A secret place! Refreshing and delightful thought, isn’t it? Even the rudest of property has a secret place. No matter what the limitations of the real estate may be, it has a spot that someone cherishes. A secret place can be anywhere where one has found refuge and renewed strength. As the pressures and cares of life more and more envelop us, secret places become a necessity! Over the years, I’ve discovered quite a number of personal secret places … places which have become special to me:
- A nearby family cemetery with its jungle of narcissuses, daffodils and mayapples. Something happens when I amble aimlessly there!
- The get-away-from-it-all haymow. This is a good place to sort things out!
- The overgrown but verdant mock-orange bush. A relaxing spot for a Sunday afternoon nap!
- The up-in-the-orchard profusion of Johnny-jumpups swaying in the breeze. This secret place, with its good view of the creek and meadow, is conducive for memorizing Scripture!
- The alluring fence-row. A walk along this virgin, unobtrusive myriad of trees, rockpiles, and weeds sweeps the cobwebs of my mind into oblivion!
- The ever-beckoning nearby creek, with waters rippling by in endless flow. An excellent place to “wind down” after a hectic day!
- The ash tree down in the neighbor’s field which I claim as my very own. A lot of prayers have ascended through its leafy branches!
Long before the twentieth century rat-race, the Psalmist valued the importance of secret places. He declared, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalms 91:1). The secret place in that verse is better translated “the shelter” and alludes to the security one finds in that inner sanctum as he retreats there. Everyone should have his own secret place. . . that spot dear to his heart where he can turn for refuge and refreshment. In today’s modern, computerized, pressurized, impersonal society, it’s a must!
September/October 1980