a bag of Tayto brand prawn cocktail flavored chips.

“Don’t tell me that God doesn’t know. God knows our every need; He knows our every desire,” McClelland smiled. “He’s an incredible savior, who even down to the finer details of life, when His son desired a packet of Tayto prawn cocktail [crisps], God sent a cleaner …”

He encouraged those listening to his story to know that God can use them just like He used the housekeeper to be a blessing to him.

“Folks, never underestimate where God can use your life. Never underestimate what God can do with you,” McClelland urged. “I thank God that He can use anybody, no matter their title, no matter their position in society. God can use anybody to reach His people.”

The pastor also left a message for the housekeeper in case he ever sees his testimony.

“You know who you are,” he said. “If you ever see this, thank you for hearing the voice of God and reaching someone like me who needed a touch.”

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