A Hiding Place
“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
Matthew 6:6
Jessica became a Christian at age sixteen. That Christmas her grandmother May gave her a throw blanket embroidered with the words of the Lord’s Prayer, along with the Sarah Young book, Jesus Calling.
Jessica ansolutely loved the gift. She kept the throw on the corner of her bed at all times. The book was always on her desk. On Thanksgiving Day, Jessica asked to say the prayer before the meal and, oh my, everyone could tell she had grown so much as a follower of Christ.
Some time later, Jessica’s mother noticed that the throw blanket was no longer on the bed, and the book had disappeared. She didn’t mention it to her daughter, but certainly wondered what had caused the change. Was Jessica mad at God? Was her fervor for God cooling?
Over the next months Jessica’s faith remained strong. She talked about God openly and her joy seemed to increase.
Graduation came and went. Jessica decided to begin college immediately, that summer. She took Grandmother May’s latest gift with her, Sarah Young’s new book, Jesus Listens.
Her mother missed her, but was proud of the young woman her daughter had become. Jesus was visible in all Jessica did.
One day Jessica’s mom began to wonder whatever happened to the Lord’s Prayer throw blanket. Her daughter had loved it so much at the start, and then she put it out of sight. Her mom felt a little guilty snooping in her daughter’s bedroom while Jessica was away at college, but her curiosity would give her no rest. Searching everywhere, she finally discovered the throw blanket bunched up in the bottom of the closet, where blouses hung high above it.
She picked it up and started to fold it but suddenly froze. Tucked underneath it was Jesus Calling. In her mind she pictured Jessica sitting on the floor in this little nook, in her own private space, reading and praying. She put things back as completely as she could.
This was sacred ground.
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