Ferment - an interesting word. It was rattling around in my brain and so I decided to sit down and type and see what had developed. This is a bit long - but read though please.
We know what the results of fermentation are - sometimes good and sometimes "THROW IT OUT NOW!". We give each other those Friendship Cake starters - it is fermented dough or a type of sour dough. Some people drink fermented drinks - we call them wine or beer or even other types. I have made a peach preserves that fermented and became peach brandy (not on purpose - you should have seen my face when I bit into my jelly sandwich and got a whiff of what I was eating).
So, we know what some of the food stuffs are. What exactly does the dictionary say. After going to Websters, this is what I found:
Main Entry: 2 fer·ment Function: noun
1 a : a living organism (as a yeast) that causes fermentation by virtue of
its enzymes b : enzyme
2 a : a state of unrest : agitation b : a process of active often disorderly
development
Did you see that - the 2nd meaning - a state of unrest, agitation, a process of Active disorderly development??? That's what I am aiming for.
Ok - so I will come to the point of this.
My brain ferments. No, it's true. According to the dictionary, it is fermentation. And, it's without any help from the fore mentioned drinks. So you ask, how does a brain ferment - I THINK! (In case you missed it - that was the answer to the question.)
The enzyme in this case is me, myself and I. My ego and/or insecurities. The things I am when no one is looking. Then you add in thoughts. They can be any stray thought - or they can even be an intentional "What do I think of this?" type question. Regardless of where they originate, thoughts are added into the process. Then comes the agitation and here are the results:
What was she thinking wearing those 2 colors together? or
I am so hurt he did not even look at me and acknowledge I was here - he did not even say Hi (sob sob).
How about this favorite -
I can never forgive her, she hurt my feelings, and ohhhh, I remember the time she looked at me funny and ohhhh, I remember the time that she said one thing but I know she really meant something else!!!
And the thoughts grow, and expand, and are somehow doubled and tripled until they become... (wait for it - here it comes) a person totally AGITATED (see I told you it would come back around) and unconsoled. Then, on top of that we paperclip the like type thoughts/offenses together and store them in our brain until we have a little time to pull out our collection during lectures or sermons (whoops, did I just type that) - wallah - instant entertainment that grows a little bit juicer every time we give it notice.
I don't know about you, but I am tired of fermented thoughts that give me a sour taste in my mouth and poison my relationships. I would love to say that the examples above are just random examples taken from my extensive reading library - but I can't. They have been in the recent past some of my paper clip collections of thoughts I have collected and held dear through the years. Unforgiveness, envy, gossip, have been fed well with these random, fermented thoughts.
The Bible says in Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. In the book of Matthew we read But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
Wooo, that is some pretty heavy stuff. Throughout the Bible, there is reference after reference of what our thoughts can do to distance and greatly injure or even destroy our relationship with God and with each other.
So what is the answer? Here is where I started.
In Isaiah 55:7 (New International Version)
Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
So, today I will give up my over-active, fermenting brain. I will capture every stray thought and hold it into the Light. I will forgive (not begin the "process" - that's for another blog) and ask for forgiveness. I will choose not to gossip. I will treat every person who is a Christian as the new creation they are. I will accept that God knows my thoughts and loves me so much that He waited for me to come to this realization. I want to spend eternity with Him and I also want to spend the time I have on this earth in peace with those around me. No more turmoil. No more fermentation. No more me. God's peace, His love above all, His joy. Nice trade, huh?
As for those who do not know Christ, without the fermenting odor of my brain, they will be attracted to the Jesus in me rather than being repelled by the odor of my thoughts. Alleluia - I do believe I get it!!
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