30 Days Of Emotional HealthSýnishorn

During the financial crisis in the late 2000s, my husband and I couldn’t keep up with the house payments on our upside-down mortgage, and we barely had money for groceries. After much prayer, we felt God asking us to let go of the material thing we were clinging to, so that our hands were free to grip tightly to Him.

We had to be brave and hold on while He navigated the trial.

It wasn’t easy. There were times I was sad, angry, and afraid. I would like to say I was a symbol of grace at the closing table when we short sold our house, but my small smile only masked the bitterness I felt.

But deep down, I knew if we kept putting one foot in front of the other, believing God’s promise to never leave us (Joshua 1:5), being obedient to His Word in Scripture, and repenting of any sin we’d committed, He’d carry us through the murky waters to the high and dry ground ahead.

Years later, I can say with assurance, He didn’t forsake us. He kept His promise. We’re out of financial ruin, and many new and wonderful things were set into motion by our forced move into a new house in a new city, including me going into full time ministry.

If you’re enduring a scary period, take heart and push on. God is with you. He wants you to be courageous and grasp onto Him and His Word, listening and obeying, until He carries you through it. He will be right there when you celebrate victory.

~Kristen Terrette

Novelist, blogger