Yesterday we celebrated the Day of Epiphany. It’s a great day! However, it’s sad that it’s only relegated to one day. Can you imagine living each day as if it were a Day of Epiphany?
The word Epiphany means the “revelation of Christ.” Some folks have never had a single epiphany. Sad but true. I know some of you, at this point, are thinking “Good grief, Here she goes again.” That’s ok. I get it. I can sometimes be annoying in my faith. But quite frankly, that’s all I got. I lived a lot of years trying to make things work on my own. Luckily, for me, I came to the end of myself at an early age … 38.
Coming to the end of myself probably saved my life. Depressed, broken, divorced, exhausted, frustrated, and addicted. All of the things that I tried to “make work” failed miserably. Luckily for me, I failed miserably. Ironically enough, I was a pretty tough cookie. My life had been less than stellar but I had certainly learned a lot by the lives that I had observed. I learned what to do and what not to do. And still, with all of that experience in my pocket, I failed miserably. That’s when I had my first epiphany. As I was walking away from what appeared to be a great life, i threw my hands up in the air and challenged God … “If you are real — prove it!”
That’s when I began to encounter epiphanies. I like to call them Godincidences. When I chose to give up my strong-willed, rebellious ways of doing things was when the Lord took over and started making things happen for me. I no longer had to fight in my own strength. I no longer had to “make things happen.” I had someone bigger than me looking out for me. Quite honestly, I had spent an entire life taking care of myself. I was tired. Mostly, sick and tired of being sick and tired. That day, in 1996, when I gave up … was when God showed up. And boy what a difference a day makes. I want to encourage you in this New Year … try something different. Give up a little control. Loosen up your grip on life. Let someone else take over.
I always think of a New Year as a new door, a new opportunity to do things differently. Casting off the old and looking forward to the new. As for my faith, that’s the key. Standing in it regardless of what comes my way. I know that God has a plan for me. In spite of what I believe or even what I may do to screw it up … He’s got a plan and His plan is good. I encourage you this year to be open. Open yourself up to the opportunity of epiphanies. What have you got to lose? Otherwise, you are going to keep doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Right? And how’s that working for you? Are you sick and tired? I get it. There is another way … Try another door …
Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice which I had heard addressing me like [the calling of] a war trumpet said, Come up here, and I will show you what must take place in the future.