I thought I had at one time because I knew it was the right thing to do (and I think when I supposedly got rid of it I wrote about it on this blog).
Yes, I am talking about the sweater pictured on the left. It is my comfort sweater. It is the sweater I feel just right in.
And it's ugly. I know it. There are holes in it I've tried to patch. There are some extra seams. I don't know if it ever gets really clean when I wash it.
It doesn't look good, but I still like it.
I like the length of it. I like the color. I like how the sleeves go over my hands.
I really do try to only wear it at home. And I think I threw it away at one time --or at least I told myself I did, but then I found it in my drawer underneath some other clothes. I was happy when I found it! It was like finding a long-lost friend.
It is awful.
If I could find one just as long and shaped just like this one I'd get rid of it. I really would. Of course it would have to be charcoal gray or chocolate brown to be deemed acceptable as a replacement.
Why am I telling you about my sweater?
I know you don't care. You shouldn't. It is just a dumb sweater, a sweater that will definitely make any outfit look awful.
It is just like what looms in front of me today -- something that I repeatedly come back to. The something that pricks at my mind telling me to worry and try to fix stuff and scramble for answers and panic (which always makes it worse).
It's like these feelings that want to take me over are an old ugly sweater I am used to. They look terrible on. They don't do anything for me. They make everything look worse -- even if the situation is sunny these kinds of yucky feelings will make the sun look gloomy.
If you want different results you have to think about things differently, look at situations differently and do different things!
Don't put on those old ugly reactions today. They are worse than an ugly sweater. A person can take off an ugly sweater at any time, but once we allow those bad feelings, those bad reactions, those gloom-and-doom outlooks to overtake us they knock us down flat and it takes awhile to take them off. Just don't let them in.
"you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:9b
"Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward." Hebrews 10:35