Couples often face decisions with implications that make praying through an otherwise no-brainer decision rather difficult. It takes a degree of faith to do what you believe God is leading you to do when it may have negative consequences to your career or personal finances.

Maryann and I have faced this issue a number of times in our thirty-two years of marriage—the most significant was the morning I called her at work and arranged to meet for lunch at a nearby restaurant. I had been struggling for some time with my work at the studio. I felt God had something different in mind for me than commercial advertising, but hadn't a clue what that might be.

I had spent the night in turmoil—praying about my career, my wife, and our 18-month-old daughter. Morning came with no prospects. I went to the studio, told my secretary I didn't want to be disturbed, sat down at the typewriter (this was 1984), and wrote my letter of resignation.

I sat across the table from the beautiful wife I had promised to provide and care for. I sensed she could tell this was not just a normal lunch date. After we ordered, I produced the letter for her to read and watched for some indication of her reaction.

"Well, what do you think?" I finally broke the silence as she stared at the page. "Well, you've got to do something," she confessed, sensing my dilemma. "If you believe this is what God is leading you to do, I'm ready."

It wasn't until much later that I realized the depth of her commitment to God—and to me. Taking that incredible risk transformed our partnership and moved us to a new spiritual dimension. It was one of the best decisions we ever made.

Gary Burns is the Lake Union Herald editor.