Conflagration

Lord,
I come to You
To ask You
To take from me
The burden of my emotions. 

I am like
A woman on fire,
Writhing and squirming,
Wrestling the lifelong demon
Of over-sensitivity.  

I am like a sponge,
Soaking up the moods of others.
Reacting and anticipating,
I struggle to make my true self known,
Even to myself. 
I often get lost
Somewhere between others and myself. 

Lord, 
Be my North Star,
My shiftless omphalos. 
Let me focus my thoughts on You,
Your Will and Your Word
At work in my life.  
Through Your eyes, 
Let me see and be
Aware of others. 
Let me be a blessing to them,
But not consumed by them,
Or my awareness of them. 
Only You can make me
Sensitive and resilient,
Caring and compassionate
Yet strong and centered within. 
Let the demon of over-sensitivity
Be stilled, be eradicated,
So I can see and think and act clearly,
And not be overwhelmed
By the burden of emotion...