Pressing Forward: My Heart Will Go On

“ Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. (2 Nephi 31:20; The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.”

One of the best but scariest moments of my life was standing in the Missionary Training Center and singing, for the first time as a missionary, the classic Hymn “Called to Serve.” The Chorus really hit me hard:

“Onward, ever onward, as we glory in his name.

Onward, ever onward, as we glory in His name.

FORWARD, PRESSING FORWARD,

As a triumph song we sing.

 GOD OUR STRENGTH WILL BE,

PRESS FORWARD, EVER,

Called to serve our king.”

There’s a difference between going forward and pressing forward. Press means resistance. It means we are up against some sort of force. It means we need to be strong. This could not be more applicable for people who struggle with Mental Illnesses or Emotional Difficulties.  We can do just as much as anyone else on this planet, but it takes more effort on our part. It takes dedication and diligence. It means never giving up.

Now, I have never been a big fan of chic-flics. I am the kind of kid that admittedly cried like a baby in, Forever Strong , but did not shed a single tear in The Notebook. When some of my female friends forced me to watch the Titanic, the only part I really enjoyed was the last thirty minutes when I could see things falling down and being broken and flooded. However, I am secretly a huge fan of the song “My heart will go on.”  I love the imagery behind the words “You are here in my heart and my heart will go on.”

A broken-hearted girl makes the brave decision of moving on and living her life and loving once more. She keeps her first love in her heart, but she lets her heart go on.

We all have something that could keep us from moving on. Maybe it is in our heart. Maybe it is in our past. Maybe it is in our blood. Maybe it is in our head. Maybe it is in our lungs or our stomach.  Whatever or wherever it is, it is most likely out of our control. But, that does not mean it has to control us. It should not hold us back. Something may be in our heart/blood/head/life, but we can still go on.