An epiphany is a manifestation of the divine. I believe we each experience little epiphanies. The God who spoke to Moses in a burning bush, to Joseph in a dream, and to Paul on the road, speaks to us too. There are several moments in our lives when we just know that we are in the presence of the holy. Our hearts are moved. In our era after the resurrection, these epiphanies aren’t as spectacular as the one witnessed by the three apostles on Mount Tabor. They are simple, yet memorable. Skimming over my store of memories, I find several such events stand out.
I recall pushing my nephew in a wheelbarrow when he was three or four years old. He was laughing and laughing, and I was too from sheer joy. It was a precious moment captured by my heart. Then there was the time that I was standing in the checkout line at Value City, and my sister was waiting for me by the windows. She seemed to look at me with such love that I always remembered it. I also remember when my father was dying in the hospital and he raised his calloused hands and said, “See, these worked for you.” One day I was at the top of a snow-covered mountain in Vancouver overlooking islands in the ocean decorated by wisps of mist. The scene was exquisitely beautiful, and I tried to burn it into my mind. And once I had an unusual dream. In it I was taken up into clouds and surrounded by light. I felt enveloped by such love that I was disappointed when I awoke.
Years ago in writing about heaven, I came across the idea that earth contains hints of heaven (as well as hints of hell). As a prayer activity, one of thanks and praise, you might comb through your memories and pinpoint times when you were gifted with glimpses of heaven . . . the place where we will experience eternal love and beauty forever.
What God-moments can you share?
2 Responses
I always think of the time when out of the blue, my little 5 year old nephew noticed his dad had cut his head while shaving and was bleeding a little bit. He looked at me and said “Oh I think I will pray for my Daddy so his cut goes away…because God hears me. Did you know that? He hears my prayers.”
It almost made me tear up just hearing his little voice and seeing him stare me square in the eyes and tell me that. Almost like I was the one that needed convincing..and I did.
And then in the next breath, he went back to playing his games. Out of the mouths of babes. 🙂
What a precious memory. Thanks for sharing it, Michelle.