Image courtesy of Arvind Balarman\/FreeDigitalPhotos.net<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nSome days, nothing seems to go right. More symptoms. More pain. Insurance snags. Money troubles. The roof leaks. The dog runs away.\u00a0 No one answers your calls.<\/p>\n
Yup, some days, there’s nothing good to be said. Or, is there?<\/p>\n
I’ve battled, cajoled, and otherwise dealt with myriad problems since even before my diagnosis of lupus more than 14 years ago, and the one thing I’ve learned is that no one feels better getting angry at the person on the other end of the line. I don’t feel better, and certainly the person receiving the angry words doesn’t feel better.<\/p>\n
But the reverse is an even more potent lesson: Staying calm and kind can move the proverbial mountain.<\/p>\n
By this, I don’t mean accepting the unacceptable. But, when it comes to unsnarling a tangle of the inevitable administrative problems that arise along with life in general, the patient but persistent style tends to yield better results than the bombastic and verbally abusive one.<\/p>\n
But, how to remain calm and show Christ’s love if we’re hurting deeply and the problem is great?<\/p>\n
Prayer. Deep breathing. More prayer. Humility. Remembering the Golden Rule of “doing unto others.” And a large helping of, “Maybe I should put this off until I’m in a better mood.”<\/p>\n
Other things that help me remember that I’m not dealing with a company on the phone, but rather with an individual, a brother or sister in Christ, is to make sure I know the name of the person to whom I’m speaking, even to the point of knowing how to spell it. I ask how they are doing. I might mention the weather and empathize if it is not good where the person is. I try – it’s hard, but I try – to understand the extent to which the first person I speak with can help me, and ask to speak with a manager if I think that I’m just spinning my wheels.<\/p>\n
And, I pray, breathe, pray, and try to remain as calm as possible.<\/p>\n
The reading from Sirach reminds us of the benefit of speaking kindly: The person at the other end of the line might not become a fast friend, but he or she might indeed be able to move that mountain!<\/p>\n
Blessings for the day,<\/p>\n
Maureen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A kind mouth multiplies friends, and gracious lips prompt friendly greetings. Sirach 6:5 Some days, nothing seems to go right. More symptoms. More pain. Insurance snags. Money troubles. The roof leaks. The dog runs away.\u00a0 No one answers your calls. Yup, some days, there’s nothing good to be said. Or, is there? I’ve battled, cajoled,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":548,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,43,4,379,83],"tags":[42,151,29,44,678,30,693,90,694],"class_list":["post-797","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-lupus-2","category-scripture-and-us","tag-bad-day","tag-bad-days","tag-chronic-illness","tag-chronic-pain","tag-kindness","tag-pain","tag-problems","tag-scripture","tag-sirach"],"yoast_head":"\n
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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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