Slow, Slow, Quick, Quick

©Darrell Wyatt

Thus we see how quick the children of men do forget the Lord their God, yea, how quick to do iniquity, and to be led away by the evil one. (Alma 46:8)

But behold, the Nephites were not slow to remember the Lord their God in this their time of affliction.  They could not be taken in by [the Lamanites'] snares...(Alma 55:31)

I like lists.  I don't follow them very well, but I like to make them.  Grocery lists. Chore lists.  To Do Lists.  Lists of bills and lists of appointments.  I have lists everywhere.  So this morning, when I was reading, my mind wandered to two more lists - The Slow List and The Quick List.  The scriptures repeatedly talk of things that the Nephites and Lamanites were slow or quick to do.  They were slow to remember their God in times of need (or not slow, as the above verse shows), they were quick to do iniquity, slow to hearken to the commandments.  I began to think of the things that I'm quick and slow at.  Here's what I came up with:

Quick

• To judge
• To anger
• To defensiveness
• To forgive (I really feel like this isn't a huge problem for me most of the time)
• To give up
• To give in

Slow

• To wake up
• To clean up
• To forgive (Although this isn't a problem most of the time, it can be a problem when it matters, i.e. my kids)
• To serve
• To show affection

Yeah.  I know.   I'm not super proud of those lists.  The fantastic thing, though, is that it is within my power to change them.  The funny thing is, all I need to do is swap the headings to make them look like this:

Slow

• To judge
• To anger
• To defensiveness
• To give up
• To give in

Quick

• To wake up
• To clean up
• To forgive - With everyone, every time.
• To serve
• To show affection

That looks so much better!  These are two lists that I can constantly work on and look at and hopefully someday "check mark" and complete.  And unlike my grocery lists and chore lists and to do lists, the slow and quick lists really matter.  They are lists that will make a real difference in my life and the lives of those around me.  I guess I'd better be quick to follow them.