Have you ever had a challenge that you could not overcome by yourself?  When I was young, I had severe allergies and asthma.  I was often miserable, but grew to anticipate and prepare for it.  I had developed certain ways to cope with and manage my symptoms.  Some medications were helpful.  Some were not so helpful and had side effects.  I would occasionally use a humidifier when I would get a dry cough.  I learned that lying down made it difficult to breathe.  I adapted by sleeping elevated in a beanbag chair.  I learned that cold compresses or cool washcloths would sooth itchy eyes.

As fall approached one year, I had a severe asthma attack.  I couldn’t shake it.  All the normal things I did to cope just didn’t work.  My mom took me to see a doctor several times, but it just kept coming back.  During the last of those doctor visits, the physician asked to speak with my mother outside the room I was in.  My mother later told me that she was advised that they would try one last procedure and then hospitalize me if I didn’t respond.  He came back in with a big ol’ needle and told me it was an adrenaline shot.  He wanted to see if he could get my heart pumping fast enough to give my lungs a little jump start.  That shot hurt like crazy going it, but it did the trick!  Within minutes, I started to breathe easier.  I was thrilled and relieved.

We left his office and returned home.  Within minutes of returning home, the adrenaline wore off, and my symptoms came back with a vengeance!  It was late Friday night and we couldn’t contact the doctor.  Nothing was working and my parents were desperate.

My father called a neighbor and together they anointed my head with consecrated olive oil and by the authority of the Melchizedek priesthood (Christ’s authority, given to worthy men act his name – See Hebrews 7) gave me a blessing of health.  The results were truly miraculous.  For the first time in weeks, I slept through the night.  The next morning, my soccer team had a game.  Even though my mom would not let me play, I went and ran around the field at half time.  I had no other symptoms for the remainder of that year.

That experience made me realize there are things we cannot overcome by ourselves.  We need others to minister to us and we need God’s influence in our lives.  All of us have mortal challenges and weaknesses that require assistance from others.  As mentioned in a previous post (“I Need to Be Self-Reliant” see below) self-reliance invites interdependence with others.  We cannot become entirely dependent upon others, but must recognize that none of us is completely independent either.  We need each other and we need divine help.

As we remember Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice and resurrection this Easter season, we are reminded that He surpassed all things in our behalf.  He specifically overcame two things that we cannot conquer by ourselves: physical death (the separation of our spirit and body) and spiritual death (our separation from God due to our sins).  There are many challenges that exceed our own strength and thus invite interdependence with others, especially God.  He gave His only begotten Son that we might overcome all things.  Christ’s sacrifice is the ultimate example or “type” of self-reliance or “interdependence.”  Interdependence is the “I” in the BIG secret.  Like the apostle Paul, I declare that “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”  (Philippians 4:13)

Please take two three minutes and watch the video clip that reminds us of what is possible “Because of Him.”