{"id":2170,"date":"2016-12-15T19:08:51","date_gmt":"2016-12-15T19:08:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=2170"},"modified":"2016-12-15T19:08:51","modified_gmt":"2016-12-15T19:08:51","slug":"chronic-illness-advent-keep-watching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2016\/12\/chronic-illness-advent-keep-watching.html","title":{"rendered":"Chronic Illness and Advent: Keep Watching!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SecondBetween now and the New Year can be an extremely hectic roller coaster for people living with chronic illness. Oh, yes, we try to participate in festivities and to observe Advent with extra prayer and piety. But we also often have multiple doctor appointments and other health issues to tend to. These days, chronic illness can be very time-consuming and exhausting!<\/p>\n

Yet, in the midst of our busy-ness, it’s still important to tend to our hearts, the core of holiday time that is deep within. This means that, even if we are tired or very symptomatic, we should keep watching.<\/p>\n

Watching for…?<\/p>\n

Watching for the little glimpses of God’s love that surround us in nature, in one another, and in the extra decorations and adornments of the Season.<\/p>\n

Watching for the ways that we can reach out, however gently, to bring a bit of cheer to someone who seems down or to someone who seems left out.<\/p>\n

Watching for opportunities to lift up gratitude and happiness to Our Lord (yes, Jesus really wants us to find the joy in our suffering and the uplift in our down-cast expressions!).<\/p>\n

Watching for the movement of time, from waiting to experiencing, from Advent to Christmas.<\/p>\n

We can watch from our comfy chairs or the infusion station. We can watch from inside our homes or outside, when we’re moving about the world. We can watch when we’re speaking with a loved one or a stranger.<\/p>\n

We can watch at any time, anyplace. And we can reap the blessings that come from being vigilant. We can find even more grace, which stems from our Lord. We can find greater hope. More joy.<\/p>\n

We can find the essence of our daily walk and our sparkling faith.<\/p>\n

So, keep watching! There’s more to see – and much more joy to find!<\/p>\n

Peace,<\/p>\n

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

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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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