Bart Millard is a busy guy. Frontman for the Christian band MercyMe and composer of songs such as the Dove award-winning "I Can Only Imagine," he balances busy tour and recording schedules with a firm commitment to his wife, Shannon, and their three small children. That balancing act is made more challenging by the fact that their oldest child, 6-year-old Sam, suffers from juvenile diabetes. In our May/June 2008 issue, Today's Christian shared the joys and difficulties the Millards face daily, including the strict routine of diet, blood tests, and shots that Sam—and therefore his parents—must follow.

Though parenting a high-needs child would be difficult on any marriage, Bart and Shannon have managed to not only weather the tough times but grow closer in the process. TC talked with them about their relationship and how they've managed to pull together rather than apart.

What first attracted you to each other?

Bart: Shannon was my first girlfriend—she was in seventh grade, I was in ninth. We dated on and off and always remained good friends. We'd even talk to each other about who we should and shouldn't date. Through all that, something about her stood out from everybody else. I spent my single years thinking, I wish I could find somebody like Shannon. Eventually we said, "Why do we keep comparing everyone we date to each other?" We got engaged and married within six or seven months after that.

Shannon: Bart's always been really bubbly and funny. But I love his heart. He's a compassionate person who truly seeks what the Lord wants for him. It may sound silly, but even at 13, I knew he was the one.

How has having a high-needs child impacted your relationship?

Bart: It's been really tough. We've gone through seasons where maybe Shannon's frustrated and I'm not, or vice versa, and we deal with things at different paces. And I won't lie—that can cause tension. But overall, I can't imagine doing this without her, and I think she feels the same way. It's not a cakewalk. But because we've known each other for so long, we've believed we could get through this.

Shannon: There have been days when I've thought, What happened to us? Where have we gone? Though we both shed many tears over Sam's illness, Bart deals with things differently than I do. I'm the emotional one who tends to hang on to things. And Bart's "let's deal with it and move on." That created some conflicts, but we talked through them. Bart told me, "You're at a different place than I am, and that's fine because I can lead. I may have a bad day another day, and then you'll lead."

What helped you grow closer rather than apart?

Shannon: We're good communicators. I think if we weren't, it would be a very different situation. With what Bart does, it's always been difficult to stay in the same world. He has his job and he's away, and my job is here with the kids. That in itself has forced us to communicate better. And I think it helped prepare us for Sam's diagnosis. We already worked so hard to stay connected in our job situations, and when Sam's illness hit, it was almost natural to talk our way through it.

Bart: You have two choices. You can hang onto each other as tight as you can or run in the other direction. And running the other direction wasn't an option for us. I needed Shannon more than I've ever needed anybody. There were times when we felt no one else could relate to what we were dealing with.

Has this affected your faith?

Bart: I've had moments when I just wanted to quit. But it's funny how God uses that. My doubt and anger and fear—he's got broad shoulders to take them all. He's right there saying, I'm in this. Don't think I shut my eyes and let Satan have his way. I've always been in this. A blessing is that I've never pursued God more.

Shannon: I felt I was dragged to the bottom of my faith and had to take baby steps back up. I tell myself daily that God has his hand over this. Our faith is all we've had through a series of difficult situations. We've made a decision that we're going to lean on each other and trust God. It's not easy, but when you're at rock bottom, that's all you have.

Do you ever have the opportunity for couple time?

Shannon: We're fortunate because our families live within two to three minutes from us. My parents went to the hospital and learned how to take care of Sam 24 hours a day. They've been amazing about making sure we have time together, just the two of us.

Bart: We try to keep our priorities straight and realize our time together is the most important thing in our relationship. And when we keep that healthy, it pays off by overflowing into our kids.

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