I don't know that it's explainable.

I’m sitting here listening to my girls run around the back yard and watching the cursor flash on, off……on and off. On and off. I don’t know that at this moment I can even begin to put my experience of the past two days into words.

But I know I must try.

For those that may be a little lost, I had the incredible opportunity to go on a very special prayer retreat at a place called, Apple Hill.

God did so much……..in so little time, in so many lives.

When I went on this retreat a year and a half ago, God totally turned my world upside down. I had NO clue what to expect or even what to think. This time, I kinda knew what to expect…..but it was totally different!

And different is good.

It was peaceful. It was happy. It was freeing. It was even fun!

God just showed up over and over and over.

I would love to write out everything that happened, but I don’t think that’s what the Lord wants.

But I feel as though I can share this one.

First, the Lord blessed me so much by someone offering to pay my way for this retreat. Lord knows and knew that there was no way we were going to be able to come up with the money. So I knew God must have wanted me there.

And to this person……I am forever and I mean FOREVER grateful!!!

But I thought that I was going to just be refreshed, renewed and ready to go as I prepare to lead this next bible study.

Well……….He taught me something, again.

Obedience, even when I do not understand it.

Early Friday morning, I got up by myself and walked up this mountain or “hill” they have at this place. I’t’s called “Prayer Mountain”.

I wish I could tell you all the details of how and why this place is what it is……but to be honest I don’t quite know everything. And I don’t think God wants all the “details” shouted over the world!

A lady had given me a couple of sheets to do out of a book called “Prayer Portions”. And the one we were supposed to be doing was the half-day intimacy with God. But as I was walking up the steep and I mean STEEP hill, the Lord began to speak to me through Moses (again).

I think Moses will be the first guy waiting for me at the gates of heaven…..I promise we are kin somehow. =)

Well, I sat down and looked at one of the sheets given to me from these prayer portions and low and behold it was called “Show me your glory” an it was all about Moses!

Oh my, it was the best quite time I have ever had, and I don’t know that I will ever have another one like this!! Holy Cow!

I was up there by myself, praising, singing, worshiping, and just asking God so many questions the same way Moses did.

He revealed himself to me as scripture tells us those that seek Him will find Him!

I knew he was telling me “no” about some stuff and I knew that he was telling me and, “uh huh” about some stuff (especially the stuff I’ve been fighting him on……..ahem, home school!).

I prayed for so many of you who read this blog…….especially my dear friend, Cindy. Girl, I surrounded you with prayer up there!

It was awesome! It was incredible!! I didn’t want it to end!!! And then…….

Just as quickly as I had been ushered into God’s presence there……..He told me to leave!

And ya’ll……not like, “Oh Nicki, I think you should go off my mountain now.” It was like “GO. NOW.”

I gathered up my things and was a little upset. I mean, here I was having this incredible time with the Lord that later I realized was like an hour and thirty minutes (and didn’t want it to end)…..and now God was telling me to get off his mountain?!

Excuse me?

But, It was almost like I had no choice, I was afraid to not obey. My heart was racing and I made the long track back down the mountain, asking God over and over “What have I done? Did I offend you in some way? Did I pray for the wrong thing? What Lord, what was it?”

I got nothing from Him. Just “Keep walking girl.”

So, I came back to the lodge very down and discouraged…….and I went to talk to my dear roommate and friend about what happened. We looked at all the areas in my life and she asked me some questions but to be honest…..both of us were very stumped as to what had happened.

I went downstairs with my journal and began to pray and drink coffee…..maybe the Lord just knew I needed some coffee because I was going to have a monster headache if I didn’t get some (ha ha)?!

I was sitting in a big comfy over sized chair, sipping coffee and just writing my heart out to God and there were a few other women in the area who were doing the same.

Pouring my heart out to the Lord just asking over and over “What have I done?”.

And then a man walks into the living area and says to another woman, “Were you the one walking down the mountain this morning?” She replied “No, I think it was her.” (And points to me.)

He looked at me just as simply as can be and says this, “Well, guess what? You JUST missed that coyote up there.” And walks out of the room!

I still get chills as I write that! My mouth dropped to the FLOOR. For real!

Obedience.

Oh it means so much more to me now more than ever! When the Lord tells us to “Go. Now.”, all to often we are like “Huh?” “WHY?”

When in fact the Lord is trying to protect us from harm. Oh my……it brings tears to my eyes to think how close I was to danger and to know that my God was so in the details that day. And that He always is.

But am I looking for Him the same way I do on prayer mountain? Do I believe He can show up in the same ways here in the valley?

I do now!

This was at the end of the prayer portion I did that morning:

“Now as you return to your daily routine from this time with God, you will be radiant with His countenance and you will reveal to all that you have met with God. He can’t help rubbing off on you.”

As I read that, I knew I was supposed to share this story.

Sometimes what happens at the “hill” stays at the “hill”! But I knew God had clearly spoken to about this to me.

Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

Call on your God today! He will answer and He will show himself to you! But when He does……obey!! Even when we don’t understand it, there is a greater purpose in it all!!