Unwarranted fear?

1:39 p.m. Today's project was to get a new microwave oven from Best Buy. Ours still works, but we have begun to wonder, or more accurately, freak out, about potential microwave radiation leaking from a major crack in the oven's door.

Over the last few years, reports have come out about people being hit by leaking radiation just by standing in front of a cooking microwave. We began to be more conscious about not standing there, but as hyper as I am, to stand in front of the microwave for even 20 seconds is an egregious waste of time. Why, I could be putting a load of laundry in the dryer, or running down the driveway to get the morning paper, or putting butter in a pan to fry up eggs, or take my vitamins, or do a million things! "A watched pot never boils," all our mothers told us, and neither does anything cooking in the microwave.

My question was, "Is this a rational fear?" So much fake science is out there, motivated by politics or huge jury awards, that whole industries and companies have been destroyed. Remember the gel implant scandal? Alar in food products? Eggs being bad for you? Caffeine--deadly! Caffeine--okay! Global cooling when I was in college? Global warming now? I don't have much faith in the "alarm du jour!" But that crack kept getting wider, and the cooking times longer, so we felt the appliance had to go.

Even though I like to stand on Proverbs 28:1, "The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion," there are times for even a Christian to be wisely afraid. J. Vernon McGee, in his commentary on the book of Hebrews, wrote, "I hope that you are afraid of a rattlesnake. If I see one coming down the street, I don't simply move to the righthand side of the road--I give him the whole road!" So we want to use the brains God gave us; on the other hand, cowering at the sight of a shadow or at the threats the devil is constantly flinging at us is dishonoring to the God who saves us and keeps us as well.

Last night, Steve and I, along with Heidi and Pavel, were watching "Myth Busters," a very cool show that exposes popular myths and proves them wrong (or even right occasionally). The saying they were trying to debunk was "Many household objects contain more germs than a toilet seat!" I had heard before that kitchen sponges are the most vile of common objects, and quit using them many years ago, opting to use thin dishcloths which I change every day and launder. I also use the powerful germicide Shaklee Basic G. that kills every kind of heliobacter, e.coli, etc. , you name the virus or germ, it's toast. I credit that product, as well as my continual loud challenge, "Did you wash your hands?!!??" even to teenagers and young adults, for the very few cases of flu our 7 person household has contracted over the last few decades.

Well, the most filthy household object, after several lab tests and petrie dish warmings, was indeed the kitchen sponge, followed by a computer keyboard, doorknob, and then a toilet seat! You can bet I lightly sprayed Basic G on my keyboard without delay, and I'll probably be wiping down some doorknobs, too. (I have a bathroom cleaning circuit I adhere to a few times a week already). And Heidi and I agreed that we definitely never put our purses down on a public bathroom floor!

We could all sit around scared to death of spiders, germs, people, fatal illnesses, sudden death or injuries to loved ones--any one of those things could affect us. Personally, I find that my imagination is without a doubt the most deadly of all to my peace of mind, and that's probably the case for you, too! What I trust in however, is Jesus' promise to me, given in Hebrews 13:5-6:

"For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we may boldly say:

The LORD is my helper;

I will not fear.

What can man do to me?"

Let's do the wisest thing of all: trust in the Lord!