Day 18: Secret

I have a secret. I like coffee. Just kidding. It’s not a secret. Why is it that the word “secret” seems to conjure up something bad or naughty? I had a friend who had a secret room once. It was definitely in the naughty category. But the etymology of the word comes from the Latin meaning “separate or set apart”. There are some things which should remain secret or private like passwords and the launch codes for nuclear weapons.

We live in an exhibitionist culture which has its pros and cons. Too many truths have been kept silent for too long. They are truths of injustice and lies that keep us unhealthy. Our churches, families, institutions would all benefit from these secrets being revealed so we might become whole.

However, I am not convinced that all secrets are bad. There are private matters meant for the few who hold them close. My intimate conversations with my husband are for us alone. My secret thoughts, hopes, and desires are for me and God. I might share them with a few I can trust, but they are things I hold close.

There are things even God has kept secret. He has not told us when Christ will return and there are mysteries too awesome for us to comprehend. Sometimes keeping a secret is the holiest thing we can do.

It reminds me of a story from Cori ten Boom’s book, The Hiding Place. She was a young girl asking her father about some mature adult topics. He reminded her how he always carried her train ticket up until the moment they boarded the train. It was an important responsibility and he didn’t want her to have the burden of keeping the ticket safe. So, the same is true for some information. He then reassured her that he would carry the information for her until she was ready to carry it herself.

Let’s take some time to sit quietly today. Even if for five minutes. Allow God to listen to the secrets of your heart. We can let them rise up and know we are safe. Our secrets are safe with Him. We might even be surprised by what God has to say. Some of those secret desires are meant to be born into the world to change the world.