Epiphany Moments
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. ”
Chris Page, our church custodian, and I enjoy joking around and teasing, but one day, he got serious about a conversation he had with some friends. Chris told me the conversation was about “epiphanies.” Chris said that we all have God moments when we feel led to think about something and then act on it. Chris continued by sharing that denying our epiphanies because we are not good enough, or for some other excuse, is to deny God’s call. The passion behind his words and their truth had me pondering his statement for weeks.
First, I love the idea that God provides us with epiphanies. We’ve all had those moments when something meaningful hits us like a ton of bricks. It is like the cartoon where a character's mental lightbulb turns on at the idea. An epiphany is the Holy Spirit’s light illuminating the bulb of our soul, and we recognize it. Not five minutes ago, as I was going back to my office, I was visiting with another friend, and we were discussing a concern about someone we hadn't seen in a few days. Our mutual concern prompted both of us to pick up the phone and make contact. It turned out the person we were talking about was in the hospital.
Some might chuckle and call that a coincidence. Yet, as a person of faith, I would say, “Not so fast.” The Holy Spirit is at work in all our lives, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. I believe the Holy Spirit gave my friend and me an epiphany moment, allowing us to reach out with spiritual care. After sharing our concern for the other person, my friend and I could easily have moved on to the next topic. Instead, our epiphany moment nudged us to make a couple of calls and make sure all was well. The Spirit’s gentle push allowed us to take the next step and offer caring support.
God provides epiphanies not only to reassure the recipient that God is moving in and through their lives, but also to provide necessary assistance to others. As Chris Page said, when we choose to ignore God’s epiphanies, spiritual moments pass us by. God’s epiphanies occur in all our lives, not just the lives of saintly individuals. Open your heart, listen with your spiritual ears, and act, even when it feels unnecessary, and soon you will recognize the epiphany moments taking place in and through you each day.
