Many, many years ago, a young woman asked me if she could go to our house to ask for counsel. She was single, wanted to get married, and had a few suitors to choose from — all from our church, CCF.
Fortunately, I knew her suitors. So this young lady wanted my opinion — which one of them should she marry?
We discussed the qualities of each one. Particularly their strengths and weaknesses. I didn’t tell her right off, but somehow, I already knew in the first 15 minutes of our conversation that none of her suitors were a good match for her. But I wanted her to discover that for herself, in the course of our discussion.
The thing was, before coming to me, I think she had already convinced herself that she had to marry soon. So she was willing to settle — bad idea. She was willing to marry one of her suitors even if she had her doubts about any of them being a good match for her. I guess you could say she was trying very hard to convince herself that it could work…
At the end of our long, long conversation on our balcony, I told her, point blank, that I didn’t think any of her suitors suited her — not because they were inferior or were bad people. It wasn’t at all like that. Knowing her, and knowing them, I just knew it wasn’t going to work. So I suggested that she wait. And pray.
So we closed our discussion in prayer. And as we prayed with both our heads bowed and our eyes closed, in my mind’s eye, I suddenly saw a man’s face. He was smiling. I saw him clearly — I recognized him only by face and by name. I didn’t know him well, but I knew his dad. His dad would often talk to Ito, my husband, when we bumped into each other in CCF or in Makati, where we held weekly Bible studies.
After we prayed, I looked up and asked the young lady — “Hey. Do you know so-and-so?
He seems like a good match for you. Parang bagay kayo!”
She quickly replied, “Oh no, Cata. Can’t be. He’s a family friend! We were playmates. He’s like a brother to me!”
I said, “Uhmmm…okay. He just seems to be a good match for you — parang you have many things in common.” And I left it at that. But I was wondering — God, what was THAT all about? Why did I see that man’s face while we were praying?
Well, some time later, I found out that they were dating — the young lady and the man whose face I saw while we were praying. And after some time, I can’t remember how long — well, they got married!
Never, never underestimate God and the way He answers prayer. Please don’t get me wrong — I don’t have any special gift for “seeing things” or anything like that because that never happened to me again.
But that was something I will never forget.
I still see this couple in CCF. I don’t think they even know what God showed me that day, while praying for that young lady on our balcony. But it still amazes me how God can do something absolutely extraordinary like that on a very ordinary day — without thunderclaps or fanfare.
