Parable of the Lazy Woman

There once was a woman that diligently took care of her home finances.  Twice a month she reviewed household expenses and paid those things which were due to creditors.  Over time this task became slightly mindless and tedious.  The woman still reviewed the expenses but once in a while she skimmed to save a few minutes and get on to other things that were more to her liking.  This woman had become lazy in her dealings with creditors.



A letter came in the mail one day, "Your insurance statement has expired please send us a copy of the renewal.".  Being a overconfident woman she ignored it scoffing, "I have paid this of course, silly mortgage company.", and she threw the letter into the shredder.

A week or so later a nice surprise came in the mail, the diligent woman had paid her car insurance twice and a refund check had been issued.  Oh, goodie!  The very next day a nasty letter from the mortgage company arrived, "You have until October 20th to send us your insurance renewal or we will impose insurance on you.".  The woman angrily called the insurance company, "Why are you being so lazy?", she asked.  "Your bill hasn't been paid madam.", the pleasant young man explained.  "What?  This can't be! I am a diligent woman!", she cried.  They went through payments and discovered that she had indeed made the car insurance payment twice and nothing to the homeowners insurance, the amount was within a few pennies of each other.

"Oh, dear.", thought the woman, "What have I done?  What have I become? Am I truly becoming a lazy woman?"  She took out her binders, looked up their accounts: she spent time as she hadn't in years.  She sorted and shredded and amended and made right those accounts which she thought she had been so diligently overseeing.  She recommitted herself to making her family finances better and keeping her husband abreast so he could take over if the need arose.

President Eyring gave a talk on this in April Conference 2010.
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/act-in-all-diligence 

He said:

“Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence.

“He that is slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand. Even so. Amen.”    ^{D&C 107:99-100} 

 

We are to learn our duty from the Lord, and then we are to act in all diligence, never being lazy or slothful.

 

 

 

There are definitely things that we get complacent doing.  Things that seem easy and rote but we should take even the little things for granted.  We need to act diligently so we can stand with the worthy.