4 things to do when your world comes crashing down.

Death, divorce, cheating, abandonment, abuse, and so much more in life can cause us to feel as if our world is crashing down around us and we are going to be buried alive.

There are 4 things that will help you through life's greatest storms. Prayer, Rooted in Faith, the Sacraments, and a faith filled community.

1.) Prayer - One of the most powerful weapons we have in our life, as Christians, is prayer. It is our ability to go to the God of the universe and beg Him for peace, for healing, for deliverance, for mercy and we can have confidence that He hears us. Psalm 34:17 tells us that "the righteous cry out to Him and He hears them."

It does not matter if it is 2 a.m. or 2 p.m., Monday or Saturday, at adoration or alone in your car, God hears and He sees. There is nowhere that you can go without Him being right there with you. 

He might let the rain fall on you, but He will hold the towel when you come in from the storm. He might let the night fall dark around you, but He will toss the sun in the sky at dawn. 

2.) Rooted In Faith - There is nothing more anchoring to our souls and our life as the Word of God and the faith. It may not be a habit of many Catholics, but I encourage you to pick up Sacred Scripture and read it. If you do not want to read it or feel as if you will not understand, then listen to a podcast such as Fr. Mike Schmitz' "The Bible In A Year". He reads a portion of it every day and then gives a brief explanation. Let that be part of your daily commute or play it while you're waking up with your cup of coffee. 

There are also some incredible resources to help you understand Scripture, the Cathecism, the saints, and many other things with the Church. Lent is coming up and it is a perfect time to not only decide what you will be "giving up" for Lent, but seek to add something to your life that will increase your faith and quality of life. 

3.) The Sacraments - The Sacraments are where man meets God. It's where Christ comes down and meets you where you are and then refuses to leave you like you came. The Sacraments are a personal encounter with the Divine, a fountain of mercy and healing, and an anchor or truth and hope. The Sacraments give us strength and they form the foundation of our life for every other aspect of our faith to stand. Without the Sacraments, we are neglecting our soul from the source of healing it desperately needs when the world has crumbled around us.

4) A Supportive Community - I can't say enough about how important it is to choose the people that you surrouned yourself with and you allow to be a voice in your ear. When we ensure that those around us are godly and are people that seek to be the hands and feet of Jesus then we know that we wrap ourselves in the presence of Christ when the world crashes. 

Friends and loved ones in our life that have their roots in Jesus will remind you of where to plant your roots when you're in a storm and cannot see clearly. Those that love Christ will help remind you to love Him when it seems He is not there. Friends that see Jesus in their life will remind you of where to see the Lord in yours 

Palm trees survive hurricanes because their roots run deep. They may sway and bend, but they do not break and are not destroyed because of their roots. We survive the storms of life only if our roots anchor us. Our root must be the Lord or it will fail. Go ahead and get your shovel and pray, plant the seed with Scripture, cover it with the Sacraments, and water it with a supportive community and there your roots will anchor you through any storm.