It was the worst day I’d had in a while.
My living situation was suffocating me, my grandparents needed increasingly more help than I could give, and the duties of my job felt like a constant tug-of-war. The cloudy sky above and what it promised was the icing on an emotional-breakdown cake.
And then it started to rain.
Although I usually love the peace and natural soothing that rain’s cool mist brings, this downpour hit just as my parents and I were heading to the County Fair. I was not thrilled. That evening, the combination of lingering August heat and fresh gooey mud led us to the indoor, air-conditioned craft booths at the back of the fairgrounds.
I went from table to table looking at the art and homemade gifts for purchase, hoping something would “speak” to me and boost my mood from the week’s events. And then I found it: a beautiful pair of hand-poured umbrella earrings with small leaves and flowers captured in the resin. I sighed with joy when I saw them, and I immediately bought them and put them on.
A couple hours later, with the rain stopped and my new handmade earrings still dangling, I realized that I needed more than a physical umbrella in my life. I needed something to protect me from this perpetual dark cloud hanging over my shoulder. I needed a spiritual umbrella.
What are Spiritual Umbrellas?
During difficult times in my life, I have a tendency to want out. When the world pushes, shoves, and tempts me with its hardships and struggles, I want to escape it all, end all my suffering, and fix all the wrongs.
But that’s not how God or faith works.
Over the years I have learned that God doesn’t stop every bad situation from happening. He won’t fire every colleague I clash heads with. He won’t save all relatives from life-ending illnesses. And even though He could rescue us from these hardships, perhaps that wouldn’t help us at all. Maybe the most important lesson is learning how to be resilient and shine bright despite life’s storms.
And that’s where spiritual umbrellas come in.
Spiritual umbrellas is a term I use with my friends and family for the God-given things and people that allow us to stand amid the rain and storms of life without getting soaking wet. God may not magically dispel the struggles we deal with, but He can keep us safe and dry when the world around us swirls, mixing up all these elements and throwing them right at us.
Spiritual umbrellas are tools, empowerments, support systems, and gifts that God blesses us with so that we may not only face life’s darkest storms, but also come out the other side brighter, stronger, and more confident in the Lord’s goodness.
The Spiritual Umbrellas of Catholicism
As Catholics, we are fortunate to have built-in spiritual umbrellas that are far more effective and accessible than a pair of earrings. Below are eight of my favorite spiritual umbrellas that help me weather the storms of life.
1. Prayer, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and the Rosary
Prayer is the original spiritual umbrella that all Catholics need. It is how we share with God where the storm is coming from and ask for help to bear it. During life’s toughest storms, the supplicating words and peaceful meditation that come with the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the Rosary can specifically carry us to drier lands and sunnier days.
2. The Saints and Their Intercession
The Saints, their stories, and their intercessory prayers safeguard us in ways we may never fully know. Saints like Pier Giorgio Frassati and Josephine Bakhita have personally held an umbrella over my head when I couldn’t do it myself.
3. Our Guardian Angels
My Guardian Angel is phenomenal at his job, even when I forget his constant presence. Just thinking about my angel’s protection and offering a quick “Guardian Angel Prayer” brings me an abundance of peace.
4. The People God Brings into Our Lives
The people who walk with me through my troubles, turmoils, and tears are definitely a gift from God. Without them, I would truly be soaked to the bone.
5. The Sacraments and the Eucharist
The Lord gave us the Sacraments to keep us close to His Sacred Heart. There is nothing safer than being near the Eucharist, whether receiving Him at Mass or gazing upon Him in the monstrance during Adoration. Seek the Sacraments out and all the graces they bring.
6. Scripture and Favorite Bible Passages
God’s literary umbrella is one of the sturdiest we can find. Whenever I feel most defeated, I pull out “love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8). When I need to remember who I am as a woman of Christ, I reread Chapter 1 of Luke.
7. Art, Nature, and the Things that Speak to Us
Those umbrella earrings inspired hope in me that day, and they still do whenever I see them. I have the same experience when I hike to the top of a mountain or watch my favorite movies. Whatever piece of God’s creation speaks to us can also bring us comfort in times of need.
8. Spiritual Leaders and Spiritual Direction
Priests, consecrated persons, and lay ministers at the parish can act as spiritual umbrellas through their support, guidance, and leadership. Spiritual direction is also a great resource to feel seen, known, and loved in our prayer life.
Go Umbrella Shopping
What are the storms you are stuck in or drenched by? What spiritual umbrellas has God given you to help you get through them?
Whether you’re stuck in a monsoon or just walking through the mist, God loves to answer us in our times of need, even if it’s just by passing us an umbrella handle and some rain boots.
GOD'S WORD CHANGES LIVES
When we let God form and shape our lives through His Word, we become changed women. His words are Spirit and Life, so let them give you life.
The Blessed is She Bible is your trusted companion on your walk with Jesus.
Liz Homick works at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. as the loudest and most talkative librarian in the building. Since backpacking Europe for six weeks after graduating with her Master’s in Library Science, Liz is a huge advocate of solo travel and attending Mass in every language imaginable. She believes in unconditional kindness and existing brightly despite life’s storms.
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