Sometimes, saying a big “yes” to God is the result of saying a lot of small “yeses”—what Eugene Peterson calls “a long obedience in the same direction.”
This has certainly been true in the life of Lisa Adams, who was introduced to the generosity message at Women Doing Well’s Inspiring Generous Joy (now WDW Signature Event) event in Denver. Then she and her husband experienced Generous Giving’s Celebration of Generosity gathering in Austin, TX.
“I found the stories so joyful,” says Lisa. “I thought, ‘I don’t have the means to do something really big, but it would be so fun to do something.’ The Celebration taught me to be aware of when God is nudging your heart—and say yes.”
Soon thereafter, Lisa reconnected with an old friend, Laura, who had been divorced and felt God calling her to adopt five troubled boys, aged 4-13. Says Lisa, “Laura re-entered my life at a critical juncture—and that was God’s timing.” She went to visit Laura and meet her boys. What she saw shook her world.
“These were ‘throwaway children,’ unadoptable,” Lisa recounts. “Sexually abused. Subjected to drugs and the effects of drugs. One was a baby who had lived in a cage in a meth house…only four months old and had never seen the sunlight. But my friend Laura told God, ‘I will take any child you give me.’”
Though she had very little means to care for them, Laura brought them into her heart and home. Lisa talked with Monica, a mutual friend, about Laura’s family. Together they agreed, “We need to help this woman.”
What was it like for Lisa to begin that adventure? “God can use us in our deficiencies,” she shares. “I had never headed up something, but when I saw Laura saying ‘yes’ to God in such a powerful way, Monica and I were motivated to create TheSayYesProject.”
Monica and Lisa made a monthly commitment, then started to gather other donors to join them. Generosity was infectious. “It wasn’t huge,” says Lisa, “but added to a few others’ funds, we were able to make all the difference for Laura and her boys.”
How is Lisa’s support of Laura and her sons a reflection of Lisa’s God-given purpose? “At Inspiring Generous Joy (now WDW Signature Event) I discovered that my purpose is ‘inspiring hope,’ and that’s truly what Laura does,” Lisa explains. “She speaks Jesus to her boys constantly, and each of them has come to faith in Christ and is growing strong in Him. Laura said ‘yes’ to God. Now her sons have said ‘yes’ to Him.”
What is Lisa’s advice for others seeking to embark on the adventure of saying “yes” to God? “Watch for God’s fingerprints and movement; and then join Him. Be prepared to be surprised.”
