The power of epiphany

"Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength." Acts 9: 17-19.

(From Wikipedia) An epiphany is the sudden realization or comprehension of the larger essence or meaning of something. The term is used in either a philosophical or literal sense to signify that the claimant has "found the last piece of the puzzle and now sees the whole picture," or has new information or experience, often insignificant by itself, that illuminates a deeper or numinous foundational frame of reference.

Some years ago a friend of mine recounted an experience she had that was life-changing for her. She had never been a true Christian and, like me, had struggled with her faith for many years. One evening she was awakened from sleep by the feeling that someone had sat on the foot of her bed. Upon opening her eyes, there, at the foot of her bed, was Jesus - she told me she knew instantly who He was. The entire event transpired in seconds and while no words were exchanged she told me she left the experience with a profound sense of calm and well-being. And from that moment on her life would be lived for The Lord - and to my knowledge she still follows His way to this day.

I have prayed for such a revelation as my faith is often weak. While I have never had an experience similar to that of my friend, I have on many occasions been overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the world around me and the profound nature of our existence and the blessing of life. How about you? Have you had a life-changing epiphany or are you, like most of us, struggling along while trying to nurture and develop our faith and trust in God? We are all in this together, and these daily readings certainly bring us closer to God and the possibility of a life-changing event.