A secret place is a place of safety, a place where we can just ‘be’. No matter how young or how old, we have a secret place. A five year old told her Mommy that she has a key to her Secret Place, and she wasn’t telling…and don’t you tell anyone on Facebook. This five year old is wise to know that telling Facebook, obliterates secret-ness.
My mother shared her memories of secret places with me. One evening she pointed to a star twinkling in the west as we sat on the back porch in Oklahoma, “That is my star!” she declared. Mom chose the Evening Star when she was a small girl in central Kansas as she prayed at her window upstairs. I was astonished to think she ‘owned’ a star. Later I understood, it was her secret place.
Mom often put us, her three children, in a car, and drove in search of The Tree For a Picnic. She did this to provide quiet time for Dad to sleep when he worked at night. As she drove, it seemed for hours, she pointed out the trees and declared the pro’s and con’s of the tree to shade our picnic. Later in life, as we whizzed by trees, she pointed out a Picnic Tree. If we drove a well-traveled road, she said, “Do you remember when we had a picnic under that tree?” A secret place of joy and remembrance.
As I grew up, I found secret places. When I reached the tender age of 7, the sandpile under the Elm Tree, was a place of comfort and dreams. When I was sixteen, and loved to sing, I found another Secret Place, in the swimming pool – staring at the sky and singing – watching the clouds float by. I don’t know when I found my favorite secret place, but remember that teachers often wrote on my report card, “She would do better if she didn’t day dream and tried harder.”
Then I discovered that my Secret Place was my mind – thinking what I wanted to think about – no matter what the forces around me demanded I think. It wasn’t a deep thinking, but as I grew in my relationship with Jesus Christ, the secret place became soul-deep as I pondered truth, life, death, love and all manner of concepts that make up our world.
In our Ladies’ Retreat one year, we picked up objects – a stone, a stick, anything we found – and relate how it reminded us of God. Now in the secret place of my heart, I find that a sunset, standing in the ocean, the thunder and lightning, majestic mountains, rushing water in a stream, flowering trees and the sound of bird’s songs take me to the foot of the cross in praise for salvation and the promise of eternal life. I wondered why these things are so pleasing to me, and become my secret place….it is because they are God-created.
My secret place is in the shelter of the cleft of the rock.
Psalm 20:1-5
I run to you, God; I run for dear life. Don’t let me down! Take me seriously this time!
Get down on my level and listen, and please—no procrastination!
Your granite cave a hiding place, your high cliff aerie a place of safety.
You’re my cave to hide in, my cliff to climb. Be my safe leader, be my true mountain guide.
Free me from hidden traps; I want to hide in you.
I’ve put my life in your hands. You w
on’t drop me, you’ll never let me down.
We all look for safety, for security. In this life, we will survive is our Secret Place is our Lord. Why is it that we long to ski, fish, canoe, hike, climb mountains or just observe a falling leaf fall from the sky? Why does the innocence of a child, a smile, watching a colt frolic in the sun, or kittens tumble and play gives us so much joy?
Just as God created us in His image, He created our world about us. He is our Secret Place. When we find joy in His Creation – we are searching for Jesus.
What is the Key to this Secret Place? Prayer, submission and recognizing Jesus as our Lord.
Where is my Secret Place in this wide world?
Where can I hide from the turmoil ?
The Secret Place – where no one can see.
No one can take my Secret Place away
It is where the essence of me will stay.
Deep in my heart, I belong to Him.
Re-decorating my heart, my Secret Place…
In colors of faith and hope, pictures of love and gentleness
And with cushions of patience and kindness.
Moment by moment, I sweep away jealousy and hate
And dust away gathering anger and lust.
For my secret place is where my Lord dwells!
It is that bubbling of laughter and joy
And giving thanks for the blessings of life
That welcomes others to the Sweet Secret Place
Where the Lord Lives and stays.
Each life, each heart, has a secret place where God can dwell.
Where the spirit of joy grows through tears and hurts.
Look about you, into the hearts of those around
Rejoice when you find a kindred spirit…
Who reflects Jesus Christ in their Secret Place.
GloryHole, AR photo by Emily Ironside