Couple of the Month: #TeamYang
Every month, Sheridan and I want to feature a married couple of the week. We know many of these couples personally. Others we have come to admire from afar. Either way, we appreciate happy and healthy marriages. Ones that recognize the messiness of marriage and still commit to lifelong partnership.
This month we want to feature Daniel and Linda Yang. We always ask our couples to submit a photo that best represents their marriage. We met the Yangs when we lived in Chicago and immediately fell in love with their family. They are an amazing couple, doing life together in Chicagoland. Take a few minutes to learn a bit more about their story.
1. How long have you been married?
May 22, 1999 is our wedding date! So going on 24 years!
2. When did you know they were the one (include his version of the story vs. her story)?
His Story: We were 17 years old. I had another girlfriend and we were all at youth camp together in Nebraska. That week, I wanted to stop dating my girlfriend so that I could pursue her. By the end of that Summer, I knew I wanted to marry her. The following Spring, I had proposed!
Her Story: I knew he was the one by the beginning of our freshman year in college. We both broke up with our current relationships at the time so that we could date each other!
3. What are some of the things you do to keep your relationship growing (and spicy)?
Regarding “spicy”, we eat a lot of Thai food! 😂
We have grown most in our marriage through prayer. Each distinct season has brought challenges that have forced us to sustain times of prayer. And each time we’ve grown individually and as a couple.
But in terms of the other kind of spice…we like to dress up nice and go out. We like nice restaurants, weekend getaways, and each time asking questions of each other we’ve never asked before.
4. What part of marriage wound up being pleasantly surprising for you as a couple?
We got married so young. We didn’t know that you could grow up together and grow in marriage together simultaneously. So feeling like friends AND family…didn’t know that was a combination. We don’t just think of each other as husband and wife, but also as friends and spiritual siblings.
5. What would you say is the most challenging this about being married?
Working through our own sins and pride. Working against feeling bitter, especially when we have unmet expectations of one another. Thinking that after 20 years of marriage, we figured out the things we struggled with early on in our marriage, only to find out they return in different ways. And then raising five kids…especially the teenagers!
6. If you could name one thing that brought you the most joy as a married couple what would it be?
We love adventures. Especially God adventures. That’s led us to live in some awesome places and served in some awesome ministries. That’s been the pain and pleasure of being married to each other and to Christ!