Time Capsule

In our case, every plan for the future always includes God's element of surprise. For us, living fully in the present with the Lord is essential. That doesn't mean we don't dream or make plans—of course we do. But as a family, we constantly remind ourselves that although we may chart our course, it is ultimately God who steers our ship.

When we got married, we never imagined we would end up living in another country, much less raising a family and serving in ministry far from home. We were simply two young professionals serving in the youth ministry because we loved it. Yet God began to lead us, and we chose to respond to His calling. Looking back today, we can confidently say that saying "yes" has been one of the greatest decisions for our personal, family, and spiritual growth.

Did we plan it this way? Definitely not. What we did have on our bucket list was the desire to one day serve the Lord full-time in ministry in our home country. But God had a different story in mind—and it turned out to be far better than anything we could have imagined.

Twelve years have now passed since we left home. A couple of years ago, during a vacation back in our home country, our two children joined us as we opened the boxes that had remained sealed since our move. It was a magical moment. We revisited our dating years through photographs, wedding keepsakes, books we had shared, and anniversary letters. Experiencing those memories again, this time through the eyes of our children, felt like living those moments all over again. In the end, remembering truly is reliving.

When we finished organizing and putting away those little treasures from the past, we looked at each other and simply thanked God for the journey He had taken us on. We realized that living fully in the present doesn't prevent us from dreaming. On the contrary, we learned that the future is always secure in God's hands, even if it rarely unfolds exactly as we imagined—and that's perfectly okay.

We also realized that every class we took, every degree we earned, every opportunity we embraced, and every commitment we made back then became part of the path God used to bring us where we are today. Nothing was wasted.

All of this leads us to one conclusion: keeping God at the center of our lives and our marriage is what will allow us to move confidently into the next ten years, wherever He chooses to lead us.

So today, we want to leave you with this challenge as a couple:

Is God truly the center of your marriage, or is the desire to control the future what is really driving your hearts?

And as you think about the next ten years, ask yourselves:

What do I hope our relationship will look like ten years from now?

What do I need to start cultivating, changing, or strengthening today to make that future a reality?

Because the marriage we will enjoy tomorrow is built by the choices we make today as we walk hand in hand with God.