Having an open heart around some people can feel

like forgetting to shut the front door during a monsoon.

All the leaves, mud and dirty water rush in …

soaking every crevasse with filth.

It’s not your fault, but you’re stuck cleaning up

ridiculous emotional messes.

People are like storms sometimes –

cyclones of selfishness, spinning out of control …

shooting debris of chaos in every direction.

We need to be like meteorologists of our own souls,

so we know when it’s safe to open up.

We also need to remember it’s okay to use the dead-bolt.

It’s our job as prayer warriors to love everyone,

not to let them destroy us.