Name: Pearlene Friday
Married: 25 years
After a very brief and difficult marriage while living in England where I attended school, the Lord instructed me to return with my infant son to my homeland Jamaica.
I thought I was returning home for good when the Lord again instructed me to return to England to do a required course of study, which I needed to take the State Board exams here, and with specific instructions to come to the United States. In the natural this would not have been my idea, but the instructions were very clear.
At first, because of my previous and painful marriage, I had absolutely no intentions nor desire to be married again. I just wanted to raise my son and live for the Lord. But after about six weeks of my arrival to the U.S., my dreams of being happily married with a lovely Christian home returned to me.
I prayed earnestly with tears asking the Lord to allow me to meet someone of His choosing. In my prayers through tears I said, Lord, I made a mistake the first time. This was my own choosing and I do not want to make the same mistake again. I am asking You, my Father, to personally choose for me my husband. I am new here; I do not know anyone. You know that person and if You want me to be married again, it is entirely in Your hands. I am not going to look for him; I am trusting You to bring him to me.
After about six weeks, one afternoon I was doing my laundry in the basement of my apartment complex. Suddenly I saw a very handsome gentleman walk in and smile at me. Immediately my heart felt as though it jumped out of it's cavity and I was immediately attracted to this man.
He walked up to me, introduced himself and asked me if I was new around here because he had not seen me before. I then shared that indeed I was new and was only in the country for three months. That evening was our first date when he gave me a ride to the grocery store. Of course, he had no intention of going to the grocery store, but as he later told me, he had to make use of the opportunity to be with me.
After 12 months of dating, we were engaged and were married 10 months later.
After 25 years of marriage with three more children, we are very much in love. We consider each other a special gift from the Lord.
