I lead a seniors’ group at our church called “Lunch & Learn” and the speaker last week was a good friend and very talented musician, Matt Day.

He led us in an exercise that he does for his music care program where he works with patients in the rehabilitation unit at the Glenrose Hospital. By playing just a few notes of a song, memories were instantly refreshed and people started singing along as if they had the lyrics right in front of them! It was really fun.

What was amazing to me was how it only took a few notes of a song to open up words, melodies, memories, smiles and stories. It only took a few notes.

Since then, I’ve been curious about the other things that are stored in our brains that when triggered, will unlock, open up and automatically start playing.

When I see a dog walking with it’s owner, it doesn’t matter what is on my mind, if I have pain or feel tired or grumpy, I instantly smile, ask if I can pet their dog and get down on my knees to give him a good scratch. It is an auto-response. In fact, my husband is always shocked when I manage to just keep walking by.

When I hear test results at the doctor’s office, I usually take a deep breath, breathe out a quiet “Hoooo, ok” sound and then begin writing things down. It just happens without me thinking about it. It’s an automatic response.

But there are other things that are more subtle, deeper, less noticeable to others, that have the same auto-play response and this is what I am most curious about.

Consider this, what “songs” start playing when the following things happen:

• Someone doesn’t return your call/email for a few days.

• You don’t fit into your favourite jeans.

• You weren’t invited to a family gathering.

• You see photos of a friend’s trip.

• You receive an honour at work.

• Someone else receives honour.

• Your birthday is one week away.

• You need to ask for help.

I’m speaking at a ladies retreat in the Spring and I’m considering doing this as an exercise. I think it would be interesting, funny perhaps and most likely sobering to actually try writing out the lyrics to these songs.

It’s hard for many of us to be still, be quiet and listen to what the Lord wants to say to us. It’s hard for us to fall asleep at night if our brain is on auto-play and the messages are deeply ingrained and refreshed with every new trigger.

But what if we started to do inventory. What if we identified and noticed the songs that are on auto-play.

What if we created a personal bingo sheet that when those songs start to play, we can say, “Ah, yes!! There it is!! I recognize the song, “I’m a loser because my jeans are too tight” . And then, instead of just singing along and letting it shape our thinking, we check it off on our bingo sheet and replace it with a new song. Maybe one like this . . .

Our brains have been beautifully and brilliantly created by God. Let’s be attentive to the songs that we allow to enter and stay and play on repeat!

May we be refreshed by God’s Word, and learn to replace old worthless songs with His truthful ones.