Just when you think you have it all together...

someone changes the rules of the game. Or, better yet, did I really know and understand them to start with? Last weekend I had the wonderful privilege of traveling to The Cove in Black Mountain, NC. This was my second year to travel with this particular group. I will have to confess... I went kicking and screaming, protesting for the last few months. I had decided that when I went last year, I did as God told me to and that was an assignment checked off the list. They could go and have fun, but not me, not this year. Right Lord??? Wrong Dummy (me)!

As I sat in line at the county tax office to pay my car taxes, I decided it was past time to clean out all the little nooks and cranny's that seem to fill up so fast with bits and pieces of my life.
There was mail from the week still laying in the floorboard that had never made it into the house. There was this little Christmas card and as I opened it, these are the words that grabbed my heart...

Come away with Me, my beloved
Come and enjoy a candlelight dance on the Mountain with me

Now, if you know me at all... you know He had me at "dance"!
And had me He did. As the time to go up to this Mountain of God drew closer, my heart grew more ready to be there. All I can say is "what a fool I was". I told the "Cove Sistas" that Susan had been crazy not to want to be there, but look out next year because Mable was already counting down the days until we go again.

I won't tell all we did, because after all it was a date, and nice girls don't tell all! But I will tell this one eye-opener, because I do believe it will end up changing my life in ways I never dreamed of.
Late Friday night after we had all had our dance, we gathered in one of the rooms to pray. We started about 10:30 and went until about 2:15. Martha, our fearless leader, had instructed us to share our requests. Our scribe, Dana, read the ones from last year. And for the most part... they were the same requests. But I'll go ahead and say.... next year, I don't think that will be the case at all. Nope, I think they'll all be checked off and we'll be moving on to a new list!
Martha shared what it means to intercede. I always thought it meant that we just prayed for other people and their needs.

Miriam Webster has this to say...
the act of interceding 2 :
prayer, petition, or entreaty in favor of another

But when Martha shared what she believes is the true definition, it went more like this...To stand in the gap for, to pray as if you were that person.

And hearing that, many of us in the little group gave it our best shot. But then, oh, but then, Martha prayed. It was the most amazing prayer I had ever heard. It brought me to my feet... and then some. (Some things are better left to the imagination!)

Martha took on the heart for the one whom she prayed.

Before I went to the Mountain, I gathered things of significance that belonged to my mom and dad, my husband, my children, their significant others, my grand babies, and a few close friends and their families. It was sweet to pray over them on that Mountain of the Lord. But I knew I wasn't finished. So today, before I started to return the items, I laid them all out and began to intercede over each person as I held their item. The best thing to say is I now have a headache because I have cried so much today. No doubt, the sweetest headache I have ever had.

And on Day One of President Obama's first day in office, it was really neat, not to just pray for him, but to intercede for him.

Remember this one...

Hebrews 7:25 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Therefore He is always able to save those who come to God through Him,
since He always lives to intercede for them.

Today I have a fresh and new perspective of just how Christ intercedes for us. Maybe you already had an understanding that I just received. If you did... why didn't somebody tell me before now? And if it's a new way of thinking for you too... oh - go and give it a whirl. You'll be ever so glad that you did!