You do not have to go where your spirit feels unsettled.
You do not have to pour from a heart running on empty.
Sometimes love looks like stepping back, creating space, and choosing peace over participation.
Words of Light
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
— Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Reflection
The holiday season often brings a surge of invitations, traditions, and expectations.
For many, it is a time of togetherness. But when you’ve experienced loss
—whether of a loved one, a relationship, a home, or a season of life,
your emotional landscape may look very different.
It is not unloving to set boundaries during a tender time.
It is wisdom.
It is protection.
It is stewardship of the heart God entrusted to you.
Creating boundaries is not about withdrawal—it is about clarity.
It is about knowing what you can give and where you need rest.
It is about choosing environments that nourish your spirit rather than drain it.
You do not have to attend every gathering.
You do not have to explain your grief to anyone who cannot hold it.
You do not owe access to people who deplete your strength.
You can say “not today,” “not this year,” or “not in this moment.”
Boundaries form the doorway through which healing can enter.
They create space for God to minister to your heart, restoring what feels fragile
and strengthening what feels folded under the weight of expectation.
Today, honor your emotional capacity.
Choose kindness toward yourself.
And trust that protecting your heart is both holy and wise.
Pause and Consider...
Where is your peace being quietly disrupted, and what boundary might gently restore it?
Journal Prompts
- I notice that I feel emotionally drained when…
- A boundary I need—one that honors my peace—is…
- I can communicate this boundary with care by…
- My well-being improves when I allow myself to…
Affirmation
I honor my emotional capacity and protect my peace with wisdom and grace.
Peace,
Rita
Rita Lynn Berry, EdS, LCMHC, is a licensed clinical mental health counselor and the founder of NewVision Counseling and Consulting Services, PLLC. She is also the creator of the Journey to Me™ program and Mend n Muse Media™, where she shares tools and reflections that support healing, resilience, and self-love.