God is always at work. He is arranging pieces of our story before we even realize how they will fit together. Like the key in Jane’s Secret.
God Was Writing the Story Before I Saw It
When I began writing Jane’s Secret, I knew I wanted to write about faith. About the prayers of one generation reaching into the lives of another.
As Jane’s Secret unfolded, one object emerged as the thread that tied everything together—a simple golden key passed from one generation to the next. It represented the inheritance of faith, the treasure of God’s Word, and the prayers that continue on after those who prayed them have gone home to be with the LORD.
I had no idea how significant that key would become.
Here, my daughter and I are unlocking the door to St. Michael’s and All Angels!
The Church Behind Jane’s Secret
Years earlier, I opened the doors to the ancient St. Michael and All Angels’ Church, the church connected to my ninth great-grandmother, Jane. I wandered through the churchyard. I studied the memorials. I admired the stained-glass windows. I traced history with my eyes, soaking in every detail I could find. But we don’t see everything. More often than we like to admit, important details escape us.
I left England with photographs, notes, and memories. They became the foundation upon which Jane’s Secret would eventually be built.
The manuscript became a book. I thought my research had come to an end, but then a friend asked me a question that prompted me to return to my research notes and photographs. Only after the publication of Jane’s Secret did I learn of a remarkable architectural feature I somehow overlooked.
High above the ancient stone walls, rising from the battlemented tower and standing clearly against the English skyline, rests a delicate wrought-iron key.
The weathervane was not a rooster. It was not a cross.
It was A KEY!!!
The Key
Its graceful handle, fashioned with intricate wrought iron, crowns the tower where it has endured generation after generation of changing winds. I imagine it has watched over weddings and funerals, baptisms and burials, seasons of peace and seasons of war. It announced a message to countless believers who entered through those doors carrying burdens only the Lord could bear.
Yes, it was there all along, but I simply hadn’t seen it. Once I noticed it, though, it was easy to spot in my photographs. I marveled that I’d not noticed it before, even though I had spent a year writing about a key.
Jane’s Secret is more than unlocking a mystery. I prayed as I wrote, asking God to unlock hearts. How fitting that a weathervane in the shape of a wrought-iron key stood above the sanctuary, reminding other sojourners and me of our eternal home found only through Jesus Christ. His ways and His thoughts are so much higher than ours. Whether or not the original craftsman intended the key as a reference to Matthew 16:19, I couldn’t help but think of Jesus’ words:
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”
How often is that true in our own lives? While we pray and wait for answers, we later discover that God has been weaving together details we could not even imagine. He prepares answers before we know the questions. He opens doors we cannot see. He aligns circumstances in ways we cannot fathom ahead of time.
The Keys of the Kingdom
Keys represent access. Jesus wasn’t speaking about an ornamental piece of iron atop a church tower, or any other literal key. He was speaking of the authority entrusted to His followers through the Gospel—the privilege of proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ that opens the way to eternal life.
To me, the discovery of the wrought-iron key is more than just another interesting historical detail. I see it as an answered prayer for guidance. The realization that the key was there all along, strong and high above the church, reminds me that God is never idle. While we are waiting, He is working.
I don’t believe God showed me the key at this time and in this way so I would marvel at a weathervane. He wanted to remind me of something He never wants me to forget.
Obedience comes before understanding.
Obedience Comes Before Understanding
Noah built the ark before it rained. Abraham placed Isaac on the altar. Peter stepped out of the boat. That same miracle-working God is still at work today in big and small ways. For example, I wrote about a secret key before I knew one had been standing over Jane’s church for centuries.
Pray. Then take the next step He places before you. One day, you may discover what I did—that while you were simply trying to hear His voice and obey, He was already writing a story complete with totally cool details you could never imagine.
What has God shown you only after you took a step of faith?
I’d love to hear your story. Share it in the comments below, because stories of God’s faithfulness encourage all of us to trust Him with the next step.
If you’d like to discover the true history and faith that inspired Jane’s Secret, you can learn more about the novel and watch the trailer here.
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The discovery of the key is so incredibly cool! Psychologically when we see, but don’t see something, it is called cognitive blindness. Spiritually speaking, God reveals what we should know when He is ready to reveal, and with the launch of your book, it’s perfect timing!