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Pain of Grace 
Joni,
It was the perfect timing and such a huge encouragement to me to hear you speak with Mother Natalia and Father Mike about offering up your suffering with your body as a prayer. Thank you.
I’m a brand new convert to Catholicism (former Protestant) and had heard of the concept of “offering up your suffering” and even experienced it somewhat, but it seemed abstract and sort of impossible, until you made it so clear to me.
I’m 63 and when I was 28, I received mantal radiation for Hodgkins Disease. Radiation is the gift that keeps on giving and it’s been one challenge and loss after another physically. I used to be a professional ballet dancer and then suddenly had lungs like an “84 year old with emphysema.” (quoting a doctor). Then breast cancer and a then a devastating, chronic illness in our son which absolutely breaks our hearts. All of this is a backdrop to bring brutally abused as a child for well over a decade.
I’m doing well (mostly) and I’m pretty cheerful (sometimes) . Like you, I love creating art! (I love paper!) I love my husband, our sons and beautiful daughter in law and our cute dogs and the beauty of nature and being Catholic! God has used our sons illness to draw us closer as a family.
So just a really, really huge thank you for teaching me to pray my pain and giving it purpose.
Jane in eastern PA
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Jane, Thank you for your note to me. I’m glad interview helped. And also, a HUGE welcome to the Catholic Church!!!
I’m sorry to hear of your many crosses but I love how you said that, “God has used our son’s illness to draw us closer as a family.” Isn’t it amazing how Our Heavenly Father can turn our crosses into His amazing glories! His ways are definitely not our ways, but His ways are always better in the long run. We will see that one day when we are with Him in glory. Let’s pray for each other, ok?
May Our Lord continue to bless you as you continue to daily walk in His ways.
~Joni
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Thank you for writing and sharing your story!! As a fellow faithful Catholic with EDS all we can do offer our suffering up for our loved ones and those we don’t know. May God protect us all. So glad you were able to have kids before it got worse, and I’d crawl those steps to Calvary too given the chance. God bless you and yours and have a very Merry Christmas!
Also bought A Cloud of Witnesses (25th Anniversary Edition), another beautiful testimony to your faith. The tremors have been too bad the last few years but before that I loved to paint and draw.
Praying for you and your family, praying for a miracle for all of us. Beauty in the suffering, yes, but I’m still hopeful for a miracle or two.
God Bless and Merry Christmas,
Ashley
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