Epiphany!
I didn't grow up knowing Epiphany was a Day. I grew up knowing quite well the Christmas Story, as recorded in Matthew, chapters one and two, and Luke, chapters one and two, and truly, woven throughout all of Scripture. I knew the song The 12 Days of Christmas, which I have always loved, but for some reason I didn't think of what was meant by 12 Days of Christmas. I guess I just thought that one day of Christmas, and even adding Christmas Eve, just wasn't enough, so someone decided to celebrate Christmas 12 Days and then wrote a fun song about it. And I did not know that Epiphany followed the 12 Days of Christmas, and fell on the 6th of January, and I certainly had no idea it had anything to do with the magi and their gifts.
The story of how I came to this discovery is rather remarkable, perhaps strange, definitely different. It happened in the first days of January, 2010. I was 36 years old, and had been in a season of pressed in and poured out prayer for many months. I spent the greater part of the summer and fall and winter in a pattern of fasting and intercession. It was one of those times that GOD calls you to, and it has nothing to do with strength of will or discipline. He is accomplishing something unseen, and choosing to involve you. And so it had been the mark of my days, the summer, the fall, the winter of 2009, and into 2010. His peace came, and I was released, on the 4th day of January. I don't know how to describe it, but after 6 months of dedicated prayer, I was released. If you are a pray-er, then you know what I mean. When He released me, He gave me a word. The word was Epiphany. It was a promise He gave to me, that Epiphany would come, and His purposes would prevail, in His time, and His way. I imagined whatever He had planned would be sometime in the future, and that future was far enough away that I couldn't see it.
For 2 days, I meditated on Epiphany, and prayed over what it might mean. The morning of January 6, I awoke to a surprise. I wish you could have been in the room with me, or in my mind. Some things you just can't put into words. To my astonishment, on the tiny 2010 Psalms calendar that I buy every year, I saw the word Epiphany. I was shocked. Why would they print the word Epiphany on a calendar? To me, it was like printing Revelation or Surprise. I still didn't know Epiphany was a holiday, I thought it was just a word. Whatever it was, I knew this was meant for me to see, in that moment.
I left to head to the hospital to give massages to a doctor friend and his wife who were scheduled with me once a month. Smartly, he used massage tables for his patient tables, so it was easy to remove the table paper, wipe down the table, and don it with sheets, and there ya go! As I was quietly working with my hands, the Holy Spirit kept talking to me, and showing me things, and I realized I was having an Epiphany! He was showing me something entirely unexpected and surprising that I began to wonder if too much fasting had affected my mind. In between the massages, I stepped into the hallway, to see another astonishing surprise. Mind you, I was in a doctor's office in a hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas. In the hallway was a man wearing a Hebrew prayer shawl, a tallit. I lived in Jerusalem, Israel for 10 months, and I saw men wearing prayer shawls everywhere. But Hot Springs? Arkansas? My jaw was still dropped open when I realized I knew this man! I was being blown away! It was time for me to duck back into the room and ready for the table for my second guest. My mind was trying to keep up with everything that was happening, and that the Holy Spirit was showing me. I had only met the man in the prayer shawl twice. I had been asked by a mutual friend to visit his wife, who was sick, and him, in their home in Bismark, south of Hot Springs. They lived off Highway 84, I remember, because of Psalm 84. They were elderly, loved the LORD, and were beautifully hospitable. I remember I sang over his wife, which I was led to do, but hadn't done very much at all, and I didn't even know them, but I knew it was what I was to do, and I prayed for her, and for them, And then he prayed. For me. The prayers were from a man that quite obviously knows the LORD quite well, and for sometime. He reminded me of Simeon. Someone truly that close to the LORD. I don't remember anything that he prayed, but I remember his presence, and I remember when I got back to my Prius for the drive home, I called my friend and said, "if even a fraction of the things this man prayed over me today come to pass, I will live a very blessed life." It was a remarkable and memorable encounter. And then, here he was, on Epiphany, while I was having an epiphany, wearing a prayer shawl, reminding me of his prayers! His name means brave heart, and that is what I would need! God is in the details, every time and always!
Not that this is important to point out, but it just occurred to me that you might think he was weird. Not at all. He was a very humble, quiet man, who I don't think would've done anything to draw attention to himself. I saw him wearing his prayer shawl as a way to signal to GOD and GOD alone, that he was truly relying on Him with everything in him, to heal his wife, whom he clearly, deeply loved.
When I finished my massages, I left to head back home, where I was meeting another massage therapist friend to trade out massages. I couldn't believe what I was being told. I mean I could, but it seemed so impossible, and far fetched, and scary. Every time I would wonder if I was losing my mind, I would remember the words of Jesus, My sheep hear my voice, and they know me, and a stranger they will not follow. Yes, this is His voice. I have known since my early childhood. I shared with my friend what I thought the Holy Spirit was telling me, and asked her if she thought I was crazy. She answered, "Not at all. You are one of the most prophetic people I know. I absolutely believe this is the Holy Spirit."
And that is where I stop the story for now. But that is how I came to know that Epiphany is Day on the calendar, and it wasn't until later that I understood how it tied to the 12 Days of Christmas. I Googled it, of course, but didn't have time to research it much, until much later.
So, Epiphany came to me with epiphany, and made such a mark on me, that I will never forget. And so, last year, it was with great intention and joy that I chose to begin Pinecone Promises on Epiphany. I also love that the date is January 6, because this day reminds me of Jesus' first miracle. January is the first month. Jesus' first miracle, turning water into wine at a wedding. He told the servants to fill 6 stone waterpots with water, and it became the very best wine. So the date of 1/6, reminds me of His 1st miracle, 6 stone waterpots. He manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
In a way, by filing Pinecone Promises, I am filling up the waterpots, so to speak, and trusting that He has a plan, because He has given the instructions. As I write this, I just realized that filling and filing, which look and sound the same, are both in my Pinecone Promises filed on Epiphany story!
One more thing before I wrap this up, sometimes I like to write dates the way they do in other parts of the world. I live in the USA where we write the month, the day, the year. But all over the world, people write the day, the month, the year. So, if you were to write the day before the month, then Epiphany is 6/1 rather than 1/6, and reminds me of Isaiah 61, and June 1st, the day I decided to follow Jesus with my whole heart for my whole life.
