{"id":1523,"date":"2015-01-23T23:33:56","date_gmt":"2015-01-23T23:33:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=1523"},"modified":"2015-01-21T23:47:36","modified_gmt":"2015-01-21T23:47:36","slug":"chronic-pain-the-void-in-your-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2015\/01\/chronic-pain-the-void-in-your-life.html","title":{"rendered":"Chronic Pain: The Void in Your Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Maureen<\/a>Sometimes, pain becomes so overwhelming that it closes out every ounce of strength and light that we might once have felt. And, into their place, there is a void. A void of light. A void of will. A void of hope. The pain can suffocate and keep us down. Yes, it can prevent us from physically moving freely. But more importantly, it can keep our minds and spirits from moving ahead and away. It can keep us from keeping our void stocked with things to help us cling to the very hope and will and light that the pain is driving away.<\/p>\n

I’ve known this kind of pain more than once, and understand how devastating it can be. I’ve even felt it try to tug me deeper, but, praise God, I was able to resist enough to refuse its encroachment further. It was a hard-fought battle, but in the little victory when “I resist” became true steadfastness, little by little, the power of the pain receded, and the voids it created could once again be freshly filled.<\/p>\n

My resistance took several forms. First, heartfelt declaration, a loud, “No! I will not give in another inch.” Then, a conscious turning from anger at the pain to solace for my body and spirit, understanding the suffering and inviting God’s comfort. Of course, I worked with my doctors during this time, something that is vital where a medical condition is concerned. But I also turned to friends, loved ones, and accepted their encouragement and help. Sometimes, we think we’re absolutely alone. But we never really are.<\/p>\n

Turning to a beloved activity, even for a brief moment, can bring some hope. Reflecting on a favorite piece of music or book, Scripture passage or comic, can also help turn focus from what hurts to what helps.<\/p>\n

We can allow the voids in our lives to be filled with darkness or light, frustration or fight. It is a beautiful thing, this choice we have! And I try to make positive use out of it each day,<\/p>\n

Joy and peace,<\/p>\n

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

Sometimes, pain becomes so overwhelming that it closes out every ounce of strength and light that we might once have felt. And, into their place, there is a void. A void of light. A void of will. A void of hope. The pain can suffocate and keep us down. 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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. Through the blog, she hopes to bring issues of health, wellness, and spirit into focus and, especially, inspire others that, no matter what health challenges, illness, or hardships they endure, each person can find a good way to realize the wonderful potential God has placed within each heart and soul.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.maureenpratt.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/author\/mpratt"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/548"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1523"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1523\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1524,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1523\/revisions\/1524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}