Bad Weather

The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
Matthew 7:25

This verse seems to be describing the weather many of us are experiencing at the moment! Hopefully all of your houses are built on rock, and will not suffer the fate of verse 27. We should hope that our spiritual houses are built solidly too. Otherwise, as soon as a storm comes to buffet them, they will collapse and be ruined.

Spiritual storms can come in many varieties. Seemingly never-ending unemployment. Terminal illness. Ridicule or abuse. Even small things like burning dinner can build, niggle and erode. If we don't have strong foundations, the storms will eventually destroy the house.

Even strong foundations need maintenance. To keep your faith foundations strong, surround yourself with people and activities that continually build you up. Weekly mass is the best place to start. Try to get to know some of the people who go to the same mass as you. Join a prayer group or bible study. Not only will you make new friends who share your faith, but you will be developing and learning more about your faith. When you learn something or share an experience with someone, you instinctively share a deeper bond with them.

Most churches have dedicated women's, men's and youth groups for their parishioners, and these can be invaluable. Sharing your faith with people of the same sex or age helps you to realize that there are many others going through the same things as you. Teenagers, moms, singles etc, each group has their own challenges, and each has something different they need from or can offer their church.

Find a group that best suits your needs. Even if you don't feel that you need support right now, the next storm is right around the corner. You will be surprised how much you get out of it, and the experience and knowledge you bring to the group may be just what someone else needs. You might just be an answer to prayer.