Today as I was reading the Bible, I thought about my spiritual mother and a story that she once shared about her mother concerning how she heard God in the midst of loudness. I was then reminded of a time that my spiritual mother talked to me about allowing people to get so close to you that they can hurt you. As I was listening to what she was saying, I took note of it, but I silently rejected it as soon as she said it. I understood it, but I wasn’t ready to hear it. I wasn’t ready to allow people to get close to me even if it was for the sake of allowing people to see Jesus through me. As I look around me today, I find that it’s hard for me to truly connect to people because I have to let them in. I can be cool with people, but they are not allowed near my heart. Over time, I’ve built a fortified house for myself mentally and I physically live within fortified gates to protect me from “outsiders”. This morning,I sensed the Lord telling me that the fortified