Meryl Mathew, an Administrator and Finance Assistant for USPG, has shared her experience with us.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi! My name is Meryl Mathew and I’m from Kerala, a state in South India. I am 29 years old and a Catholic Christian by faith. I moved to London in 2020 to study and joined USPG as a temp while I was completing my university placement. Although I serve a full-time role now, I am planning to move out of London soon, as I recently got married.
What position do you currently have?
I work as the Administrator and Finance Assistant at USPG. My main responsibility as the finance assistant is to process donations that come in and, as the admin, I produce meeting minutes.
How did you decide to work for your current organisation?
The decision was not mine. God led me to USPG. I had just begun my university placement when I was offered a role at USPG to cover some temp work for the finance team. My heart smiled when I learnt it was a Christian mission organisation. As I started working, my work week was split between finishing my placement and working as a temp at USPG.
What attracted you to your current role and the organisation you currently work for?
I loved math and numbers, so I loved my role in the finance team. More important reasons that made me stay were having colleagues with deep-standing faith from all kinds of cultures and backgrounds with whom I could have meaningful conversations, having a Chapel at the workplace, as well as morning prayers, all of which created a true Christian atmosphere.
How did you feel called to your role?
Growing up, my parents really put faith in the centre of our family. Watching my mum carry out her ministry work while still working at the bank inspired me as a child. My mum instilled in me the foundation of having faith in Christ in every situation and I had the desire to serve God whatever my professional job may be. Just like how God led me to USPG, He gave me the opportunity to complete one year of volunteer work for children and parents in South India before I moved to London. I learnt that serving God could be done in more ways than one. I wanted to serve and glorify God in my job. We serve God when we serve those around us. When my colleague lends a listening ear to support us, God is present for them and reminds them that God is with them in their troubles, I learnt that she was sharing the love of Jesus with them which is the message of the Gospel. It can be as simple as that. It doesn’t have to be complicated.
How does your faith help in the challenges you face at work?
Jesus asks me to love my neighbour, to pray for those who ill-treat me, to be merciful like The Father. We receive opportunities to do all of the above every day at work. Like everyone else, I too find myself in situations at work where I can either choose to exercise patience with a colleague or give in to my human nature, where I can be merciful to my friends or turn a blind eye. In situations like these, I don’t need to study the depths of theology to be a true Christian. My mum would advise me, ‘Anyone who interacts with you should leave having experienced the love of Jesus however short the interaction may be’.
My inclination isn’t always to be Christ-like and I do not claim to be perfect. And most often, when I pray for something, for instance, when I pray for the virtue of patience, rather than being filled with patience, I find myself being tried for the absolute test of patience. That’s how God likes to mould me, by giving me opportunities to exercise what I prayed for. But nothing is impossible with God and I have often times underestimated how much God’s divine grace can enable a weak human being. Over the last few years, I have lived and experienced the Bible verse, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.”.
What advice would you give someone trying to discern their vocation?
It is perfectly normal to be confused and uncertain when it comes to discerning our vocation. As was I in my early twenties. And believe me when I say I had considered all possible paths I could choose as a young Christian woman. And every time I considered a path, I was almost certain that that was the one right path for me.
It is okay to not know. Not knowing is temporary and for me it was a great chance to build my trust in God, to lean on Him rather than on my own understanding. Keep trusting and keep praying – through the confusion. Be at peace even when it feels chaotic. This is the kind of peace only God can give. At the end of the day, whatever life may have in store for us, the most important vocation is to love, regardless of which vocation we choose.