Have the Courage to Say Yes

When Mark and Valerie learned that a Ukrainian family needed help, they didn’t hesitate to say yes.

Jack and Rachel Smith (names changed for privacy) and their two young children had fled Ukraine following the outbreak of war. The family had found themselves in Germany, living in limbo without a permanent place to call home. Through the Uniting for Ukraine program, Mark and Valerie had the opportunity to sponsor them to come to the United States, and so they did.

“We just tried not to overthink it, but we felt very compelled to help this family because we had a set of friends that knew them, and we felt safe about doing this,” Mark said.

There was just one problem. They had said yes before they knew how they were going to make it work.

 

A Leap of Faith

The Smiths landed in Chicago earlier than expected. Valerie received a call from a man at the airport who had noticed the family standing alone, looking confused and overwhelmed. They had never been on an airplane before. They had just traveled across the world with two young children. They barely spoke English.

The man told Valerie he would stay with them until she arrived. When Valerie finally reached the airport, she met the Smiths and the kind stranger, Bob (name changed for privacy).

Before leaving, Bob handed Victor a wad of cash. Valerie remembers thinking, “That is one nice guy.” But Bob’s involvement in their story was only beginning.

The next morning, he called and said, “I don’t know who you are, but I just wanna be a part of what you’re doing. I want to help.”

Valerie explained their situation. The family had arrived with only carry-on suitcases. They would need clothes, beds, and eventually a place of their own. Mark and Valerie were still figuring it all out themselves. Bob didn’t seem concerned by the uncertainty, he simply wanted to help.

By the morning after the Smiths arrived, $1,000 had already been deposited into Mark and Valerie’s account. It was a moment neither of them could have planned.

“It was not even an answer to prayer; it was just God saying, ‘I’ve got your back. There’s gonna be other hurdles, but I’m going to take care of this family,’” Valerie explained.

For Mark and Valerie, that was enough. They had stepped forward without knowing how everything would work. And God had met them there.

 

God Was Already Working

The financial help Bob provided came at exactly the right time. But something else was happening, too.

Through Bob’s generosity, a relationship began to form between him and Mark and Valerie. Bob wanted to understand why they were doing this. Why would a couple open their lives to a family in need? Why would they take on financial responsibility for people they barely knew?

For Valerie, the answer was simple.

“Well, Bob, I’m a Christian, and I’m doing what I just truly believe Jesus would do if he saw this family in this situation,” Valerie explained.

She and Mark had simply tried to live their lives by following where they believed God was leading them. The stranger who had helped provide for the Smiths had unexpectedly become someone they could minister to.

Their relationship with Bob continued long after that first phone call. When Bob’s family later faced difficult circumstances of their own, Valerie was able to remind him that she was praying for him and there to support him. The people who had been willing to receive his help were now able to offer something in return: friendship, prayer, and the hope they had found in Christ.

 

Just Say Yes

Mark and Valerie’s story isn’t one about having everything figured out before taking action. In fact, it’s almost the opposite.

They sponsored the Smiths before knowing how they would financially support them. They opened their home before knowing how everything would work. They trusted that if God had placed this opportunity in front of them, He would provide what was needed along the way. And He did.

Over the next two years, the Smiths became part of their lives. Other people stepped in to help financially. Living arrangements came together. Jobs were found. Doors continued opening.

“They needed a lot of financial help, so we just trusted God was gonna work it out, and He did. Some of it was from us, and a lot of it was from other people.”

Looking back, Valerie sees God’s provision as confirmation. “I think God confirms things a lot of times when you step out in that way.”

That doesn’t mean saying yes is always easy.

There were hurdles. There were financial concerns. There were unknowns.

But Mark and Valerie had learned something over the years: they didn’t have to know every step before taking the first one. They just had to be willing.

 

What’s in Front of You?

There are needs everywhere.

Sometimes the scale of suffering in the world can feel overwhelming. There is always another crisis, another person in need, another problem too big for one person to solve. But Valerie has learned not to let the size of the world’s problems keep her from responding to what God places directly in front of her.

“Instead of being overwhelmed by it, I just pray, ‘What do you want me to do with what’s in front of me?’” Valerie said.

That question has shaped the way Mark and Valerie live. They don’t believe they are called to solve every problem, but they do believe they are responsible for responding when God puts something in front of them. And often, the answer is simply, “Okay.”

The Smiths needed someone willing to sponsor them. Mark and Valerie said yes. Mark and Valerie needed help providing for the family. Bob showed up. Bob needed someone willing to share honestly about their faith. Mark and Valerie were there.

None of them could have seen the entire story when it began, but God could.

Sometimes faith means carefully planning and preparing. But other times, faith means taking the next step before you know where the entire road leads.

For Mark and Valerie, saying yes has never meant knowing exactly how everything will work out, it has meant trusting the One who does.