Control is something we value and work toward. For Jim Eisenmenger, it just made sense. As a tax accountant, why would you do something that seemed too risky on paper?
But Jim’s wife Jenny felt a clear call from God. They had been praying about adoption. For Jim, the idea of adopting one girl similar in age to their biological daughter made sense. He could imagine making that work for their family. But his wife had been researching and looking through adoption websites and had a supernatural experience where she sensed God highlight two siblings, saying, “There they are.” Jenny believed that those were the children God was calling them to adopt.
Jim struggled to wrap his mind around the idea of adopting a sibling set. As he was processing this question, he went to one of his favorite events of the year, the Cornerstone Music Festival. It was there that God changed his heart. Something about the community, seeing the body of Christ in all its diversity, and the value of loving and caring for the least of these, impacted his heart. By the time Jim came home, he knew God was calling him to loosen his grip on control and be willing to trust God in the journey. It turned out to be a journey that would add not two, but five children to their family.
The journey with adoption radically changed their family, but it wasn’t long before having eight children became the new normal. It was hard, but it was beautiful—a living testament to the fact that God knows what is best for us and for our families.
God used that journey of letting go and trusting Him to make Jim into a person who was more willing to follow His path, even when it seems crazy. That was the perfect preparation for what was ahead for Jim—becoming part of creating a music festival that would continue the gift that Cornerstone had been to Jim. Hear his inspiring story in Chapter 56 of Epic.