Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Date With God.

One of my biggest regrets from the Created for Care retreat last year was "skipping" my Date with God session.  I really didn't skip it on purpose.  I just got caught up talking to a friend, and I missed my scheduled time.

Of course, the main thing everyone was talking about last year was their "Date with God."  I was really sad that I had missed that time with the Lord. 

This year at Created for Care I was determined that I was going to sign up for a Date with God session and actually attend it!  So, I signed up for the Saturday 11:00 am session.  I really couldn't wait!

Well, I did get caught up talking to someone again this year.  But thankfully, I was looking at my watch.  When it hit 11:00, I had to end the conversation and run to find the room where the Date with God session was taking place. 

I walked it a few minutes late, and stood in the back of the room while the session leader finished explaining all the different prayer stations that were set up in the room.  There was a cross, a tent, a painting table, a playdough table, a prayer wall, a collage table, and a station with maps of the world.  There were also women there who would pray for you, if you wanted them to.

Soft praise music started playing, and you could go to whichever station you wanted, and then rotate around the room as you wanted.  It was a very relaxed and worshipful setting.  And even though there were lots of other women in the room, it still felt very intimate.

Well, I since I had come in late and was already in the back of the room, I immediately went to the world map area.  It was directly to my right in the back of the room where I was.  I walked over to this map of the world that was on a huge plastic floor mat. 

I kneeled down on the map right next to Africa and immediately put my left hand on Ethiopia.  It seemed like instantly there were at least four to five other girls right around me who also put their hand on Ethiopia.

I started praying (silently) so hard for the country of Ethiopia, for the people of Ethiopia, for the Ethiopian adoption process, for the orphans of Ethiopia, and then, of course, for our daughter.  

The next thing I felt is really hard to put into words, but I will try.  I truly felt the presence of the Lord. It was one of the most Spirit-filled moments of my life.  The power of prayer is truly amazing. 

Even though the women around me were all praying silently, I know that we were all praying for the same thing...our children in Ethiopia.

I began to hear crying and sniffling around me, just as my own tears began to fall.  My tears were falling and dropping on this map of the world.  You could hear each tear as it hit the plastic mat below me.  I couldn't stop them.  It was such a powerful moment, and I truly feel like God was uniting our hearts as we prayed with our hands on Ethiopia.

It was so beautiful.  And I was so wanting to get out my camera and take a picture of all of our hands, but I didn't want to ruin the moment for anyone else.  So, I just took a mental picture of it.

Slowly, the other women around me started to get up to move to another station.  I was left alone on the mat for a brief moment, so I pulled out my camera quickly.  And then I took this picture...

I truly will never forget that special moment of interceding for our daughter along with other mothers interceding for their children...

all in the country of Ethiopia.

"I love the LORD, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy."  Psalm 116:1

9 comments:

Marcie said...

Amazing post!
God hears our prayers!

Home Project Manager said...

Goosebumps....
Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
God hears the prayers of His children.

Hannah said...

Prayer is a beautiful thing. What a wonderful feeling of knowing he is near.

Ashley said...

omgoodness! I just wrote about this moment on my blog yesterday...still get goosebumps thinking about it! someone sent me this link today and said "Hey, it's one of your crying friends!" Ha! I've read your blog before but, I'm gonna add you to my blog roll now and follow you're journey closely to know how to pray for y'all as you bring your Caroline Faith home!!

miller-partyof5.blogspot.com

April and Nate said...

Thank you for sharing your spiritual experience. Reading about it had me in tears. We have a very loving Heavenly Father who is very aware of our situations. I know he heard your prayer!

Shannon said...

I can only imagine what a beautiful moment that must have been. I am tearing up just thinking about it as I'm reading. So glad you didn't miss your opportunity to have a date with God. :-)

Sharen said...

Oh Alison, this just made me get all teary, which was a little awkward since I'm at work! Such a beautiful image, and what a simple idea, yet so powerful!

Go and Tell said...

I love this, Alison!

Demetria Raper said...

so touching friend! i also had an amazing experience during my date with God session. i was bawling like a baby. i'm so blessed to have been a part of it.