I love assurance – knowing that things are set, a plan is made, and that I have everything I need. Assurance is something I often pray for, no matter the situation. I may be at home, relaxed and suddenly think of something I need to complete, and at that moment I need the assurance that I did not forget anything, and only then I can return to relaxing. I may be traveling and suddenly wonder where a certain item is at home, and not feel calm again until I can remember where said item is.
Assurance has been an overarching theme in my life, and something that I have also had to work on. As someone who naturally worries more than necessary, I can find myself stuck before I get the assurance I need.
Through different chapters of my life, the assurance I need has changed. I have grown in my trust in God’s guidance, and yet I still need God’s assurance.
This prayer particularly resonated with me as I read through this book. Grant me, once again, assurance of your presence and love.
God has constantly shown up in my life, long before I even recognized it. God is consistently providing miracles for me to enjoy, and yet every time an inconvenience may arise, I question God’s presence.
One of the most comical times in which I needed assurance was in preparation for my wedding. My husband and I got married in the middle of 2020, and things did not go as planned. Of course, the derailment of wedding plans is nothing new, however, I felt as though my event plans had shifted more than I ever could have accounted for. A pandemic was rapidly spreading across the globe and the event which we had been looking forward to changed from a major celebration to a backyard party with 35 people in total. It turned out to be an amazing celebration, and I wouldn’t change a thing now. However, when the moment arrived in which we had to change everything, cancel a venue, disinvite our guests, and change the date, I needed a lot of assurance that everything was going to work out. And indeed it did.
This is not to say that “everything works out” and that “things happen for a reason,” but instead this is a reminder for me that God has shown up for me in the past. I am reminded of God’s love and assurance in the smallest of things, which helps me conquer whatever worry I have at the moment.
I am reminded of God’s love through the relationships that strengthen me. I feel God’s presence in my everyday interactions with those around me.
I trust God to take care of my worries because all along God has been by my side, through even the roughest of times. I may never stop asking for God’s assurance of God’s presence and love, but no matter how many times I may request it, God is there.
God loved me long before I became stressed, loves me through it, and reassures me again and again.
Kalmani Huether-Amoah enjoys exploring new coffee shops, spending time with people and eating good food.