‘God ordained our union’
Published:Sunday | December 22, 2019 | 12:24 AMShanna Kaye Monteith - Gleaner Writer
God-ordained, is how Judene Henry describes her union with Phillip.
Reminiscing on the divine way in which she met her husband, Henry, she said, “I was revealed to Phillip in a dream on December 24, 2011, but he had no idea who I was (I was obviously clueless about this).
“Though Phillip lived in London, our paths would cross in Jamaica at True Worshippers events as his brother sang on the True Worshippers choir, and I was part of the True Worshippers dance team. Phillip would come along to events when in the island, but we never actually came in contact with each other. Years before, God revealed me to Phillip in a dream. He had received a prophecy concerning marriage, stating that God was preparing for him an Esther, but he was to wait on God and not refuse her when she was presented.”
The godly woman told Family & Religion that during this time, she was also receiving similar prophecies concerning her future spouse and that she was an Esther who would be the one to cover him in prayer.
“The years went by, as did various relationships for both of us, the frustration of which led Phillip to fast and pray on Christmas Eve 2011 concerning his prophecy. Three years after his dream, unbeknown to both of us, Phillip’s cousin, who was a new convert at my church, heard the Lord tell her that I was perfect for Phillip. Being new to the faith, she did not initially know it was God talking to her as it was so audible that she turned behind her to see who had said it, but obviously, she saw no one.
“She immediately dismissed it as she thought that was impossible as Phillip lived all the way in England. Every year, for the next three years, the Lord would speak to her, and she would still dismiss the idea, until one day, she went on an Esther fast to pray concerning her own relationship, and the Lord told her for the final time that if she did not introduce us, she would not get her breakthrough,” Henry said, noting that by this point, the cousin was more mature in the faith and heeded to the voice of the Lord and made the connection.
She admitted that both she and the man who would be her husband were initially hesitant about the idea of a long-distance relationship but that Phillip finally took the plunge to contact with her after combing through her social media accounts, where he came across a photograph of her, which greatly resembled the woman in his dream – from her clothes to her face and even her hairstyle.
four-hour phone conversation
Henry said that following the epiphany, she received a phone call from him that lasted four hours in which they discussed their journey in Christ.
According to Henry, “We went away from our initial conversation with a strong feeling as though we’ve known each other all our lives though we’d never met in person. I recall us saying it was as if our flesh was catching up with what was already established in the realms of the Spirit.”
The phone conversations increased, divine experiences shared, and the love grew stronger.
What is being described as God’s will for the two was fulfilled on November 9, 2019, when Judene and Phillip exchanged vows at the Gardens of The Jamaica Pegasus hotel – joining the unique union.
“For us, the way in which God placed us together, though separated by thousands of miles, speaks to the uniqueness of our union. The way in which we came together like a puzzle, having similar tastes, communication styles, likes, dislikes, and an almost identical view on ministry.
“Even our very upbringing was similar as we were both born and raised in deliverance ministries in Jamaica – Phillip at Full Truth Church of God and I at Faith Cathedral. This could only be God. He was very specific in His prophetic instructions, the manifestation of which we waited on for over a decade. God was relentless in forging a bond between us that not even we are able to break. With this in mind, we have an assurance that our union goes beyond us. He took His time in shaping us into the people we are today before joining us together to fulfil His will. Each one of us has a unique calling on our lives, whether as an individual or as a couple, and while we may not have the full revelation of what that is, we know in time, the puzzle will come together.”