"God has the right husband for you." The tall preacher man bent his head to my level, repeating the words he'd already told me earlier with an intense gaze. I was in primary school at the time, full of romantic notions about marriage fostered in part by hearing how God had brought my parents together. Now it seemed he had a similar plan for me.

This promise from God became more important to me the older I grew. I went through high school and then to Melbourne to study at university and every time a guy would like me or I'd like a guy, this little voice seemed to speak in my ears, "I have the right husband for you. And that is not him". I would think, why start a relationship that wouldn't be right, that wouldn't be God's best for me? So I remained single.

Then I got a second message from God, a prophecy about my future written in a birthday letter from my new pastor. It was this: "You will walk alone for a time, but do not allow that to disturb you. Do not look to the left or to the right but walk straight on the path I have chosen for you, because I have a plan for you that will never fail." I read that and thought, "Great" (sarcastically) because I knew I was going to be single for a good while more. And I was.

My younger sister got married at the age of nineteen. I decided to go and work overseas, traveling around the Europe before returning back to Australia. By this time, I was old. Very old to be single in Christian church circles where often girls and guys got married quite young. I looked around and saw no one single and suitable my age. Yet I remembered those two prophecies I'd received "I have the right husband for you" and "I have a plan that will never fail". They were my bedrock when I felt lonely. I would pray for a husband to do ministry with but I also reached the point where I could draw my comfort and security from God and I tried to be content and enjoy being single.

I left the city and moved to the country for a teaching position. The churches were tiny and consisted nearly entirely of young families and old people. There were very few young, single adults and they were mainly women. One day I bemoaned to two of them, "There are no Christian guys in this town". One of the girls, a local, piped up and said, "I'm going to dinner with some single Christian guys over the river on Saturday night. Want to come?"

I was 29 at the time and I said an enthusiastic yes. That night with great excitement, I carefully dressed to meet these Christian guys. There were three of them: Scott, Matt and Kim. I spent the whole night talking to Scott who was a fruit-picker living in a tent by the river. Matt was seven years younger than me and Kim, although he had a good job and a house, did not seem at all right.

Still I went home, somewhat encouraged. Each of those guys went to the church over the river in a nearby town. On the Sunday night I visited their church for a special service they had and was really impressed that a church like that existed in a country area. The pastor was an amazing preacher and the worship powerful. Just like that, I switched churches. Yet after every church service was finished, I would long to be back at my old church, which, although too conservative for my tastes, had very nice people attending, people I was friends with and wanted to hang out with.

My new church, by contrast, was not very friendly and it took me a long time to warm up to the young people that attended there, and for them to warm up to me. God did tell me, around this time to start making an effort with my appearance when going to church, so I did.

God told me to attend a young adults bible study that had just started up in Kim's home (Matt also lived there, being Kim's flatmate). I did not want to go. I really did not want to go. It was on a Wednesday night across the river. As a beginning teacher, I was exhausted after a hectic day at school, and swamped with work and marking to do. Yet every Wednesday I went out of obedience to God and something shifted in my heart towards the group in general. I find I liked them better and we became friends.

Then one day my pastor prophesied over me and said, "I will answer the prayers of your parents". I knew what my parents were praying for. They wanted me to get married. And I realised, that somewhere, somehow soon, I would be meeting my husband.

Then Matt went away for a month to China. To my surprise, I found I missed him. We used to always meet quite naturally at the food table after church and as we munched away, we would chat. Without him, there was no one to talk to and eat with. I was very glad when he returned, but taken aback when he said to me, "I know you like me". I didn't deny it and we ended up deciding to go on our first date.

Not long after that Matt had an honest conversation with me about who he was and where he was at and I was struck by how much God had prepared me for him. There was an incredible dovetailing in our past histories that gave us a unique understanding of each other.

Still we prayed about our future and Matt even fasted. We both became convinced God meant us to be together and the age gap was just a thing.

With the three unexpected prophecies God kept me safe from heart-break in my teens, steadied my heart in my single years enabling me to enjoy them, and then when the time was right signalled the beginning of a committed relationship.

I was thirty-one when we got married. And all I can say is, God knows best. He treasures your heart. He does not want you to be hurt. I was so glad I had his words to keep me safe and led me to the right husband for me.