The main message of the Easter season is that the impossible is possible and the miraculous is within our grasp. Jesus Christ’s atonement broke the bonds of death and sin and also the bonds of fear, doubt, and limiting beliefs of our minds.
He said, “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.” When I learn, listen, and walk, I discover truth about Him and our divine natures and abilities. To me, one of the greatest spiritual gifts is to introspectively examine ourselves, both strengths and weaknesses, in order to move forward intentionally and purposefully, even if our bodies or minds struggle with mortal challenges.
Sometimes seeing the bonds visible during those introspections and challenges feel overwhelming. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland pled,
Don’t give up…. Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead—a lot of it…. You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come….Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.
My friend Candice Barrier is such an example of this for me! Some of her hardest bonds and challenges are invisible physical ones, but with integrity to her divine heritage, she acknowledges and moves forward intentionally and purposefully.
Here’s a recent poem by Candice that really brought me joy. Be your own best cheerleader! And cheer on everyone else around you!
Pensive 3/23/2018
Delisa Hargrove and Candice Barrier at the Laie Hawaii Temple
I am my own best cheerleader.
There are others cheering for me, reminding me that I will be okay and that I can do it.
They say more profound things, and see things I don’t see.
They tell me things I don’t know and present possibilities I never imagined.
Even so, nobody else is with me all the time.
Nobody else can push me like I can.
Nobody else knows how hard some things are or how much effort they take.
Nobody else can figure out my limits or abilities like I can.
Nobody else can give me credit for the things I don’t say, or the hard things nobody knows are hard.
Nobody else reminds me when I am alone in the middle of the night that I will be OKAY.
I have decided to give myself a chance.
To believe in myself.
I am on a quest to find the better me.
Each time I find something better in myself I realize how much more there is to learn and discover.
So each day I tell myself, “just one more thing.”
Then I give myself a chance to rest.
“One more dish, then you can take a break.”
“You made it through your shower–you can get dressed and do your hair.”To read more of Delisa’s articles, click here.
It’s okay if it takes a few hours, doing a little at a time.
I can do it!
“In one hour I can do that hard thing”
Then I do it.
It might not be what it used to be, but I tell myself, “that’s okay!”
Isn’t it this way for us all?
What looks like a mountain to me might not be one for you.
What is second nature to me might be a challenge for you.
The principle is the same.
Believing that we can be more.
Stretching for more.
Discovering we can do more than we thought.
Doing one more thing.
Then giving ourselves permission to rest, and taking a moment to say to ourselves, “I did it!”
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.
