I had been asked to play a musical number for the Saturday evening session of our stake conference.⁣

And I was SO NERVOUS.⁣

I knew this hymn arrangement super well and it was completely memorized. ⁣

But I kept messing up!⁣

Each time I played a wrong note, I would pull the music out and practice that part over and over. ⁣

And then I would completely butcher another part that I had always played perfectly. ⁣

I focused on each individual note so hard. ⁣

Day after day. ⁣

The stake conference was approaching and I was honestly embarrassed. I thought I had this piece memorized flawlessly, and yet here I was thinking about every single note and messing up in random spots. ⁣

As I sat down discouraged to practice one last time, a thought came to my mind: ⁣

“Invite the Spirit and play your testimony.”⁣

I put the music away, closed my eyes, and started playing. ⁣

But this time, I tried not to think about any notes. ⁣

I just thought about the message and the Spirit that I hoped to share as I played. ⁣

And I played it perfectly. ⁣

I realized later that I played it perfectly BECAUSE I had stopped worrying about all the details.

I had stopped harping on every single mistake that I made and making it a super big deal. ⁣

I just got to the core of why I love to play the piano— because it helps me bear my testimony of God and light and hope. ⁣

Isn’t this true in regular life, too?⁣

When I try to follow all the rules perfectly and feel overwhelmed with guilt every time that I mess up, then I notice mistakes even more.

Things get even worse. Even messier. I can’t fix it all. ⁣

I need a good dose of that simple but powerful lesson Moses tried to teach the Israelites with a brass serpent: ⁣

“Every one that… looketh upon it, shall live.” (Numbers 21:8)⁣

It’s too simple. ⁣

We just have to love Jesus and God and invite the Spirit to be with us. ⁣

That’s all. ⁣

And when we do those things with our whole souls, all the rest of the little details fall into place.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Piano stress  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I was also freshly postpartum.

And a pandemic had just started, leaving me feeling overwhelmed.

This is when I learned that the excruciating pain I kept experiencing meant I needed to have an immediate, unexpected gallbladder removal surgery.

And on top of that, I didn’t take my phone charger with me to the hospital when my husband dropped me off at the ER.

Suddenly, in one of my busiest seasons of life, I was forced to completely slow down.

(While also asking kind nurses to let me borrow their charger from time to time so I could at least communicate with my husband.)

It was really hard at first.

I ended up spending 3 days virtually alone in the hospital.

But I remember the Spirit whispering to me, “Just slow down for a bit.”

It turned into a really sacred time of reset for me.

Alma had to deal with two jobs–

One as the high priest of the church.

And the other as the chief judge of the land.

He said that he felt sorrowful with everything he had to deal with!

And so Alma, “. . . retained the office of high priest unto himself; but he delivered the judgment-seat unto Nephihah.” (Alma 4:18)

Alma gave up one job and kept the other.

And guess what this meant for Alma?

He was suddenly able to do so much more!

By saying no to one thing, he was able to travel the land and be the best high priest that the people needed.

Sometimes, whether by choice or by a completely unexpected surgery and hospital stay, I am reminded that when I say no to some opportunities, I’m actually able to do more.

Simplifying where possible helps me magnify the few roles that I have.

And the Spirit can lead me to know the next right step.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Forced to slow down first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I was doing great: reading the scriptures each day, praying, serving in callings, not fighting with my siblings…

It was great to sit in an interview and feel really great about what I was doing.

And then, my bishop wisely asked me what I was working on to try and improve in my life right now.

I naively responded, “Nothing right now!”

Oh, to have that confidence that I had then.

Living “the gospel” was simple in my mind, and I was checking all the boxes I had in front of me.

This makes me think of the wise saying in Proverbs 1:22.

“How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?”

Now I totally have compassion on younger Cali, and subsequent life lessons were given to me that very much highlighted the unending plethora of things in my life that needed to be improved.

The gospel really is simple.

But that doesn’t mean that the gospel is lived simply.

Loving God and loving others is a whole lot of work.

A lot of discomfort.

A lot of trial and error.

A lot of repentance and change, over and over.

I am ALL FOR simplification…

In most areas.

How long will we long for a gospel that is more simple to actually accomplish?

Or is it time to embrace the all-in, complicated, sometimes messy, but oh-so-fulfilling gospel of Jesus Christ?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Don’t simplify! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.