More from Chistel Owoo

After rereading my meditation about a pressing situation several years ago, I was initially overwhelmed with all the things that had followed. In the years since, my husband and I have faced a barrage of physical and emotional hardships, reminding us that indeed even the righteous may trip. As Christians, we aren’t exempted from hardships (unfortunately…). But then the sentence about our house being sold against our will jumped out at me.

At that time, the housing market was in a worldwide slump, with plummeting prices and empty homes lining the streets. Our neighbors, who had the exact same apartment as ours, had finally sold their house (for less than they’d hoped) after a three-year struggle to find a buyer. Again and again, they had dropped their asking price. We weren’t thrilled about selling our house under those circumstances, but we had no choice. No income meant a crushing weight of debt—the mortgage payment hanging over our heads. We approached the same broker as our neighbors had done. Why? Well, at least he had managed to sell an apartment.

But a miracle happened!

We sold our house within two weeks, for the asking price (which was well above what we needed!). We could pay off our mortgage and clear the debts that had accumulated when we didn’t have an income, and we still had some funds to live on while looking forward to the next step in our lives. Indeed, God lifted us amid our distress. Moreover, God used the bankruptcy to give us a new life at “the other side of the world.” Within three months we moved to Ghana, where we started over again.

The other thing I thought of while reading my meditation is that God does not just use those experiences to bless us as individuals, but also as an inspiration and encouragement for others. Yes, it was a horrible time filled with uncertainty. But though we fell, we got up again and now share this experience as a testimony of God’s unwavering grace and faithfulness. God stays true to his word.

I am amazed when I think of writing about our experience with God and about that being a blessing for so many around the world. I am in awe that God chose me and my writing. 

Fun fact: growing up, I never enjoyed writing. I always tried to find a way around it. Now, God uses my writing as a source to touch the lives of others. If you’re stuck in a rut, feeling trapped like you’re in a deep pit, or facing a terrifying situation, know that God is faithful. He will lift you. Look up to God; don’t let the tumultuous crashing waves distract you and threaten to overwhelm you. You will get up again.