One of the most meaningful “medals” I wear is my callused hands. The skin is so thick on my fingers tips of my right hand I literally have no feeling, from hours playing cello. I have a scar on the top of my right hand from when I climbed in the oven when I was two. And I have sections of thick calluses under each finger from hours of weight lifting at the gym. Though these details may not be significant to anyone else, they are incredibly meaningful to those who have paid the price of time to grow them.
When someone stands up for the gospel, or bares a powerful testimony, it is as though they are showcasing their thickened, conditioned hands. The spirit, like a hand, requires hard work over a long period of time to grow. My brother, Nate, is a perfect example of this. All through high school he did not waste a single minute to let his hands “soften up”. He conditioned his hands, teaching himself hard work, self discipline, strong character, and focus. He loved learning about the gospel. Though we weren’t the closest brothers while he was here, I am just now realizing the strength and focus he must have had through his senior year.
It makes sense that the spirit doesn’t operate on a “30 second testimony” basis. Those power-house, make-you-cry moments are wonderful, but they are simply a conditioning of the skin. Otherwise, attaining a testimony could take as little as an hour and it would be taken for granted instead of something you spent the time pondering and praying about. Thomas Jefferson once said “Anything worth having is worth fighting for”. A focused character and rock-solid testimony are priceless tools that are worth the time to grow. But no two are the same. No one has the same scars or calluses on their hands as mine. Each is unique. No one in will go through this life experiencing the exact same things as somebody else. But that’s what makes each of us valuable and special to the Lord’s plan.
In this generation, rarely is it asked of the saints to give up all we posses. But it is asked we give our time. And the more time we give living the gospel, the more the lord has promised to condition our hands, to make us capable to carry heavier loads, and to allow us to bare a sincere, powerful testimony that He Lives. What could possibly be a more valuable investment of time?
