Christian Living
I think what I’m about to tell you is a true story. I heard it from a missionary based in Europe, and though it does have the flavor of one of those urban legends that travels the Internet, I’ve honestly never heard it from any source besides the missionary.
Whenever this missionary visits the United States, she stays with a host family. In one such family, the lady of the house was driving to work one morning when she saw a car idling in the emergency lane of an exit ramp. Inside was a woman slumped over the wheel.
The missionary’s friend pulled over and hurried to the driver’s side window of the car. “Ma’am?” she asked. “Ma’am, what’s wrong?”
“I’ve been shot!” The woman inside the car yelled as she pressed her hand against the back of her head. “I got off the night shift, stopped by the grocery store and was on my way home when someone SHOT me! I can feel my brains splattered on the back of my head!”
Horrified, the missionary’s friend took a closer look at the woman’s alleged wound. What she saw was, indeed, some kind of white matter on the back of this woman’s head. She then glanced in the back seat where the woman’s groceries sat—and that’s when she saw the shooter.
It was…the Pillsbury Dough Boy.
The woman had bought one of those “pop” containers of dough. Apparently it popped on its own and quite loudly at that. KAPOW! Its contents shot straight against the back of this woman’s head, and some of it stuck.
Can’t you just see the headlines? DOUGH BOY GETS RISE FROM DRIVER… DOUGH BOY HAS FLAKY DEFENSE… PROSECUTOR SAYS DOUGH BOY WILL BAKE…
Oh, I could so go on, but I do understand why this woman’s mind dove into despair. We do live in a world of drive by shootings and road rage. Imagine cruising along, hearing a loud pop and feeling something smack the back of your head. The mind could certainly take that and run with it.
I’ve often heard it said that the human mind is a powerful thing. Yet, for all its mightiness, it doesn’t take much to send it into a tailspin. One negative thought, a tiny drop of fear, an ounce of doubt—such things can rewire our thinking. This affect reminds me of Paul’s warning in 1 Corinthians 5:6: “Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?” (NIV)
In this particular case, Paul was speaking about the dangerous influence of immoral people. In Galatians 5:9, he used the yeast/dough analogy to warn about the persuasive powers of false teachers. However, I think we can apply his words to many things in life. It just doesn’t take much of a bad thing to ruin a good thing.
Our minds can be taken over by many things. Some of the biggest thieves are pride, anger, jealousy, lust and greed, all beginning with a single and sometimes minuscule thought that latches on and begins to breed. Fearful thoughts, insecurities, feelings of doubt and harboring unforgiveness can rob us of peace, joy and opportunities, eventually darkening every aspect of our lives.
There are also the times when our brains just come undone. We learn that we need a biopsy. We’re unexpectedly laid off from our job. We hear there has been an accident on the highway we know our spouse is traveling on. These are the cold and clammy moments that send our thoughts to the worst case scenario.
What do we do about the thoughts that want to work through our brains the way yeast works through dough? We take them to Jesus—the Bread of Life. (John 6:35)
When these thoughts are sinful, we “must take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV) When they’re related to self-doubt and insecurities, we must cling to the promise that we “can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13 NIV) When thoughts are panicky in the face of unexpected and frightening news, we must go to the One who offers “rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28)
Getting rid of yeast begins with going to our knees—only then will we be able to rise above the thoughts that make us fall..
©Donna G. Morton November 2007
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