{"id":1070,"date":"2014-03-06T23:47:05","date_gmt":"2014-03-06T23:47:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=1070"},"modified":"2014-03-01T23:56:44","modified_gmt":"2014-03-01T23:56:44","slug":"up-to-the-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2014\/03\/up-to-the-test.html","title":{"rendered":"Up to the test"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Maureen<\/a>The crucible for silver, and the furnace for gold,<\/p>\n

but the tester of hearts is the Lord<\/p>\n

Proverbs 17: 3<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Living with illness and pain can seem like one, long, test. And, in many ways, it is. These challenges test patience, pain threshold, and, in the more concrete sense of the word, they subject us to medical tests that can be ordeals of their own – and painful, too!<\/p>\n

As we journey on with our health burdens, it can be easy to say, “Lord, I can’t take any more. I really can’t.” But this is where faith – and wisdom come in like the lifelines that they are to reel us in and bring us back to what’s truly the center of our lives.<\/p>\n

For all of the discomfort (I know, this is an understatement many times!) we experience, our souls are in fine shape. Our spirits are resilient. God, nestled in our hearts, is with us and carrying us along. And when we turn to Him, even in our deepest pain, He will bring us peace of spirit and comfort.<\/p>\n

Many’s the time when meds and treatments did not take away my physical pain, but as I turned my life and health over to the Lord, the grace that I felt made all the physical much easier to deal with. And as it became easier, a peace beyond all other wrapped around me like a security blanket.<\/p>\n

Could we endure our illnesses without faith? Without God?<\/p>\n

Maybe we could withstand the physical pain. But with faith, with God, we are up to the test and more – we are able to reach beyond it and make our lives more meaningful, more purposeful, and more whole. And in that whole-ness, healing happens, healing that brings us close to God.<\/p>\n

Blessings for the day,<\/p>\n

Maureen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The crucible for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the tester of hearts is the Lord Proverbs 17: 3   Living with illness and pain can seem like one, long, test. And, in many ways, it is. 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She expected to be writing scripts. God had other plans. A few years after her graduation, Maureen was diagnosed with a life-threatening case of organ-involved lupus. Her life turned upside down as she grappled with the effects of the illness and other health conditions that ensued. She was no stranger to serious health challenges; even as a child, Maureen had survived numerous bouts of pneumonia, flu, and other infections. But lupus made her take a fresh look at her life goals - and took herlifelong, strong Catholic Christian faith and writing in a direction she'd never imagined. Today, Maureen writes and speaks about walking with the Lord while living with chronic pain and illness. Her most recent book is \"Don't Panic!: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough (Franciscan Media). She is also the author of, \"Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness\" (Image Books\/Randomhouse), \"Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy\" (Twenty-Third Publications), \"The First Year: Hypothyroidism, Second Edition\" (Perseus) and \"Taking Charge of Lupus: How to Manage the Disease and Make the Most of Your LIfe.\" She writes the syndicated column, \"Living Well,\" for Catholic News Service, and has also written for Saint Anthony Messenger Magazine, Journey for Women Magazine, The Upper Room Magazine, LupusNow, and Arthritis Today. Maureen's health continues to be a challenge, however she feels honored to be able to bring her perspective, from experience and knowledge, to others. \"Good Days...Bad Days with Maureen Pratt\" is a new way for Maureen to reach people who carry the burden of illness and pain in their lives, or who care for someone who does. 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