We're 26 days into  The Red Shoe Project.  I've been in RED shoes all day, basking in God's Presence, and a picture keeps coming to my mind.  It's a memory I have from several years ago, in which I was visiting with some friends. There was a gentleman there with a young daughter who was striving to get his attention. To amuse her,  he told her that he would play hide and seek with her, and that it was her turn to hide.  He began counting.  The little girl proceeded to run but a few feet away, closed her eyes tightly, then covered her eyes with her hands, and shouted out..."O.K.  I'm hiding!" It was so funny.  The little three year old assumed that since she couldn't see any of us, that we couldn't see her either.  She was shut away, well hidden, in her own little world.

The other night I shouted out to many of you via Facebook, and asked you to share your thoughts on your SECRET PLACE... where you go when you need to get one-on-one alone time with God.  There was a tremendous response!  Many shared that they had a specific space they went to where there was a comfy chair... in their house, in the living room.  Some said it was in the bedroom.  Others opted for outside on the porch, the lanai,  or in the backyard. One shared that the shower, in the morning, was her place to cleanse, physically and spiritually.  No one bothered her there. It was private and God often spoke to her. Many find that a drive in the car does the trick.

I began thinking about The Characteristics of a Good SECRET PLACE.

It should be:

• a private place, free of distractions.
• a place where you have the liberty to talk freely with God.
• a quiet place where you can hear from God.
• a comfortable place where you'll linger awhile.
• a convenient place that's easy enough to get to.

Privacy is important for a God encounter.  Generally speaking, those one-on-one times are intimate conversations between You and God. They are personal and not meant for other people's ears.

A private space is a place you go to by yourself.  You don't have to worry about being distracted by onlookers. Which also means that you need to shut off electronic devices like cell phones which can disrupt your conversation with The Almighty.

We want to make sure that we have liberty to share our heart with God without worrying about who else might be listening.

And just as important, we want to be able to hear from Him. So, if you're SECRET PLACE is in the car, do shut off the radio, and give Him the opportunity to respond.

Comfort can be an important factor.  We want something that is comfortable enough that we want to go there and stay awhile... but not so comfortable that you find yourself nodding off to sleep.  (Although there was a Christian man,  John Hyde,  nicknamed, "Praying Hyde" who always knelt by his bed.  He would pray for hours at a time, and ultimately wore groves into the floorboards.  I can't imagine that being comfortable, but it was incredibly effective, I'm sure!)

I know that when places are convenient, we tend to visit them more frequently and consistently. We don't really need another excuse for not being able to get to God.

So what about when it's not convenient to get to your SECRET PLACE?  What if you're in a crowded room and it's noisy?  What if there's not a comfortable place to relax, sit down, and seek God?

The need for an unanticipated, emergency meeting with God will arise on occasion. Then what?  That's when you close your eyes and enter into the SECRET PRAYER CLOSET of your mind.  You do what you need to do.  You push away from all the distractions.  And like the little girl, you get into your own little world.  (After all, the privacy, the quietness, the comfort and the convenience... they are for your benefit, not God's.)

Then you simply whisper His Name:  JESUS. And there He is!  Right there.  In the midst of it all, you're meeting with God.  He's never too busy.  He's never unable to meet. And you don't need to be wearing RED shoes!

In His Presence - anytime, anywhere!

Gail