“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

I will be honest—there are moments when I wonder if I am making the right decisions. Times when the weight of “what if” keeps me awake at night. What if I fail? What if people are disappointed? What if I’m not enough?

For years, my default response was to figure everything out on my own. I had strategize, analyze, make pro-and-con lists, and exhaust every option before finally—usually in desperation—turning to God. It is embarrassing to admit, but prayer was often my last resort rather than my first response.

But here is what I am slowly learning: those unsettling moments of vulnerability are not signs of weakness. They are invitations. Invitations to remember that we were never designed to navigate life’s complexities alone.

There’s something transformative that happens when we bring our uncertainties to God at the beginning rather than the end. When I wake up anxious about a difficult conversation, I am learning to pray before I rehearse what I will say a hundred times. When doubts about my capabilities surface, I am practicing surrender before I spiral into comparison or self-criticism. It does not always feel natural—sometimes it feels like interrupting my own problem-solving—but there is a peace that comes from acknowledging, “I need You in this” before the worry takes root.

The beauty of our relationship with God isn’t that we suddenly become people who never struggle. It is that we learn—sometimes slowly, sometimes painfully—to turn to Him FIRST rather than waiting until we are completely overwhelmed. We discover that He does not require us to have it all together before we approach Him. He simply asks that we come.

When anxious thoughts creep in about others’ opinions, about falling short, about the future—these are actually opportunities to redirect our attention to the One Who Promises to walk with us through every season. Not after we have tried everything else. Not when we have proven we are strong enough to handle it alone. But right now, in this moment, with honest hearts that say, “I don’t have this figured out, but I know who does.”