Planted For the Glory of God“To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory.” Isaiah 61:3 (NLT)
As 2018 has come to a close, I thought it’d be good to take a look back on all that happened this past year. I debated writing this post, then thought it would be good for me to open up and share some of what God has done.
At the beginning of 2018, my Grandpa passed away and that was really hard. God was so kind to surround me with loving friends who uplifted and supported me during this time. I was able to get away with them to Catalina and Lake Arrowhead, and make multiple visits to Disneyland throughout the year.
Over the summer I finished all the requirements I needed to apply to Nursing School, and, in November, I found out I was accepted to my Nursing School of choice—Cal State Long Beach. I had been working toward this goal for over 2 years and the Lord was so faithful to answer my prayers.
As the end of the year approached, certain circumstances turned my world upside down. I felt empty and broken. It was exhausting going to church and being around other people. I was barely holding it together but I didn’t want other people to see how much I was hurting. Crying alone in my room, or in my car, became a daily thing. Doing anything productive took an immense amount of effort.
The purpose of this post isn’t so you can feel bad for me. Rather, I want to share the measure of God’s faithfulness through Every circumstance in life.
Through this pain, God has showed me that He has a plan and purpose for my life. He’s been showing me how to rest in the finished work of the cross—to stop reliving the sins of the past because I’ve been forgiven.
He’s been teaching me how to be still and cease striving—that I’m more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ. The disappointments of 2018 do not have to dictate my life in 2019. As the new year has arrived, I’m reminded that time is fleeting and we can’t get back the time we waste.
My goal for 2019 is to live for Jesus in every possible way. I want to honor Jesus by the way I take care of patients in the hospital, by my attitude at school, and by how I spend my spare time. I want to honor Jesus by being healthy and living life to the fullest.
I challenge you to think how you’ll honor Jesus in 2019.
by Candace Kissack