“Wisdom for Wealth. For Life.” Episode 50: Faith in Every Detail: A Story of Adoption, Courage, and Faithfulness

Some stories can only be explained by the hand of God—stories woven so intricately, timed so precisely, and filled with so many unexpected turns that the only possible conclusion is that a sovereign God was leading every step. Dianne and Jeff’s adoption journey is one of those stories.

They will tell you they “still can’t believe it’s their story,” but that is precisely what makes it so beautiful. It is a story born not from certainty but from courage; not from having all the answers, but from taking the next faithful step God placed in front of them.

And as they shared on the podcast, their deepest hope is that others will hear their story and say, “If God can do that in their lives… look around and see what He is doing in mine.”

The Call They Didn’t Expect

The Chinerys describe themselves as people who came to God “later in life”—people who never imagined the kind of story He would write for them. Yet once God captured their hearts, He began stirring something new: a desire to open their home to children who needed one.

The call toward adoption wasn’t a single moment of clarity but a series of quiet stirrings. Dianne describes herself as the dreamer, the one whose heart leaps before her head does. Jeff, on the other hand, is one who just looks down and gets it done—a steady, grounded partner in the enormous undertaking that adoption requires. Together, they formed a team equipped for both the emotional weight and the overwhelming paperwork and tasks.

God’s Sovereignty in Every Detail

Dianne and Jeff have four biological children who have all graduated from high school and live on their own. They thought their child-raising years were over and never dreamed that they would be blessed with four more children.

While in China to bring home their first adopted children―son Evan and daughter Lucy― they met another young boy, David, who was in foster care. Dianne and Jeff began praying for David’s parents and that he would find his forever family soon.

As if orchestrated with divine precision, a year later David was sent to the U.S. for a surgery in Dallas. Dianne and Jeff were able to visit him and even bring him back to Atlanta to recover and visit with Evan and Lucy. All of the puzzle pieces began falling into place, and Dianne and Jeff were able to adopt David.

That overlapping timeline—something that should have been impossible—became part of the evidence that God was moving.

“When you see how He worked things out… we can’t believe it’s our story,” Dianne reflected. God was not only sovereign over the big picture—He crafted the smallest details.

Miracles Continued

While Jeff was in China finalizing David’s adoption, Dianne received a picture of a little girl—Mei—and sensed unmistakably that God was calling them to adopt her next. She texted Jeff, who gently replied, “Can we wait until I get home to talk about this?” Yet when he returned, both felt the same conviction: this little girl was meant to be theirs.

When COVID shut down the world just four days before their flight. What they expected to be the joyful culmination of an 18-month process suddenly felt in jeopardy. The years of silence that followed tested their faith, yet they held on to the belief that God finishes what He begins.

After more than three years of closed borders, shifting policies, and uncertainty, the day finally came when they were cleared to travel. When Dianne and Jeff met Mei, she was no longer the toddler they had prepared for—she was a young girl who had waited the first 11 years of her childhood for them. Yet from the moment they met her, they knew: she was theirs, and God had held her until they could come to bring her home.

The Chinery Family

Carried Through Uncertain Days

Dianne admits that adoption can be scary in some ways, but she also says, “You realize you’re being carried all along.” There were moments that made no sense, decisions that felt risky, and steps that required faith far greater than their own strength.

Yet each time fear rose up, God met them with provision—through their church community, their adoption agency, their friends, and even Blue Trust. The firm played an integral part in the story because of how it had shaped the Chinerys’ view of money, resources, and what ultimately matters—eternity.

As an advisor, Jeff is used to cheering others on in their own steps of faith—encouraging clients who are giving generously, pursuing adoption, or following God’s leading into difficult places. But this time, Dianne and Jeff were the ones being cheered on.

Usually, following God doesn’t feel like walking a straight, well-lit path. It feels more like obedience in small pieces—taking the next faithful step when you can’t see the whole staircase.

A Picture of God’s Faithfulness

Looking back, Dianne and Jeff marvel not just at the rescue of one child, but at the way God wrote all four adoptions into a single, interconnected story—each child’s journey preparing the way for the next. Mei’s adoption, impossible by every human measure, became the clearest reminder that God’s timing is never late and never accidental.

What made their adoption stories miraculous was not that everything went smoothly, but that God showed Himself faithful in every unexpected twist. He led them. He sustained them. He equipped them. He surrounded them with support. And He allowed them to experience the joy of watching Him weave their family together.

Their story is living proof of a truth they now share boldly: “Don’t not do something because of fear.” Fear is loud. Faithfulness is quiet. Fear anticipates the worst. Faith remembers God is sovereign. Fear asks, “What if this goes wrong?” Faith asks, “What if God shows up in ways I never expected?”

Dianne’s voice was filled with gratitude, awe, and something deeper—an unshakeable belief that God writes better stories than we ever could.

The Invitation

At the end of the conversation, they offered a simple but powerful question:

“What does it look like for you to be a good and faithful servant?”

Not everyone is called to adoption. Not everyone will walk the same path Dianne and Jeff did. But everyone is called to something—and that calling will always require courage and faithfulness.

“When you see how He [God] worked things out… we can’t believe it’s our story.” 

– Dianne Chinery

Their story is not about extraordinary people. It’s about an extraordinary God who chooses ordinary people, equips them in every step, and writes stories that show His goodness.

You don’t have to see the whole picture. You don’t need to know the ending. You only need to take the next faithful step.

Related Resources:

• Creating a Pipeline for Purpose with Your Family and Finances
• Stewardship: A Call to Faithfulness
• More Than a Provider: A Father’s Call to Financial Faithfulness