A lot of people tell me their
secrets. They trust me. Because I’m a trusted confidant for a number of people,
I turn to God, journaling, and writing to cope with this honored yet weighty
task. Galatians 6:2 reads, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you
will fulfill the law of Christ.” Being trusted with other peoples’ secrets
demands a level of confidentiality that shouldn’t be betrayed. Although I’m a
writer that aims to be as authentic and vulnerable as possible, I still have
boundaries. So as long as no one else is being harmed, endangering others, or
committing a criminal act, the secrets confided to me won’t be shared. I’ve
seen and heard people break other peoples trust by going public with different things
that should have remained private. I maintain that even if you’re no longer in
good standing with someone who’s confided in you, you shouldn’t betray or hurt
that person by telling their secrets. That’s wrong and you wouldn’t want
someone to do that to you. In the past, I made the mistake of opening up to
people I probably shouldn’t have and now, I’m more mindful of who can be
trusted and who can’t. I’m also reminded that I have a God to talk to. Often, I
retreat to my own secret place. A place where it’s just me and God, that allows
me to clear my head and be completely open and at peace, away from all the
noise and demands of life. I find that I’m most peaceful when I’m just spending
time in His presence. I pray consistently, ask Him questions, and sometimes I’m
just silent and still (especially since He already knows what I’m thinking and
feeling.) Psalm 46:10 reads, “Be still…” Today, I encourage anyone reading this
to make and take time to just be still. God loves you and loves spending time
with you. Embrace that secret place just reserved for you and Him. One of my
favorite gospel singers, Karen Clark-Sheard has a beautiful song called A Secret Place (here) that’s been a reminder of this. Make
time for God. He makes time for you.
About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...