Ear Worms

I was chatting with a friend the other day about songs that are so catchy that they stay in your head for weeks.

"Oh, you mean an ear worm?" she casually replied.

"EW!!!! What's that?" I recoiled at the unfamiliar term.

"No," she explained, "That's what people call a song that gets stuck in your head."

Ever had that happen? You're in line in a store, and you hear it; that song that's way too catchy to ignore. Next thing you know, you're humming it in your car, you're singing it in the shower, you're blasting it like elevator music in the halls of your mind. Usually for me, the cure is simple: time, and listening to something else.

I realized that I've had ear worms through the years. Only they aren't songs, they're thoughts. Dangerous and deadly thoughts. Dismal and dominating thoughts. At the risk of sounding crazy, I hear voices in my head. Voices that say, "You'll never be as thin as her," "You are a bad Mom," "No one will ever listen to what you have to say," and on and on it goes. Next thing I know, if I'm not careful, I'm letting those thoughts take up space in my head when I'm parenting, when I'm alone, when I'm tired, and when I make a mistake. And if I'm not careful, I might let those thoughts stick around, leaving their nasty graffiti on the walls of my mind, cluttering rooms, and taking up precious real estate. Ever had those kind of thoughts in your head? Then our diagnosis is one in the same- we're plagued with ear worms.

The good news is, that no matter what the tune your ear worm is, it can be wiped out. An ear worm is stubborn, but not invincible. And the cure is both simple and complicated: time, and listening to something else.

You see there's a verse that says we need to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5) . What does that mean? It means instead of getting friendly with every thought that pops in your head, inviting it in, taking its coat, offering it tea or coffee, and sitting down with it for as long as it chooses to stay, we need to be ruthless. We need to examine every thought we have, and ask it, "Where are you coming from? Who sent you? What are your intentions?" Channel your inner Dad-of-a-teenage-daughter-whose-date-just-arrived-at-the-door. If it's a thought that shames you, distracts you, tears you down, and trashes you from the inside out, give it the boot. And I'm talking size 13 military boot.

Since nature abhors a vacuum, you need to fill your mind with something else. It would help to fill your mind with what those who love you have to say, but if you're looking for something permanent, truth filled, and life changing, turn to the Word of God. The Artist who made your soul has more to say about you than anyone. Listen to the titles of some of His greatest singles, "I Paid the Highest Price For You", "You're Beautifully Made", "Adventure With Me", and "I'm All You Ever Need". Play those in your head enough, and they will ring through the halls of your mind like a symphony. It's what you've always wanted to hear, and it's 100% truth.

In addition to this, play show and tell. You see, as long as a thought is kept bottled up, it has power. You are its captive audience. And it bullies you by saying that people would think you were nuts if you ever told anyone about it. Can I tell you how much FREEDOM there is in confession? There have been times where I told my husband or trusted friend a thought soundtrack that was bouncing around in my head. Just having the thought leave my mouth, I could hear how much of a lie it was. And to have my husband or that friend say, "Oh that is so NOT true about you!" was like someone opening windows in a stuffy house and letting fresh spring air in. We need to do life with others.

It takes time to eradicate a villain song that's been playing in our heads for years. You might have to kick that same song out again and again until it's out for good. Stick with it. Ear worms make a MESS...and it will take a long time for the rooms of your mind to be straightened up. Even after the good tunes clean up the mess, it will take a while to remember you don't have to tiptoe around the broken vase that used to be there. Be tenacious. Don't give up. Don't give in.

So, Ear Worms? You are being served your eviction notice. You are played out and exposed for what you are...lies. Let's not allow that kind of elevator music in our minds, friends. Life is too short, and there are way better songs out there.