Everyone needs a hideout.  A private place. Hidden, but accessible on a regular basis, yet not too far way.  Our two Labrador Retrievers have such a place in our back yard. Their “Lab Cave” is tucked under a tall Cypress tree.  There they get away from the sun and nap. It can get so dark and shady in there that the black lab appears invisible. That’s it! Invisible. We need a place to go to where we are invisible.

No, I am not referring to a “Man Cave” or a “She-Shed” as most dads and moms can easily be found there by family members.  Something different. In the movie “War Room”, the character “Miss Clara” had a secret place. She regularly went into a closet off of her bedroom. Inside, post-it notes were placed on the wall with scribbled prayer requests. As she said in the movie, “Now, this is where I do my fighting. I call it my war room.”

I wonder if Abe Lincoln had a secret place he went to, considering the laundry list of his 17 life battles.  Elisabeth Elliot lists those from Keep a Quiet Heart:

1.  He had a difficult childhood;
2.  Less than one year of formal schooling;
3.  Failed in business at age 31;
4.  Defeated for legislature at 32;
5.  Failed again in business at 33;
6.  Elected to the legislature at 34;
7.  His fiancee died when he was 35;
8.  Defeated for speaker at 38;
9.  Defeated for electorate at 40;
10.  At 42 married a woman who became a burden, not a help;
11.  Only one of four sons lived past age 18;
12.  Defeated for congress at 43;
13.  Elected to congress at 46;
14.  Defeated for congress at 48;
15.  Defeated for senate at 55;
16.  Defeated for vice president at 56; and
17.  Defeated for senate at 58 before finally being elected   President.”

Now I know why Abe Lincoln said, “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go”.  Jesus said, “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6; NLT)

Jesus lived what He taught.  “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35 NIV)  

In July of 1980 I was given a small red book as a high school graduation present called My Utmost for His Highest written by Oswald Chambers.  I still have it and read it after 38 years. Chambers said, “God is in secret, and He sees us from the secret place; He does not see us as other people see us, or as we see ourselves.”  

Do you have a secret place? If you don’t have one, find one…and go there and keep it…secret.

pictures courtesy of “Nelson & his Nikon”