My husband is a dreamer.
It’s one of the many things I love about him.
Especially because I sometimes have trouble seeing beyond the reality of the moment.
I’ve never had a problem keeping my feet planted firmly on the ground. I set goals that I know are attainable. And I lay out a realistic plan to reach them.
But my husband is a constant reminder that big, impossible, seemingly out of reach dreams are good too. In fact sometimes they’re the best kind.
He’s shown me time and again that dreaming together is not only important for our marriage vision, but for our souls too.
A childhood to cherish…
Before we even got married, my husband and I dreamed together. One of our biggest dreams was a home in the country and several acres of land.
I grew up in wide open space. On a medium-size farm right in the middle of the United States, I was constantly surrounded by green fields and blue skies.
Located pretty much in the middle of nowhere, I had the kind of childhood that really can’t be described unless you’ve lived it.
The kind where doors are left unlocked at night and when on vacation. And where the key to any vehicle in town can be found in the front seat, sun visor, or even the ignition.
A place where the nearest Walmart is a 25 minute drive and the closest city over an hour away.
My parents still live in my childhood home. It sits on a dusty gravel road about a mile outside of a tiny little town. A town where everybody really does know your name and you get a wave each time you pass someone on the street.
It’s definitely not a location of convenience. But it IS a place of safety, comfort, and simplicity.
And while I enjoy living in the big city, that quiet country life still beckons to my heart.
Different backgrounds…
My husband, on the other hand, has always lived in the city. He grew up in the suburbs of a large metropolitan area. And that’s where he’s been ever since.
But he has a little country in him too.
His parents divorced when he was young and his dad purchased a small piece of land on the outskirts of the city.
Just enough for a pond, a few horses, and the feel of country living.
My husband spent some of his childhood there, making memories he’s never forgotten.
So, both of us have always had a desire to get back to our roots.
We’ll probably never live in the middle of nowhere. That’s not really part of our marriage vision.
Our girls are enrolled in a private school we love. My husband’s job requires fairly close proximity to a large city.
And we enjoy the conveniences and benefits that come with city living. So, I doubt we’ll replicate my childhood.
But that doesn’t change our desire for a home in the country and a couple dozen acres to call our own.
A dream unrealized…
So, before we even tied the knot, we talked about that country home. And not too long after we started a family, we began making plans on how to get there.
But, as is often the case…life happened.
We went through a season of financial struggle that lasted much longer than we expected.
We felt God leading us to put our children in private school…an expensive decision we had never planned on.
Then a pandemic hit and drastically changed our financial picture and plans for the future.
And to top all that off, inflation went crazy and the housing market soared.
Instead of becoming reality, our dream seemed to slip farther and farther away.
Read “How to Handle Money Issues in Marriage“ for help on navigating difficult financial seasons.
Never giving up…
It would have been easy to throw in the towel. To call it quits and just settle for the city life we had known and enjoyed since meeting over a decade ago.
But giving up is not in our DNA.
So, we dug in our heels in and refused to lose sight of the dream God had put in our hearts all those years before.
In the midst of all our struggles, my husband felt led to pursue real estate. He began to learn everything he could about flipping houses and renting property.
We made plans to upgrade and sell our current home. We’d move to a smaller, more modest house that could become an investment property.
A few years later we sold our initial house for a tidy profit and rented a tiny duplex until we could find our next project.
Our real estate journey had begun.
Reaching for our dreams…
After much more time had passed than we hoped, we purchased that next home. We lived in it for two and a half years, making updates and improvements as we went along. Then, we sold that house and started the process again.
It was harder this time-moving so much was becoming tiresome, Houses continued to rise in price and value. And short-term renting (which we had to do again) was getting old.
But God is faithful and He provided another place for us.
And that’s where we sit now. Almost done updating our third property. Ready to move on again when the time is right. Thankful for the financial benefits that have come from my husband’s real estate knowledge.
Far from wealthy investor status or pro house flippers. But proud of ourselves nonetheless-that we continue to pursue our goals. Regardless of the obstacles that have stood in our way.
But getting into real estate isn’t the only choice we’ve made to propel us closer to our home in the country.
My husband has made wise career decisions that have been good for our finances. I went back to work to help with our girls’ school tuition.
And I started this blog…as a ministry, but also a way to earn extra income for our family.
A marriage vision worth fighting for…
None of that has been easy.
Our real estate journey has been filled with detours and setbacks. It’s required more sacrifice than we ever imagined. And it’s still far from where we’d like it to be.
My return to work has presented numerous challenges for our family. It’s required a lifestyle change that we haven’t always enjoyed. One that wasn’t part of our marriage vision.
And my blog still isn’t profitable.
But we see God working in the midst of it all.
We fully believe He will bring our real estate investments full circle. We don’t know when, but we do know that pursuit will be worth it.
My new job and the blog have been blessings that far outweigh any monetary value. They’ve allowed me the privilege of speaking life into the hearts of people within our own community and across the world.
You simply can’t attach any amount of income to that.
Most importantly, God has used our journey to shape our character and strengthen our faith. No challenge has been wasted. No tears have been in vain.
We are so much stronger together because of our shared marriage vision and passion to reach it. Our relationship is deeper, our family more united, and our hearts softer because of the road we’ve walked.
The pursuit of our dream has changed who we are…for the good. And it’s increased the richness of our marriage in ways we never could have imagined.
What lies ahead…
All that being said, we still live in the city. Our dream of a country home still unrealized. Our marriage vision incomplete.
We have a picture of that house on our vision board. At least, something similar anyway. And it’s never far from our thoughts.
But we aren’t getting any younger. Neither are our children. We desperately want to make it to the country before they’re grown and gone. And we recognize that time is getting short.
Yet, we trust in God’s plan.
He hasn’t forgotten us. He sees our heart and all our hard work. He’s never let us down before. And we know He’s not about to start now.
I believe that someday I’ll sit in our country home and look out over the rolling hills with overwhelming gratitude. Amazed at the goodness and faithfulness of God.
But most of all, thankful for the journey our dreams have taken us on.
Because dreaming big and reaching for those dreams together is one of the best things we’ve ever done for our marriage.
What big dreams are a part of your marriage vision? I’d love to hear them in the comments below!
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