I love resale shops. Some of my favorite clothes are from thrift-shops and resale boutiques. Often I find exactly the right color and fit in one of these stores, even when a hunt in typical retail shops turns up nothing.
However, resale shopping requires a keen eye for quality. Many of the clothes are wonderful buys, but there are also a lot of garments with stains, torn seams, and pilled fabrics. Sometimes I get so excited about a fashionable find that I forget to check all the details. Later, when I am about to wear the new sweater or skirt, I discover a flaw that makes it unusable. To help you avoid my mistakes, I offer this list.
Five Checkpoints of a Quality Garment
1. Is the garment clean, without stains?
2. Is the fabric in good shape? Or is faded, worn, or pilly?
3. Is the stitching tight and secure?
4. Are the buttons reinforced?
5. Does the garment have a wide, even hem?
The lessons from quality garments can apply to our lives as well. Often, I live life without paying attention to the details. I rush from appointment to appointment without the considering how to better spend my time.
The philosopher Plato wrote:
The unexamined life is not worth living.
So how should we examine our lives? What elements create a day well spent?
Drawing from the checkpoints of a quality garment, here are some features to look for in a day well spent:
Five Checkpoints of a Quality Day
1. Was the day cleaned? Did it include a time of confession and receiving God’s forgiveness?
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 NIV).
2. Were joy and laughter included in the fabric of the day?
“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10 NIV)
3. Was the day stitched with love?
“Do everything in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14 NIV)
4. Was the day reinforced with God’s Word?
“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
5. Was the day hemmed in prayer and thankfulness?
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