The Gift of Tongues

I had a very good friend of mine, Maria, tell me the other day about her nephew's surgery. The little boy was born with the connection between his tongue and his mouth too short (pardon the plainness, I don't know the words and will probably add then in later). Now, because of this, the little boy had a really hard time being able to latch on to eat. So, at only a few weeks of age, he underwent a small surgery in which that connection was clipped in order to allow more movement of the tongue. 

By the way that Maria explains it, he is now healed and happily enjoying discovering the new abilities of his tongue. Isn't it always adorable to watch when babies discover their tongue? How much fun it must be for this child to have such a discovery after knowing the limits of before.

So, for this weeks blessing, I am grateful for the literal gift of tongues. :)  Our tongues do so many amazing things while doing even more small things while we're not looking. 

How would it be to have the tongue restricted like this little boy? Granted, he had never known any different, but the effects it had on him were huge. First of all, he was starving. I think I take plain and simply the ability to swallow for granted. It just happens, but not without that strong tongue muscle. 

Now, how about talking? I don't know of a verbal language that doesn't involve using the tongue. Not that communication is impossible without speech, but it sure is rather a convenient blessing. I quite possibly talk too much and some would probably appreciate if my tongue were held in a little more, but what a blessing it is to speak, to express oneself at will. 

Our tongues can do so many amazing things and move in so many amazing ways. Think if the rest of your body could more as diversely and freely as the tongue can! There's a reason babies find this body part to be so fascinating. And the fact that we can control it is even more impressive. 

Overall, I am so thankful for the blessing of the wondrous blessing of a miraculously working body. I am thankful that I have a healthy, functioning body. Some problems, such as this little boy's tongue, are correctable, but others are things you have to live with. I am thankful for the blessing of modern medicines and practices. What a miracle this is to that family. 

However, some bodily problems are not correctable in this life. So, i am also thankful for the blessing of the resurrection. What a joyous day it will be in the day of the resurrection when our bodies are made perfect! I was born with a minimal-at-best, practically non-existent sense of smell. I got a minor taste of what it will be like to smell all the time when I was pregnant. What an amazing blessing to know that those who have physical struggles, much much worse than my lack of smell, will have these limitation "clipped" as the little boy's tongue and be given the freedom of function. I am so very thankful for my Lord and Savior who suffered for me so that I can look forward to such a day. 

I will use the blessing of my tongue to praise him all my days!