Missing the sunrise this morning at the time didn’t matter as I was busy with putting my clean clothes away. Now I mourn the waking of the sky. My mind, heart and soul receive such a an awakening and delight, watching those rays of light dissolve the darkness. Instead I will awake with delight as the hot vanilla goodness in my cup passes my lips.

While my day yesterday, and evening were nothing less than heavy with burden. I rise this morning with new gratitude to my Creator, for another day to love, laugh, and serve others.

As I helped my daughter to her car this morning by carrying her stuff, she carried my Gbaby. The neighbor whom I built my privacy fence for, came around to get my attention. He asked for prayer for someone he loves who is making bad choices, and now faces prison. His heart was crushed.

Did I want to listen? After all it is pretty chilly out and I’m in my pjs w/a sweatshirt over them.I planned to run out to her car and run back in.

Do I care? I put up a privacy fence to keep him from barging over here, I put up a boundary. The fence was needed, and it has really helped with the past property situations.

You see the answers are yes. While I built the fence as a respect to my property problem, I didn’t build a fence around my heart for him. While my neighbor is truly a “different” kind of fella who is totally forward and at times rude, he needed me. Needed me to listen, and to pray.

Most of us need to have a good listener in our lives. Some of us are blessed to have our spouse listen to us, and yet some of us do not. To take it a step further, we don’t’ just need a listener, but we need ears that also are attached to a heart that really cares for the person talking. Even if all that person does is vent. I can vent a lot!

Building a wall around our hearts isn’t a good boundary. We don’t honestly protect ourselves from ever being hurt, hurt happens. If we build walls to keep others completely out, then one day we will wake up alone. Building walls in marriage, cuts off the blood flow to the heart of intimacy, the heart of respect, the heart of being one. It will leave the other half alone and longing.

Are you a wall builder? or Are you blocked out by someone else’s wall?

Join me this month as we reflect on “Walls”.