Have you ever questioned God’s plan for you? Questioned why He put in a certain situation that tests your faith? I have. I thought I had everything planned out for my college career. I would attend a Christian affiliated university, study to become a nurse, graduate, and begin a nursing career just as my mom did. However, that did not happen. Due to certain circumstances, I had to leave the university I was attending and ultimately was at a loss of what to do for my future. I felt like a failure. I felt frustrated at God and I began to have little faith in God and His plan for me. At the time, I thought I was following God’s plan for my life, but ultimately I realized that I was trying to take control over something I could not. And as a result, I could not see God’s real plan for my life. During that time of my life, I felt the furthest away from God. I could not understand why He let something like that happen to me. I remember asking my mom, “Why me? Why now?” And she reminded me that as followers of Christ, we may not always see what God has in store for us, but it is always good. It is just as Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God always knew what He had planned for me, I just had little faith and was unwilling to listen to His promises and talk to Him. Now, I find myself reflecting on this verse more often than not. As a senior college student, it can be daunting to think about life after graduation. Where will I be after I graduate? What job will I be able to land? There is so much uncertainty, yet I know the Lord has a plan for me that is greater than what I expect. I imagine that I will go through more similar moments like the one I experienced in my future career. I imagine the big, uncertain changes that may occur; the important decisions that I would have to make in my career; and the plans that I would make for myself. Yet in all this, I know that whatever career path I pursue as a graduate, I have faith that the Lord is setting a path for me that is far greater than I could ever imagine. And this is something to look forward to in my future career.

One can always find beauty in the littlest and simplest of things. It is not something that can be trained or taught. It is something that one finds empowering to do for themselves, and that is what I love about myself. There was once a day that I consider to be one of the worst days of my life, I found beauty in the love and support that I had in my life. Despite the hardships that came that day, I found that the love and support that I had empowered me to be resilient and brave despite my circumstances. I love that I was and still am able to that to this day.