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We shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts. And will tell of Your greatness. We shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness. And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness (Psalm 145:6-7).
I’ve talked about Miggy Moments for many years. Let’s describe a Miggy Moment: Stomping on the accelerator and not letting up.
There are moments when you need to be heavy-footed with the accelerator, like the on-ramp of an interstate, passing a slow pick-up truck on a two-lane country road, and opening Christmas presents!
But living a stomped accelerator lifestyle, always getting mad, yelling, steaming, and blowing up…
…think, blown engine, or nervous break-down!
Miggy Moments of fear, fight, or flight should not define our lives. Yes, in an emergency; no, when conversing with your daughter or son.
My phrase “Miggy” derives from a part of the brain called the amygdala.
Since the invention of the MRI, the brain has been studied visually, and voilà – the culprit behind temper tantrums and irreverent behavior has been found – the amygdala. Science has also discovered another part of the brain, that provides context and thought – the hippocampus.
After the brain slows down from a Miggy moment, the hippocampus sorts things out, helping to rearrange old memories with intense new ones – mixing them up – and hopefully, a creative thought evolves.
In 2022, we need lots of creative thoughts!
Pastor Grant Note: That’s not scientific.
I was at first tempted to use Miggy and Hippy instead of Miggy and Maggy.
Hippocampus goes with Hippy. I was a hippy and am used to “Far Out” thinking. After involving my entire brain, I stuck with Maggy implying magnificent thoughts, and it rhymes with Miggy.
Enough of my mixed-up brain, now back to the blog.
Consider Miggy to be an accelerator.
The brain also has a brake – beginning with the hippocampus. The hippo helps other parts of the brain to slow down our thoughts and emotions while adding other ideas from past experiences. The brain does this best if you play the Jimi Hendrix hippy song “Purple Haze All Through My Brain” through your earbuds.
We consider and learn. Have you ever had an inspired solution to a difficulty?
John Kotter, in his 2021 book titled Change, calls it “Survive and Thrive.” Kotter doesn’t use my terms Miggy and Maggy, but he does use “Survive and Thrive” and they rhyme too!
He writes:
Humans have within them something we call the Survive Channel. It has the biological equivalent of a radar system that is constantly on the lookout for threats.
The Thrive Channel also has a radar system, but instead of looking for threats, it seeks opportunities.
Desperation or inspiration? In 2022, I want inspiration. God allowed the desperation of 2021 as the impetus for the upcoming greatest revival in the history of Christendom.
Survive and Thrive or Miggy, Maggy, Hippy, and Jimi – watch and see the goodness and greatness of God.
Sometimes my brain still has Purple Haze residue.