Is Someone Trying to Get your Attention?

585 words
IS SOMEONE TRYING TO GET YOUR ATTENTION?
By: James J. Jackson
Have you ever experienced or heard of an ‘ear worm’? According to web search pages, everyone experiences ear worms from time to time. Earworms are songs or tunes that keep running around in one’s head. It may be a song you like, but, more often than not, it will be a tune that you despise, yet find yourself singing or humming over and over again. The harder one tries to stop humming or singing it, the more the tune plays in the mind.
Ear worms are another mystery of the human mind. But, could ear worms sometimes pop up to send you a very important and useful message or remind you that your countenance leaves much to be desired? One frequent ear worm that appears to me (usually when I need to hear it, as opposed to when I might purposely summon it up). is a little song that was intended as a way to instill a life lesson in our daughters.
Years ago, our daughters’ school performed a play called “Music Machine”, which used cute songs to teach the ’fruits of the Spirit’ outlined in the Bible. As we listened to the accompanying tape over and over again, one song became a tool we applied whenever our kids demonstrated impatience with each other or a situation:
Have patience, have patience, don’t be in such a hurry When you get impatient, you only start to worry. Remember, remember, that God is patient, too, And think of all the times when others have to wait for you!
At times, simply singing or humming this little ditty would raise the ire of a child who was enjoying wallowing in impatience. We often had fun with breaking out in the song when least expected. One problem with using such tactics to instill life lessons is that you might just instill the lesson within yourself, as well.
Now, years later, when I find myself being impatient or intolerant with a situation or person, that little song will often appear in my head out of nowhere, and continue in a loop until I deal with the problem in the correct manner. This often entails apologizing and asking forgiveness for my attitude. It proves to be very convicting, and refuses to leave until the issue is dealt with.
Perhaps this is an illustration of the blessings of memorizing Scripture. Once memorized, God’s Word resides in a place just outside one’s consciousness, from which it may quietly, but incessantly, play itself over and over in one’s head until you take the corrective action you know you should take. Sometimes, our human nature just wants to enjoy being in the moment with our impatience, loathing, anger, etc., for a while, but the Lord would have us address the sin issue and move on. Perhaps that is why an ear worm may appear and replay itself in a loop, crowding out the thoughts we would rather dwell on at the time.
I have learned to stop, listen and try to discern whether a particular ear worm is trying to turn my focus to a blind spot in my character, or whether it has arrived just to taunt me and remind me that a void in my idle mind is waiting to be filled with prayer, praise or meditation on God’s word.
Whatever may be the cause of this mystery of the mind, I have learned to be thankful when this particular ear worm shows up to get my attention.
Proverbs tells us, “A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.” Thank God for ear worms!

"Real Answers™" furnished courtesy of The Amy Foundation Internet Syndicate. To contact the author or The Amy Foundation, write or E-mail to: P. O. Box 16091, Lansing, MI 48901-6091; amyfoundtn@aol.com
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