Earworms and Other Intrusions

       The other day I was puttering around my kitchen making supper (we were having what my family calls "piglets" in case you're wondering) when I realized I had a song stuck in my head. An Earworm.  Pretty sure it had been there for the better part of the day. I often have a song in my head and when it's something like Never Alone by BarlowGirl or Brother by NeedtoBreathe then it's a fun time. My subconscious and I jam out to those tunes as we go about our merry way.
      Alas, in this case it was not Needtobreathe. It was the theme song for a cartoon on PBS. My boys like it. It's a cute show. Not to worry, it wasn't the dreaded Caillou or even the again popular Bob the Builder, but a new one called "Nature Cat".
 It has a theme song.

link

 "Nature cat, nature cat, nature CAAaaAAaat." Not something I want playing on repeat in my head.
All
Day
Long
   Luckily I know the cure for an earworm. You simply replace it with another song. Just sing the new song in your head instead of the unwelcome one. The trick is to choose a much, much better song. For example if you're unfortunate enough to be going about your day being mentally serenaded by a boy band, it won't do you any good at all to start singing a Justin Beiber song in your head to take it's place. Unless you like Justin Beiber, then go for it (also talk to a friend who can help you with finding some better music).
    It reminded me of other unwelcome junk that floats into my head- stuff a lot worse than my boys' TV show theme songs. Sometimes the garbage that finds its way into my mind are just thoughts. Thoughts like You're ugly and weird. There are so many things wrong with you it's appalling that you have any friends at all. Not good. Not true. When you and I have trash like that buzzing between our ears it's a big fat lie from the Enemy of our souls.
     But there's some really, really good news. Just like there's a cure for an earworm, there's a cure for the lie. It's the same cure, actually. To get rid of a lie, replace it with a truth.
   The lie says I'm ugly and damaged? God's Word says I am fearfully and wonderfully made. The lie says I'm unlovable? In the 31st chapter of Jeremiah, God said “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness."
     To get rid of a lie replace it with something else.  Like the earworm cure, you just sing the new song in your head instead of the unwelcome one. Just be sure to replace it with something much, much better.