Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2—NIV)

"The renewing of your mind."

Recently I was in the hospital preparing for an operation. The anesthetist asked me if I would agree to having a "spinal." She pointed out the advantages of having a spinal anesthetic for the particular procedure I was to undergo.

Audrey, my wife, seated by my bed, asked, "Will it give him a headache afterwards?" This is a common belief about spinal anesthesia.

The anesthetist said, "Probably not at his age. A headache resulting from a spinal anesthetic is rare, but would be more likely in a young person."

She went on to explain that headaches following spinal anesthesia result from a drop in pressure around the brain as spinal fluid leaks from the point where the needle entered the sac containing the fluid. Since the brain of a young person is larger than an older person the brain is more aware of the momentary drop in pressure and responds with a headache.

She said that now the needles used for the injection of the sedative are so thin there is less leakage than before.

"The older person's brain," she pointed out, "is shriveled like an old walnut."

Old walnut-brain agreed to the "spinal" and the operation and post-operation events were quite satisfactory. In fact, I went to sleep during the operation and woke feeling refreshed.

Then Audrey informed me that someone told her about people in a nursing home who were pretty far gone mentally, some in a coma. These people were Christians. Their response to a person talking to them was almost nil.

But if the Bible was read or hymns were sung the patients responded with interest, singing along. On one occasion a person in a coma rose up and sang the hymns with the group.

This reminded Audrey of her mother who, in later years, became mentally confused. Yet, Audrey said, when her mother was listening to me preach she would follow along with no problem, even noticing and responding to what I was leading up to.

The walnut-brain explanation, and then the response of nursing-home patients, got me thinking about the difference between the brain and the mind.

The brain, whether a fresh, abundant walnut or a shriveled-up aged specimen, is part of the physical body. Old people notice a problem with memory, for example. Parts of the brain are not functioning as they did previously.

The mind is another matter. The mind is not part of the physical body. If it is part of anything it is part of our spirit, our consciousness.

We can see immediately how utterly important what we store in our mind is, for it is part of our spiritual personality and will continue to be part of us after we die. The brain, however, will not continue to be part of us after we die.

To be continued.