Twine

I am not much of a daredevil. Oh, I talk a big talk. I like to sound all tough, but I am really not. Remember the story of the cliff-jump? Yeah- there's no cape on my back.

A few years ago the youth in our church went on a hike on Mt. Rainier. We had lunch on a small plateau by a cliff. Some of the kids walked to the very edge to look over Of course the boys spit over the ledge and watched it fall hundreds of feet to the bottom. The sun was out, the youth and leaders were laughing and enjoying their food, and I was the one herding the kids from the ledge, nauseous from worry. Even my husband told me I was worrying too much. But I just couldn't shake the fear- what if one lost their footing and fell? What if they didn't have anything to hold on to?

I read in a book a few years ago that has never left me. The author described a plain brown package wrapped with a piece of twine. Do you care about the twine? No, you want what is in the package. Now, say, you are hanging off the edge of cliff above certain death, and the only thing that is keeping you alive is the piece of twine you are holding one to. Do you care about the twine now? Do you hope and pray that it is strong?

We are all "hanging over the cliff" in this life. None of us can make it back to safety- back home- without help, without a Savior.

A testimony isn't merely a state of mind, a personal preference or even a set of beliefs. It is more than that. Our testimony of Jesus Christ and his gospel is the spiritual twine that is keeping us from certain spiritual death.

I asked myself a few questions today. Do I care how strong my spiritual twine is now? Is it strong enough to hold me up?

You could take a moment to ask yourself some questions: How strong is your spiritual twine? How strong is your testimony? Is it strong enough to hold you up? If not, then change it. You have the power to: get on your knees, open your scriptures, lend a hand, and turn to God.