Have you had an epiphany lately?

I like the word “epiphany.” Epiphany comes from the Greek word that means "appearance" or "manifestation." It is often used to mean “the revelatory manifestation of the divine.” Epiphany is a word that sounds like what it means. It sounds like a sparkler on the 4th of July or a flash of lightning in a summer thunderstorm!

Epiphany is also a day, January 6. It marks the end of the twelve days of Christmas. In Scripture, the story for Epiphany is about the magi who discover a bright star. They follow the star from their faraway land to the little town of Bethlehem, and in the process they have an epiphany – they realize this baby is not an earthly king – he is the God-King both human and divine.

An epiphany is a moment when something is revealed, often unexpectedly. It is an illumination about something. An epiphany may be to and for you alone. For example, maybe you are talking to a friend or watching a play and you hear something that speaks to you, even takes hold of you. A word or a phrase jumps out at you from a book you are reading, seemingly louder or sweeter than all the others. Or suddenly a new creative idea is revealed – possibly generating a new direction in your life. No one else may notice it, and you yourself may not even realize right at the moment that this is an epiphany moment. But at some point this revelation illuminates your life like a bright star, causing you to understand something new. An epiphany almost always causes a change within you.

I had an epiphany recently. I sometimes awake in the night for various reasons, but on this particular night I roused from my sleep with an idea for a brand new play running wildly through my head. This idea just wouldn’t leave my brain, and I became fully awake. I finally got up and went to my computer to write it down. A few days passed and this idea continued to pursue my attention. So I laid it out to a few friends to see what they thought. They liked the idea, and encouraged me to spend some more time to flesh it out.

After talking to my friends I spent more time pondering this experience, and I realized then that it was an epiphany. I have already had success in writing, including one play, and I had been wondering whether I should pursue play writing in more depth. This experience illuminated for me that I am meant to continue to write plays.

We can’t force an epiphany to occur, but we can watch for signs that may be a revelation. Awareness is a key to recognizing an epiphany. Epiphanies may suddenly trigger a solution to a problem, or give you a new direction in life. But unless you are paying attention, and then act on it, the epiphany may be lost.

I encourage you to be aware and even look for signs or "stars" in your life - anything that might be illuminating or a revelation. You just may find an epiphany ready to bless you just around the corner!

Have a blessed Monday!

Faye

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