Someone asked me today to share five secrets about myself that most people wouldn’t know.

My first thought was, they are secrets, why would I share them?

My second thought was…I have a LOT of secrets.

Accordingly, I picked five safe secrets to spew out as a friendly encouragement, which I considered ordinary and not very scandalous.

Secrets are a strange and funny thing; they stay deeply buried and only surface at inopportune times.

To be honest, I don’t like secrets. The mere word denotes some form of covert behavior we only behold in the dark.

Before I received confirmation in the Anglican Church, I was required to attend confession. As I prepared to meet with my Priest, my worry over uttering aloud my “dark secrets” resulted in a physical reaction. I could not stop my knees from shaking. Nausea threatened to overwhelm me. (Side note: I’m not a murderer or anything truly heinous).

That was the only time I have told everything to someone that I deemed shockingly secret and I think I may have surprised my priest although he maintained his “game” face.

I’m glad God knows all secrets. It is burdensome to carry alone. Secrets turned over to Jesus result in transformed lives that move from darkness to light. In so doing, we are freed.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.

Psalm 32:5