This opens up a whole new world of good things to set our minds on.  Even beyond overtly “spiritual” matters, we have an endless variety of noble and worthy things to plant in our thought life – even “secular” things within art, music, literature, or sports.

I have noticed that I have a spiritual problem not unlike this.  Sinful thoughts, attitudes, and actions seem to recur in my life.  I try to suppress them.  Sometimes by God’s grace there is a great victory over sin.  Until…a relapse.  A negative thought, bad attitude, or unkind remark stubbornly reemerges.

I hope you have not experienced a C diff infection.  But I suspect you know all about the discouraging reality of relapses.  Very likely at some point you have made a resolution (New Year’s or otherwise) to rid your life of a certain sin or bad habit, only soon to realize in despair, like Valerie with her C diff, “It’s back!”