Are your hands cold?

Just the other day Connor was riding his bike. Nothing unusual, but the weather has turned quickly from summer to fall. It was a rather chilly morning. He bundled up with an extra jacket and pants instead of shorts (a huge feat for him, shorts are his life!). He went on a bike ride and then came quickly into the house where I was doing my hair and getting ready for the day. With helmet still on his head he simply said, "My hands are cooooold..." I held his hand to my cheek and felt his cool fingers. My warm face wasn't enough to penetrate deep into the tissue. I then rolled up his sleeves and put his hands in the sink. I turned the water on cold and slowly increased the temperature. Feeling came back into his fingers and hands, we dried them, hugged and he bounded off onto his next adventure. We both know that he will be wearing gloves next time he rides his bike. 

As this simple action kept coming to my mind, I thought about our activity level and enthusiasm in church callings and priorities. Are our hands getting cold without us even realizing they are getting cold? Are we becoming chilly in our callings? Are we doing all we can to help our families testimonies grow and burn with a desire to know more? Are we doing ALL we can to further the gospel and keep our own personal testimony burning?

Sometimes you hear people or missionaries and say, "WOW! They are on FIRE! I wish I could be like them!" Well, the simple truth is, YOU CAN!

Isaiah 50:11

Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled.

You can be on fire! You can live life sparking other's testimonies and spirits. 

We need to be careful in realizing when our hands are getting cold. We need to keep them warm with work and service. We need to keep our hands close to the fire of Christ, so we can warm others around us. 

Sometimes we think that warming our hands can be done only once, and they will magically keep warm though the whole winter. If I go to church once a month I can stay warm. If I read my scriptures once in a while I can still feel that fire. If I pray only when times are hard I will keep from frost bite. 

That's just not so. It takes time and continual effort to remain warm.

Be aware of the cold world around us. It creeps in through cracks and through thin walls. Stay warm. Keep your fire of faith going as you go through life!