God, My Matchmaker

Please allow me to share my love journey on how I found my way to my husband because I believe God has led me to him in a wonderful way. This story is about my search for the ‘right one’.

As I was growing up, I didn’t have big dreams like most kids do. Like some kids want to be a doctor, or a teacher, etc. My dream was very simple, I just want to have a happy family of my own. That definition of a happy family became clearer to me when I became an SDA. I was 20 years old at that time and just graduated from college. I had come to learn the biblical principles of marriage. That marriage is a sacred thing to God, and who I am going to marry is one of the most crucial decisions I will ever make in my life. And so I prayed, “Lord, I only have 2 goals in life now as a Christian. First, I want to be saved and go to heaven someday. Second, I want to get married at the age of 25 (that was the ideal age for me to marry), please lead me to the right person to marry, someone who loves You with all his heart.”

Time passed by in my Christian walk. I passed the age of 25 but I haven’t found the one. Somewhere along the way, I met this guy, they had a singing group that sang so well. Me and my siblings decided to join them since we love to sing too, and we love the songs they’re singing. After some time, this guy started to pursue me and I accepted him. We would always be invited to sing in churches near and far. But, time and again, I wonder why he would have to call it off simply because he is not in the mood to sing. Our singing ministry was affected since he was the lead singer and we cannot sing without him. Eventually, I found out the truth that he was into serious vices, really serious vices that cause his bipolar behaviour, constant mood swings, and a horrible temper. I was so surprised to know his condition thinking that he is a professed Christian and we are singing for God. But at the same time, I felt deep pity as he was like a lost sheep. So, I commissioned myself to play the part of his spiritual guardian. I set a goal in my heart that I would lead him back to God. Every midweek, vesper, and Sabbath I would encourage him to come to church with me. Every day I would call and pray for him. But oftentimes he would excuse himself. We continued our singing with the hope that the songs will inspire him to change. We scheduled practice several times a week to prevent him from going somewhere else and be with a bad company. Even if my workplace was really very far and I was so tired from work, I came all the way and wouldn’t miss practice because he wouldn’t be encouraged when I’m not around. But, the worst thing of all was to bear his terrible behaviour. He would be very angry when I checked on him. It would be an outrage. And worse, his words were unbearable. I even took him to a Christian psychologist with the hopes that he would change and be counselled. Yet, nothing happened.

One day, my mother confronted me and said that she sees my life would be miserable if I end up with this guy. I would always see her cry over the phone, telling her sister how worried she was of me. All my friends said the same thing. I knew they were right, they just wanted the best for me. But I couldn’t leave the guy. I was blinded by the strong emotions that he would change because he is an SDA. I thought to myself that I just have had to sacrifice a little more and wait a little more. It went on for quite some time until I realized, I had sacrificed so much of my time for him. So much pain and tears. I had prayed so hard and so much. I grew very tired of enduring everything! And, all my efforts would be in vain unless he surrenders himself to God, I couldn’t make him change. At that time, I cried my most sincere prayer to God, I said, “Lord, I’ve done my all for him, I think it’s time for me to move on with my life. Give me the courage to leave him. I know this is not the kind of man You want me to end up with. I’m praying for a real SDA man, not just by name, but a real godly man.”

Just a few days after that prayer, I received a call from my brother who was working here in Dubai at that time. He said, “why don’t you come here and try to find work. You will enjoy it here.” I told him, “no, I don’t have plans of going abroad. I am happy with my work in MAMC and I don’t want to leave home.” But then, a few weeks after that conversation, I started to have problems with my work in MAMC. Then, I suddenly thought of my brother’s invitation to come to Dubai. So, again I prayed to God, “Lord, if this is Your way of helping me out of my relationship with this guy, I am willing to go
there, even if it’s not in my plans to go abroad, I will go if that is Your will for me.” That was December when I resigned. Then in February, I came here. It was heartbreaking to leave everything behind. But you know, in that brokenheartedness, I never knew that God had prepared a wonderful surprise for me here in Dubai.

When I came here, the first thing that my brother told me was, “You came right in time, join me in giving Bible study to my friend Reggie”, –who is now my husband. God had brought me in this place because this is where I would meet the right man, the man that I would marry. And I believe that it was not a mere coincidence that my brother was giving him Bible study at that time. He was being prepared by God to grant me the godly man I was praying for. And true enough, he became a real SDA. Moreover, he’s kind, gentle, and good-looking. I was actually the one who invited him to come to church in the middle part of our Bible study because my brother was hesitant to invite him. And from that first Sabbath on, until now, he never missed a single Sabbath in church. Everything had been right and light, smooth, and sweet. No more drama, no more tears. My prayer had been granted. God gave me the desire of my heart because I prayed in full surrender that He knows what’s best for me. I just let Him lead my way. It was the right time with the right person.

I married at 31. Yes, the wait had been quite long, but the important thing is I married the right person who truly loves God. God has rescued and redeemed me from the possibility of lifelong misery. This experience serves as an eternal proof of how God truly loves me. He didn’t allow me to settle for the wrong person. He saved the best for me. Not that my husband is perfect, but the best match to teach me and fill me with what I need.

There are important things that I have learned from this experience that I want to share especially to the singles:

1.) God blesses a fully surrendered heart. Trust that God knows us better than we know ourselves, so let’s give everything to Him.

2.) Love with the right principles; true love is based on the right principles, not merely on feelings. It says in the Bible that “the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked”…so dare not trust your feelings. (Don’t believe with the saying “Follow your heart and you will never go wrong.” That’s not true)

3.) There is real power in prayer. Be bold with God and pour your heart to Him. He doesn’t always answer with what we expect but always with what is best. You’ll be surprised by what God can do.

4.) Listen to your parents, they love you and just want what’s best for you. It’s true, there’s power in a mother’s prayer. I’ve experienced that in my life.

5.) Choose a man who loves God more than anything or anyone, even you. Because, if a man loves God, everything will fall into place.

Finally, I want to leave a verse from the Bible which is in Proverbs 19:14. It says, “Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife [a good husband] is from the Lord”.
“Bahay at kayamanan ay minamana sa magulang, ngunit ang mabuting asawa ay galing sa Panginoon.”
To the singles who are longing for lifetime partners who is from God, just earnestly pray and surrender your heart to God, He will lead You to the right one. Make Jesus your friend, and He will make you a beautiful love story; a match made in heaven.