The morning started with the ocean’s hush and a sign that said don’t touch the water. Apparently, bacteria levels were too high. I sighed, no barefoot communion today, and walked the edge instead, whispering prayers into the wind. Funny how that set the tone for the rest of the day: learning where to step when the water’s off-limits.
By afternoon, I’d moved from tide to traffic, from seagulls to anime. The film I watched was a love story between a mermaid and a human, strange, haunting, and beautiful. It made me think about what happens when two worlds collide, when love swims past logic. And maybe that’s why, later at the festival parade, I found myself thinking about faith, attraction, and the delicate art of guarding your heart.
The Mermaid and the Mirror
Love has always been the place where we test our convictions. Watching that movie about a mermaid who falls for a man reminded me how powerful (and dangerous) it can be to dive into something without checking the current. There’s a reason Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Still, guarding doesn’t mean locking your heart away. It means knowing your depths before someone else tries to swim in them. As Rumi once wrote, “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” That line always humbles me. Because maybe what we call “guarding” is just learning when to open the gate, and when to let God hold the key.
When Faith and Feelings Cross Paths
While at the festival, I watched a couple growing close to another who doesn’t share the same beliefs. They looked happy, glowing, even. And yet something in me stirred. Was it concern? Or quiet recognition?
Jesus often dined with those who didn’t believe as He did, but He never blurred His truth to be accepted. 2 Corinthians 6:14 echoes that wisdom: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” It’s not about judgment but about direction. Two people pulling in different spiritual directions eventually strain the rope between them.
But here’s the tension: love is messy, and people are complex. As Maya Angelou once said, “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” The question is, “when it gets there, will the foundation still hold?”
The Parade of People and the Voice of Discernment
At the LA Korean festival, the streets were alive: drums, food stalls, lights, laughter, the scent of grilled meats and sweet rice cakes. I walked with one group of friends, then another, feeling that familiar joy of belonging and yet standing slightly apart, observing.
That’s what discernment feels like sometimes: dancing in the parade while quietly asking, “Is this love wise, or just warm?” James 1:5 promises, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.”
Discernment isn’t suspicion; it’s stewardship. It’s love with boundaries, not walls. As C.S. Lewis once said, “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” Guarding your heart (and still staying open) is courage at its purest.
🌿 Soul Insights
1. Boundaries are blessings, not barriers.
Learning to say no when your spirit feels unsettled is not rejection; it’s reverence. Boundaries are how you tell the world what kind of love you’re ready for. When you stop apologizing for your limits, you start protecting your peace. Every strong structure needs walls to stay upright; your soul is no different. God’s boundaries aren’t punishment, they’re preparation for deeper joy.
2. Faith should never be sacrificed for chemistry.
Attraction can spark connection, but shared conviction sustains it. Many relationships burn bright but end fast because they were fueled by emotion instead of purpose. When faith leads, love gains roots; when feelings lead, it drifts with the wind. If your peace feels disrupted, pay attention. That’s the Holy Spirit whispering, “Don’t confuse intensity for intimacy.” True chemistry doesn’t just make your heart race; it brings your soul rest.
3. Discernment is love’s quiet twin.
Discernment doesn’t shout; it tugs softly at your conscience until you listen. It’s the still small voice that reminds you not every “good” thing is a God thing. Some connections are lessons, not lifetimes. When you start inviting God into your desires, you’ll realize He doesn’t ruin love. He refines it. Discernment isn’t fear; it’s foresight rooted in trust.
4. Community reveals where you are spiritually.
The people around you mirror your current spiritual temperature. If your circle drains you more than it fills you, it might be time to reassess who gets access. God often sends people to stretch, sharpen, or steady you, and sometimes all three at once. Every encounter is an x-ray of the soul; it shows what you’re clinging to and what you’ve released. Growth happens faster when you stop running from your mirrors.
5. Joy is resistance.
In a world obsessed with cynicism and survival, joy is a spiritual protest. Choosing to celebrate, even in uncertainty, says, “God is still good here.” Joy doesn’t ignore the chaos; it outshines it. It’s the evidence that you’ve anchored your hope in something bigger than circumstances. Gratitude keeps your heart buoyant when the tide rises high.
Final Thoughts
Walking the shoreline this morning, I couldn’t dip my feet in. By evening, I realized that was the lesson: sometimes God says, “Not this water.” Not because He’s cruel, but because He’s keeping you from something contaminated, something that looks beautiful but might make you sick.
Guarding your heart isn’t about fear; it’s about trust. It’s believing that God knows the tide better than you do. The parade will go on, the lights will dazzle, and love stories will unfold. But when faith leads, the heart never gets lost.
Your Turn
This week, pay attention to where your heart drifts. Ask yourself:
Is this love (or opportunity) pulling me closer to peace or further from it? Am I building on the rock or the sand? Pray for wisdom before you wade in, and when you’re unsure, stay at the water’s edge until God says, “Now.”
© 2025 Amelie Chambord
Soul Path Insights 
Leave a comment