Epiphany! I love Epiphany! I love to say epiphany... I love to hear my people say epiphany... I love what it means and when it is in the year. According to Merriam-Webster, Epiphany means a moment in which you suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way; an intuitive grasp of reality through something usually simple and striking; an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure. I love that it is usually through something simple that God uses to illuminate new things to me. I look for epiphanies always! I started this when Mike used to prune in the orchard and his goal in this very mundane, tedious job was to think of something that he had never thought of before. That was an epiphany to me! To intentionally think of something that I had never thought of. Now as I get older and my kids and business take up so much of my time and energy this becomes more difficult... but I still love the idea. I love nature and sense God's presence more in the outdoors than anywhere else. I can see His creativity, His humor, His forgiveness, His steadfastness in things that grow or are a natural part of our earth. I can be an epiphany just stepping outside if I am aware! I always wonder "How did I not see that before?" At the beginning of this season we asked what we feel like God is showing each of us. What is our "epiphany" of the season. Kadin in all his 4 year old innocence says his is that God loves him. This is a child that will probably not have insecurity issues. He is a show stopper! He will be the one that "everyone likes" and will not know the wonder if he is loved. However I do pray that this is a constant epiphany to him in his life as he remembers that GOD LOVES HIM! and now he can love the world with the overflow of that love.
Quinn says that his is that God is/will help him with his schoolwork. This is exactly what he needs right now! Quinn struggles so much! His disability is called Auditory Neuropathy...where he hears things ok but it all gets jumbles when it goes to his brain. His actual ear drum is loose, not tight, so the sounds don't even sound right. If he is sensing that God is with him in this struggle than he is far ahead in the kingdom of God!
Isabella says off handedly that God is showing her "to be happy!" My first thought is ggrrr... she didn't even think about it! Then I read Act 13:52 and it talks of Paul and Barnabus "brimming with joy and the Holy Spirit...they were happy disciples." WOW! This girl is powerful! She could literally boss CEOs around and yet she has made some mistakes in the past couple years that I fear she will let hold her back. And then God grabs hold of her heart and whispers to her "Be Happy! Move beyond past choices and be happy."
Mike's been meditating on a prayer/Psalm that says "Fight those that fight me, Attack those who attack me. Tell my soul that 'I am' your salvation." He is remembering that worry and fret and stress only cause more worry, fret and stress. That God is bigger than all of this! This is his heavenly battle and Jesus is telling him "I am" and that's all he needs.
Mine is just that life happens! Sometimes it is pretty and sometimes it isn't but if I will have eyes to see I will see Him in every situation. I have always tried to live for Christ and I thought that I could have a perfect life. HAHA... yeah right! The only times that I have been able to minister the word of life to another is through my painful situations. HOLY MOLY! What an epiphany that was!
Basically, each of my people's epiphanies are an epiphany to me! How great is that of God... I had 5 just thinking about this post. Plus if I am looking, I have an epiphany daily/weekly/monthly/yearly. That is why I love this season... because it reminds me to look!