Lay Out Your Dreams Together - Crosswalk PLUS Marriage Devotional

Since then, (for the last 22 years), we have been visiting various mountain ranges and beautiful parts of the country. The blessings it has brought to our marriage have been immeasurable. Yet, we continued to wait for God’s timing and for the financial resources to fulfill this rather big dream He laid on our hearts all those years ago.

In 2023, that plan began to unfold. We had found a perfect little place in the Smoky mountains and after years and years of saving up for this dream, we felt God was finally opening the door. Then almost as quickly as that dream started to come true, it fizzled out and left us both shattered, questioning if we heard God correctly. The fifteen-hour drive home, with four kids and a dog in the car mind you, was eerily quiet.

Little did we know that less than six months later, God would lead us to where we are today. The mountains still call our name and capture our hearts, but God paved the way to a place a few hours away from where we live now, holding a different a rare kind of peaceful beauty.

Now we find ourselves working together to create a tiny home on a piece of property that if I told you the entire backstory would only prove God was at work! Let’s just say butterflies (that symbolize and remind me of my late mother) and a radiant cross that scattered across the sky with sunbeams was involved. It was as if God was telling us, it was time.

It surely wasn’t the dream we had envisioned, but we know this was what God had planned for us, and it came with a purpose. One day, in the near future, we hope to use this place to love and minister to family, friends, and youth alike. We are eager to see what God does!

I share this story because oftentimes, our marriages can grow stale or stagnant because we have forgotten how to be dreamers! Instead of looking into the future with eagerness, we thread lightly, merely surviving in the present. Other times, we peer forward with fear or little hope. But this isn’t what God wants for us, especially in the most sacred of human relations. He desires for us to come to Him with our passions so He can lay out a dream for us to share – together!

That is right! God prewired us to be dreamers and to plan for the future (Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 19:21, and Ecclesiastes 3:11). He plants seeds of longing in our hearts for His ultimate plan and purpose (Psalm 37:4). We just must be willing and ready to open our hearts and receive God’s faithfulness, trust His goodness, and know that He has big plans for our marriages (Jeremiah 29:11).

It starts with an open line of communication with your darling spouse. Reawake the passion in your marriage and share your dreams so you can venture into a new unknown world of possibilities that God is creating just for the two of you!

Prayer:

Faithful Father, we come before You today and first thank you for the unity You provide us in this covenant of marriage. We want to grow in our relationship, and even more draw closer to You, relying fully on the plans You so beautiful craft and create just for us. You are such a good Father, and we delight in how much You love and care for our future. Please place specific dreams in each of our hearts that honor You and will bring You glory. Make way for those dreams to be revealed to us in Your time and that we boldly step out in faith to peruse those dreams, if it is Your will. Allow us to leave behind a legacy that will show our children that marriage is not just about two people that love one another, but more about two that become one in constant pursuit of living in light of eternity. Amen.

Challenge:

Take time to each share a dream that God has been laying on your heart. If that doesn’t seem like an easy question to answer, start by asking yourself where you see your marriage in a year, five years, or even ten years from now.

Is there an area in your life where you and your spouse can serve together in church, ministry, or a mission to fulfill a big-sized God dream? How can you allow God to move in your lives and marriage to create space for these dreams?

What legacy do you want to leave behind for your family and children? How can you include them in some of your dreams?

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/shironosov

Alicia Searl is a devotional author, blogger, and speaker that is passionate about pouring out her heart and pointing ladies of all ages back to Jesus. She has an education background and master’s in literacy.  Her favorite people call her Mom, which is why much of her time is spent cheering them on at a softball game or dance class. She is married to her heartthrob (a tall, spiky-haired blond) who can whip up a mean latte. She sips that goodness while writing her heart on a page while her puppy licks her feet. Visit her website at aliciasearl.com and connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.

We hope you and your spouse are challenged and encouraged by today's devotional! For more of this premium marriage devotional, visit here.