Have you ever received an extra special gift? The kind of gift that is too special to use in ordinary things? The gift that you put on the top shelf so that no one else can get to it? I remember when the smart watches first came out and Mark was so excited to get one. As we contemplated what to get Dad, it was an unanimous vote to get him the watch. Wrapped nicely in a blanket, (since we use blankets for birthday wrapping paper), Mark unwrapped the watch. He was so excited. All the kids were anxious to see how it worked, but out of concern that it could be broken, Mark put it away in his drawer until he could get to it. Six months later while putting away his socks I noticed the unopened watch. I brought it to Mark and he was just as excited as he was the first time. Once again he told me to put it where the kids couldn’t play with it and ruin it. I encouraged him to open it and set it up, and start utilizing it. He opened it, and fiddled with it a bit, but he was unsure how to use it fully and he was busy with work, so he put it back in the drawer until he had more time. A year later, I found the watch again. This time I helped him set it up, and showed him how to use it. He loved it, and couldn’t believe all the functions the watch had, he wondered, “How did he live without it all that time?”
There’s not a gift on earth that is more precious then the Holy Ghost. No matter how long we have it, the excitement never dulls of the reality of having a member of the Godhead as a constant companion. However, sometimes it’s so precious that we put it on the top shelf until we have time to familiarize ourselves with it. Once we finally decide to take it off the shelf, and practice listening and responding, we wonder how we ever lived without it.
“The testimony of the Holy Ghost is the strongest testimony that can be given. It is better than a personal visit.” Russell M. Nelson
The key to unlocking the full power of the Holy Ghost in your life is to practice listening and responding. As we practice. we become familiar with the still small voice. It reminds me of a mother. She can be talking to friends while her children are playing on the playground. It doesn’t matter how many other kid are playing on the playground, when her child gets hurt, she knows immediately that it’s her child crying. How do mothers know their children’s voices? It’s because they are used to responding every day to the constant needs. This reminds me of the important need to know the voice of the Holy Ghost. We live in a world of voices, all of them talking at the same time. It’s absolutely crucial that we become familiar with the voice of the Holy Ghost.
The way to do this is to respond to every good feeling that you have. If it’s just your own mind telling you to call your neighbor, at least your neighbor will feel loved. I have heard story after story of someone responding to a prompting to call or visit someone, after which they find out that their neighbor or friend was dealing with a situation that was overwhelming. As we practice responding to the Holy Ghost we gain trust in him, and he gains trust in us. The Lord will be able to use us to help others, because we act.
“The ordinance of laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost requires us to trust in Him, rely upon Him, follow Him, and press forward in Him with the assistance of His Holy Spirit.” -David A. Bednar
-Sherri Jorgensen
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