{"id":1758,"date":"2015-08-06T19:24:19","date_gmt":"2015-08-06T19:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=1758"},"modified":"2015-08-02T19:36:53","modified_gmt":"2015-08-02T19:36:53","slug":"chronic-pain-and-illness-a-different-look-at-ecclesiastes-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2015\/08\/chronic-pain-and-illness-a-different-look-at-ecclesiastes-3.html","title":{"rendered":"Chronic Pain and Illness: A Different Look at Ecclesiastes 3"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Image<\/a>
Image Courtesy of graur codrin\/FreeDigitalPhotos.net<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There is an appointed time for everything,<\/p>\n

and a time for every affair under the heavens…<\/p>\n

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NAB)<\/p>\n

\n

With that simple sentence begins one of the most-quoted set of verses from the Bible. We know many of them by heart…”A time to be born…a time to die,” “A time to weep…a time to laugh,” etc. But as balanced as these verses are, so often when you live with a serious illness or awful pain, our focus lands squarely on the more negative part of each of the verses. Yes, as we try to make sense of our lives peppered with health challenges, we try to understand the times when we “rend,” “tear down,” “feel pain,” “lose [health].”<\/p>\n

And we forget the other end of the seesaw – that which is positive!<\/p>\n

Just because we hurt or have a chronic illness does not mean that the pleasant, lovely, delightful, joy-filled parts of life are off-limits for us. And just because we are deeply scarred from our disappointments and frustrations does not mean that God withholds that which is positive from us. Often, we do not feel delight, joy, or pleasure because we do not allow ourselves to do so. And often we do not allow balance to ease our suffering so that along with our pain, we do feel love and find comfort.<\/p>\n

As I’ve become more aware of the possibility of Ecclesiastes-like balance in my life, I’ve found more of it. And what a relief that is! Truly, my perspective on the ordeal of living day-to-day with illness is greatly enhanced by knowing that God also allows great blessings of a joy-filled kind, yes, even if there are dark clouds hovering overhead.<\/p>\n

Truly, the more we are attuned to balance – emotional, physical, spiritual – the greater our lives grow, mature, and blossom!<\/p>\n

Joy and peace,<\/p>\n

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

There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens… Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NAB) With that simple sentence begins one of the most-quoted set of verses from the Bible. We know many of them by heart…”A time to be born…a time to die,” “A time to weep…a time to laugh,”…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":548,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,43,4,1047,578,379,1420,1245,1247,1246],"tags":[1841,29,44,1839,1843,1844,1840,1842],"class_list":["post-1758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chronic-pain-and-illness","category-encouragement-in-life","category-words-of-encouragemnent-and-info-for-all","category-good","category-goodness","category-lupus-2","category-pain-2","category-positive","category-rising-above-tragedy","category-uplifting","tag-balance-in-life","tag-chronic-illness","tag-chronic-pain","tag-ecclesiastes-3","tag-feeling-joy-in-pain","tag-finding-god-in-our-lives","tag-pain-and-illness","tag-pain-is-not-all-bad"],"yoast_head":"\nChronic Pain and Illness: A Different Look at Ecclesiastes 3 - Good Days...Bad Days With Maureen Pratt<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2015\/08\/chronic-pain-and-illness-a-different-look-at-ecclesiastes-3.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chronic Pain and Illness: A Different Look at Ecclesiastes 3 - Good Days...Bad Days With Maureen Pratt\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens… Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NAB) With that simple sentence begins one of the most-quoted set of verses from the Bible. 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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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