Who do you turn to?

Moving away from home has brought this question to the forefront of my mind.

When we are displaced from comfort, we are forced to face ourselves in all our human glory; whether it be bad habits, faithful practices or buried personal misgivings.

When you wake up, what's the first thing you do? Do you check social media, or say a morning offering, kneeling? There's no sibling sharing the room anymore, racing you to the bathroom, holding you accountable!

When you are frustrated by classes or confused as to which career route to choose, where do you go? The adoration chapel to journal, the cozy coffee shop to think, or the couch to scroll? Do you call your mom, or your boyfriend?

When you are stuck at what feels like the longest light in the history of automobiles (located in College Station, on Texas Rd.), do you mindlessly grab and flip through your phone, or do you sit in silence, appreciating the vibrant sunset and huge trucks barreling by? Do you wave at the person next to you, offering to race, or do you flip through Spotify songs without looking up?

When you are feeling sad and homesick, do you turn inwards and isolate yourself? Or do you go pray the Rosary and get ice cream with a friend, recognizing the joy found from putting others first and investing in friendships?

I have quickly come to realize the weight of these seemingly small decisions, because they largely affect how we approach future similar moments. Our instinct will always be to seek comfort; numbing our minds through media, speaking to those who only tell us what we want to hear, and by avoiding necessary work.

Recognizing whom or what we turn to in these moments is vital to growing as a saint. The first step we must take in order to train ourselves to seek refuge in the correct forms, is to pin-point where we fail to do so. Then we can be better prepared when times of grief, sadness, confusion or boredom strike us.

Who we turn to is in our control, even when our fallen human-nature instincts fight for precedence.

"If you have no earthly consolation, why do you not seek consolation in the Heart of Jesus? To love Him is truest joy." - St. Rose Philippine Duchesne