{"id":887,"date":"2013-10-24T20:58:06","date_gmt":"2013-10-24T20:58:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=887"},"modified":"2013-10-19T21:01:22","modified_gmt":"2013-10-19T21:01:22","slug":"run-run-and-then-collapse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2013\/10\/run-run-and-then-collapse.html","title":{"rendered":"Run, Run and then Collapse?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Maureen<\/a>Today is the “day after.” And I’m preparing this blog in advance because I know exactly how I’m going to feel: Exhausted!<\/p>\n

I was asked to give a talk at a major medical center, and eagerly accepted the invitation. God truly has given me a heart for sharing how amazing His grace and strength are, and I leap at the chance to give practical tips on increasing faith, bolstering sagging spirits, and coping better with pain and illness.<\/p>\n

But I also know that all of the energy I pour into preparing for such opportunities will be completely drained afterward. Which is why I’ve learned, the hard way, that it’s important to plan ahead, but it’s also important to plan for after.<\/p>\n

I didn’t always do this. I’m sure many of you might not have, either. We are so used to planning for deadlines, appointments, activities, milestones – all in the future – that our calendars are one scribbled mass of “must do in advance of…” So, I’d pen-in goals and other items giving little thought to how I was going to feel and how much I was going to be able to accomplish afterward.<\/p>\n

But what a difference acting on the understanding of reality truly is!<\/p>\n

Try as we might, we cannot escape the toll even daily activity places upon us if we also have a chronic illness that is always either lurking or going full-bore. So, giving space after things that we know will require more of us is crucial.<\/p>\n

Yes, attending that birthday celebration is okay. But plan to have a day of quiet and rest afterward if you know you’re going to need it.<\/p>\n

Of course, ministering to others is part of a Christian walk. But if you know that something is going to sap your energy, plan the aftermath accordingly.<\/p>\n

Much like the reality that we cannot drive limitlessly without needing more fuel (be it gasoline, electricity or hydrogen), we cannot keep only fixing our eyes on activities to come without taking into account that we’ll need to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today is the “day after.” And I’m preparing this blog in advance because I know exactly how I’m going to feel: Exhausted! I was asked to give a talk at a major medical center, and eagerly accepted the invitation. 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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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