"Epiphany"

When things arrive in my mind and in my emotion and I am pondering something from what I am feeling or the Holy Spirit has spoken to me either while reading the Bible or just on the way home from work, I often have words that come to mind that I truly have never known the meaning. I know what they mean just by hearing others talk of them in a context, but I never really educated myself on their meaning.

The word I had in my head yesterday was the word "epiphany." The word and lack of my knowledge of it occurred to me after I had an epiphany while driving home from work in a dark, icy atmosphere. Cars moving slowly all around, I was driving white knuckled and concentrated on the road, yet I was given an epiphany of my life and how I have just realized a blessing by the Holy Spirit with the gift of an answer to a long awaited prayer.

So the word "epiphany" I have used before but it is most relevant to me this morning now than ever. After I just read the meaning of the word and found that it referenced yesterday's date I am even more in awe with God, hence why I am compelled to write this at this very moment. It was yesterday when I was thinking of my most recent epiphany during my renewed walk with God. Yesterday was January 6th. I admit that I was prompted when I got home from that long drive to make an entry about the epiphany I had but didn't take the time to in order to not spend what little time I had left of the evening after that long drive home. And had I done so, I probably wouldn't have remembered to look up the word as I would have been in a hurry to get the entry done in time to be with my family.

Now some of you are thinking, "But Tulabell is at work right now, how does she have time to make an entry now?" Well it's easy, I find that when I have entries like this of my spirituality, God allows my fingers to swiftly describe what I need to in the short time I have before the work day really gets going. Then I save my work and make it a goal to get it published the same day.

So back to my epiphany with God. It occurred to me just yesterday, January 6th, that every morning over the past two + years I would get out of bed looking forward to my drive to work knowing that I could smoke without anyone else around. That no one would know or care if they didn't see me. It was my alone time. Yes, the sick mind of an addict. I would long to get out the door and on my drive home for that special time, it was how I started my day. This is no longer. It has also been after each cigarette that I would feel convicted and ask God to take my desire away, that He was the only one that knew how to do this.

Today I long for the time alone with God listening to the radio station that comes in unclear for the first half of my ride. There plays many sermons from pastors who I don't even know, but the Word speaks to me. I then am inspired by the last half of my drive as the radio station turns into a clear station from Klove. This occurred to me and I give praise for it. What a blessing! After over two years of guilt and pleasure and hiding of a dirty stinky habit that I thought felt fulfilling, I am blessed that this has been replaced by a much more wonderful experience. Isn't it a blessing?

e⋅piph⋅a⋅ny   /ɪˈpɪfəni/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [i-pif-uh-nee] Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun, plural -nies.
1. (initial capital letter) a Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day.
2. an appearance or manifestation, esp. of a deity.
3. a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
4. a literary work or section of a work presenting, usually symbolically, such a moment of revelation and insight.