Learned about the true God from her parents. ⁣

Saw miracles. ⁣

Gained a strong testimony of prophets who can speak the will of the Lord. ⁣

Captured by the Syrians. ⁣

Carried away to a strange land, surrounded by an unfamiliar people, unsure if she’d ever see her family and friends again. ⁣

Told that she’d be serving an important woman. ⁣

One day, she hears this woman talking about her husband. He’s come down with a sickness. Leprosy! ⁣

This young maid knows exactly what she would do on that situation. ⁣

“She said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:3)⁣

A simple testimony of the real priesthood power of prophets. ⁣

A simple display of faith in miracles. ⁣

That’s all she did. ⁣

She just said something small. Something she knew to be true. Something hopeful. ⁣

Something that was out of the ordinary in a strange land, but something that was familiar to her. ⁣

This little testimony was communicated to the great captain, who immediately acted and went to find a prophet in Israel, leading to a powerful miracle and conversion. ⁣

Susan H. Porter taught that salt is a small, common, and cheap ingredient. ⁣

And yet a meal with salt tastes dramatically better than one without any salt. ⁣

“Naaman would not have even been at Elisha’s door without ‘a little maid.’⁣

“You may be young or feel of no importance, but you can be as salt in your family, at school, and in your community.” ⁣

We don’t have to be the spicy hot sauce, show-stopping guacamole, or brilliant bbq sauce to make a difference. ⁣

I’ve watched enough cooking competition shows to know that no matter what flashy or impressive elements you add to your dish, the humble ingredient of salt can never be replaced. ⁣

Small, simple testimonies change eternal destinies. ⁣

A small maid’s testimony changed Naaman’s life. ⁣

Whose lives can you change with yours?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Salt and a maid first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I’ll start having a conversation with someone who I really want to know how she is doing…⁣

And then my kid runs out of sight and I have to run after them.

I’ll see a new family after church that I want to get to know better…

And every time I start walking their way, one of my kids desperately needs my urgent attention.

I catch up with another friend I haven’t seen in a while…⁣

And then I have to go help a kid who is feeling anxious.

I want to be friendly. I want to meet new people. To connect. To show love. ⁣

And yet I feel distracted and disconnected.

I recently prayed for a new perspective and some clarity, because I didn’t like how frustrated I was feeling.

Eventually, the Spirit brought two things to my mind:

First, I remembered the different uplifting interactions I had with people BECAUSE my kids are being kids.

New friendships being made. Other people serving ME. ⁣

And secondly, the Spirit brought to my mind this scripture:

“Out of small things proceedeth that which is great.” D&C 64:33⁣

I often feel like I’m missing out on some great things at church.

Because I am instead stuck doing a bunch of little, insignificant things. ⁣

Pulling out a Jesus book to distract, opening another pack of fruit snacks, pulling a hand away from a cord, picking up the kid trying to lick the A/C vent (again), picking up the goldfish, talking out of a meltdown, teaching about reverence in the chapel…

I do a lot of small things. ⁣

But I do them for three little kids that I love. Because right now, they need the fruit snacks. They need the carrying. They need the teaching. They need the constant attention.

And out of all of these small, little things…

Comes all the REALLY great stuff.

Seriously, these kids are going to be amazing grownups. I can tell already.

And because I will become greater as I step into my role as their mother.

Parenthood is doing a lot of the small stuff. The diaper changes, wiping up the spill, giving a hug, over and over.

Small stuff. All day, every day.

But it’s out of these small things.

The songs sung during the diaper change, the invitation to help mommy clean up the spill, the loving smile and little tickle when I give the hug.

Out of these small things proceedeth that which is great.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Small things first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Her response was, “I want to be an astronaut and a builder and a farmer and a cowboy.”

She is so excited to become all of those things.

And I will be there cheering her on whether she’s in a spaceship or a tractor!

Kids are so good at seeing their future potential.

They know they don’t know everything yet, and that’s okay!

They will learn!

But as we get older, it gets a little more difficult for some reason.

We have our “fixed mindset” that we are the way we are.

“Oh, I’m just not good at studying the scriptures.”

“I’m not a natural teacher.”

“It’s really hard for me to want to serve others.”

We are locking down our potential when we say or think these things.

Absolutely every skill worth having can be obtained with hard work and practice.

“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.” (Matthew 13:31-32)

This littlest, tiniest seed doesn’t look special.

But someone with foresight can see the endless POTENTIAL in that one seed.

They know that it can become something useful, purposeful, fruitful.

Something that is able to serve and produce.

In what areas of your life are you still staying small?

Maybe it’s figuring out how to access your priesthood power, how to gain an education, or how to be kinder in all your interactions.

With Jesus, we don’t have to stay small.

We can grow into the biggest mustard tree we can be!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Staying small first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

But have you noticed how many people, prophets, and scriptures describe the Spirit as a “still small voice”?

Elijah noted the Lord wasn’t in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in “a still small voice”. (1 Kings 19:12)

I’ve found that be true in my life, too.

He often speaks to me in a still, small voice.

Giving guidance, correction, love, comfort, peace, strength.

But I’ve also noticed something about how I hear Him.

I’ve also got to be still and small.

I need to be humble. My ego needs to be small. My pride needs to be gone.

And I’ve got to be still, even if it’s for just a moment smack dab in the middle of a crazy day.

I need to be still and small to hear the still, small voice.

It’s that little invitation.

That little sign that I’m ready to listen.

That unfairly small effort that allows the Spirit to enter my heart and give me what I need.

I’ve got a million excuses for not taking still, small moments.

But whenever I get out of “busy victim” mentality and get to work to have a moment of quiet, I’m always surprised at how easy the direction comes.

Still, small moments for a still, small voice.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Still, small moments first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.