I have a confession. Kevin and I haven’t done anything to celebrate/commemorate/remember Easter this year. It’s not that we forgot about it, we just had more important (?) things on our minds, like finals. We decided that we will truly start our Easter traditions next year. #failures
But even though we didn’t make cookies that end up being hollow, or put together Easter baskets, or an Easter egg hunt, and we I ate all of the Easter candy that my wonderful mother-in-law brought us (even when Kevin hid it. If it’s in the apartment I have no self control), I still feel a lot of gratitude for this holiday. I don’t really think that Easter is about the candy, or the eggs, or the traditions, although those things are all wonderful. Easter is a Sunday to go to church, to take the sacrament, and to think even more than usual about the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This was a really hard semester for me. Definitely my hardest ever, and there are a lot of things that happened throughout the semester that I wasn’t proud of. There were days when I just wanted to give up, there were days when I let distractions get in the way of what I should be doing. When I would fail, it was easy for me to think “What is even the point? I messed this up, it’s ruined forever. I can’t do it.” But thankfully, I could always try again the next day, I could always say “I’m sorry,” I could always try to change.
That’s what the Atonement is about, in my life lately. Change. I am not the person that I want to be. I am so far away from the Christlike, loving, selfless, service-oriented, considerate person that I want to be. Sometimes I talk about myself too much, sometimes I don’t realize how another person is feeling, sometimes I say mean things to my husband, sometimes I am lazy and gluttonous. If Jesus Christ hadn’t suffered for me in Gethsemane, and died on the cross at Calgary, I would never be able to progress, and forsake my sins, and choose to change. Even though it hurts me to think about all that He suffered for my sake, I am so grateful that he did it, so that I can have my sins forgiven by a just and merciful God, and try again tomorrow to be a better person.
I don’t fully understand what the Resurrection means for me. I believe and have a testimony that because Christ lived again, so will we all. I believe that because of this incredible miracle, families can always be together. I don’t fully understand these things, but that doesn’t make me less grateful for them. I’m so grateful that I can’t hardly contain it. After I die, I will live again in a perfected, celestial body? My husband and I will be together forever, and create our own worlds and be kings and queens? Every blessing that I am denied on Earth will be given to me in the eternities? This is all because of my Savior, Jesus Christ? Wow. He must really love us.
I believe that Heavenly Father loves all of His children and that He prepared a way for all of us to come back into His presence. I have a testimony that the way back to Him is through the Atonement of His literal son, Jesus Christ. I know that we will all be Resurrected because of Him. I believe that this is what Easter is about, and I am grateful to have a day to celebrate it!
1 comment:
Thank you for sharing your testimony! It was beautifully said. Someone posted today, "It's...growth that Heavenly Father cares about." not anything else, just that we ARE trying to improve!
And you're most definitely not a failure for not doing traditions. We didn't do any this year either. I figure, the kids won't remember, right? So it's ok!! :)
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