Devotions based on Henri Nouwen’s book, The Inner Voice of Love

Each one of us must decide to whom we give access to our inner life. If we just allow others to walk in and out according to their needs and desires we may feel tired, irritated, resentful and used.  We might think of ourselves as the lord of our castle and surrounded by a moat. The drawbridge is the only access to the interior of the castle. We can decide when to draw the bridge and when to let it down. Without such power we can become victims of enemies and strangers and will not feel at peace in our castle.  There may be times when we keep our bridge drawn so we can be alone or only with those to whom we feel close. We must not allow ourselves to become public property, where anyone can walk in and out at will. It will cause us to feel we are losing our soul. As we must claim for ourselves the power over our drawbridge, we will be peaceful, joyful, and able to share that with others.