Teeny muscles, BIG problems

 In my last post, I shared a few of my ailments. Today I'm going to tell you about something else: my tush. Specifically, the piriformis (peer-i-form-us) muscle. This tiny little muscle lies over the sciatic nerve. When this muscle gets too tight, it presses on the sciatic nerve. If any of you have ever had sciatica, you understand what sciatic pain feels like. SO. I also have something called sacroilitis (say-kroe-il-e-I-tis). This is when you have pain in your sacroiliac joints, which are located where the spine and pelvis meet. So basically, I've got a bunch of big 'ol pains in the butt. 😖

Okay, so why the anatomy lesson? The piriformis muscle is a pear shaped muscle that is, on average, 1.9 cm in length. That's not quite an inch.  Little muscle. That tiny less than one inch muscle, when irritated or inflamed, can bring tears to my eyes when I get a zap. It's seriously like a lightning bolt has struck my bum. The pain can be excruciating. I may or may not have cried a couple of times. So this little, less that one inch muscle has the ability to incapacitate me. I have been through a LOT of medical stuff during the last 27 years, but this piriformis pain is just horrific. I can just be sitting here, and I get a zap and jump up off my chair. Next time that happens, I'm just going to stand all the way up, throw my arms in the air and say, "Hallelujah!"

There's another fairly small muscle that can cause severe pain and maybe even incapacitation; but not for the person who owns this muscle. And everyone who has one, typically makes mistakes with it.  I know I have! Any ideas? (Cue Jeopardy music....) Some of you may have guessed, it's the tongue. 

There's a saying that people may not remember what you DID as much as how you made them FEEL. And if you've ever been on the receiving end of horrible words, you have pretty strong feelings about that person. Once words are out, they are OUT. No one can take them back. They may say, "just kidding", but the damage is done. I was bullied as a kid...really all the way through college, is just wasn't as overt in high school and college. The words I heard have never left my mind. The actions that my "friends" resorted to...It truly broke my heart.  I developed crippling anxiety at the age of EIGHT. I have many physical scars from all of the medical stuff I've been through, but I think I have more scars that you *can't* see from the words that have been said to and about me. As Dr. Phil would say, "You can't un-ring a bell."

When you are going to talk to someone, try to pause for just a moment and really THINK about how what comes out of your mouth is going to effect the person you're talking to. Many times people use sarcasm as a way to tell the truth but in a way in which they are trying to be funny.  To the person on the receiving end, however, it stings. Anytime you say something mean, and follow it with "just kidding", I guarantee the other person with whom you're speaking knows it's not a joke. 

James says, "If anyone thinks he is religious and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religious is worthless." James 1:26.   To "bridle your tongue" means to restrain or control it. This is NOT an easy task. I have to watch what I say very carefully, especially with an autistic teenage who doesn't always understand sarcasm. We need to build people up with our words, not tear them down.  "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up others according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."    Ephesians 4:29

I'm really not trying to be preachy.  I have experienced SO much hurt from words that were said to me, that I just want you to take a moment and think about how a callous word can cause a tremendous amount of pain that takes a very long time to mend.  Sometimes, it never gets mended. That's the worst of all. The whole "sticks and stones" thing is a far cry from the truth. I've had things said to me that still echo around my heart.  I would rather have had someone punch me as hard as they could have. It would have hurt MUCH less.

So please, just try to be mindful. Words have the power to devastate a life. They also have the power to heal.  

What do your words say about you?