Have you ever had a conversation with someone you barely know where you walk away knowing just a little too much about them? These conversations, where you didn’t ask for their testimony or a play-by-play of their latest telephone call with God, are often difficult to handle charitably. Do you rejoice at their vulnerability and receive their confidence as an honor? Or do you run away screaming “I don’t even know you” and then cynically judge every aspect of your own relationship with God in light of their revelations?

If you are anything like me, you probably do neither of these things, and instead just walk away with an unpleasant taste in your mouth and a sinking feeling that you have been shown something—whether beautiful or horrifying—that you were never meant to see.

What happened to the small talk? Favorite colors and animals? The weather?

Now, that’s not to say that it is wrong to share your spiritual life with those you encounter. In fact, that is the basis for most good, intimate Chrisitan relationships. Witness is, after all, a necessary piece of living the Christian life! You should be able to articulate where God has moved in your life and heart and allow the Holy Spirit to use it as a tool to build up His kingdom.  

However, much like everything else in the spiritual life, there is a time and a place for baring your soul. Scripture consistently uses the image of the “heart” to convey the spiritual center of the person, the deepest essence of his or her personhood. Your heart is where you meet God, and where He whispers to you the greatest mysteries of His love. This is a special, sacred place. And how does the Church view sacred things?

She views them as set apart for a holy purpose.

Not everyone is meant to be privy to every movement of your heart. God may call you to share some parts of it widely, with whoever you meet. Other parts might be only for those friends with whom you feel vulnerable and secure. Still deeper parts might be only shared with a best friend, or even deeper parts with just a spouse. But there is still the deepest part, the most central core to who you are, where God meets you, and you alone.

There is a scene from the live-action Cinderella (2015), where Kit (the prince) brings Ella into an enclosed garden. It is surrounded by glass, sheltering within it vibrant pink roses, untouched grass, and a rope swing. As he is bringing Ella into the garden, Kit remarks how he has never brought anyone there before. He only desires to share it with her

Your heart is your sacred place. This is your secret garden.

In the Song of Solomon, the speaker describes the object of his affection as “a garden enclosed, [and] a fountain sealed.” The beauty of its sacredness lies in the fact that it is enclosed; not just anyone is allowed in at their whim to pluck flowers or trample the grass.

So, friends, this Lent, I invite you to go deeper into the sacred place of your heart with the Lord – and with the Lord alone. Be attentive to His words, and the ways He works in these most intimate parts in your life. Sometimes, He may call you to offer the fruits and flowers of this intimacy as a means of witness; other times, He may lead you to keep certain moments to yourself.

As Jesus went into the desert or up a high mountain alone to be with His Father, choose to retreat into the recesses of your heart with Him. There, He will meet you in silent intimacy, in that sacred garden set aside for you alone.