Obstacles are the hard places (stepping stones)
that will take you to higher levels.
Obstacles are also the grains of fertilizer needed to grow.
Obstacles are the delays that will produce patience, 
and the challenges involved will help produce confidence.
Obstacles are the weights needed to produce strength, 
and they are also the hidden ingredients that will produce faith.
Obstacles are the tests that produce knowledge,
and they are the detours that will lead to our destinies.
Though obstacles will reveal the true integrity of a person. 
Through obstacles character can be built.
Obstacles should not be considered as stumbling blocks, 
instead they are the elements needed for elevation.
Through obstacles legacies from our ancestors were left behind. 
They are words of wisdom that bring us through time after time!

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I dedicate this poem to my mentor Bishop L. Knox