Embrace moments of enlightenment

“I pray that the eyes of your heart be enlightened.”

— Ephesians 1:18 (NIV)

Some of us know it as an “aha” moment. Others call it an epiphany, light bulb moment, illumination or revelation. You may have a name for it that’s special to you. The apostle Paul referred to it as the enlightening of the eyes of our heart.

Whatever we may know it as, it’s that moment when we understand something like we’ve never understood it before. This enlightenment causes us to think differently about something we were so sure about.

All of a sudden, we find ourselves wondering how we missed it. It was so simple, and right there all along. But it took an act of God’s illumination of our mind to reveal it to us.

Sometimes it’s something simple, while other times the “aha” moment takes us in a whole new direction. Oftentimes, but not always, it’s something someone has been telling us for years, but in our stubborn ways we just couldn’t see it. Now we see it clearly.

The apostle Paul was on his way to Damascus to kill Christians when a light blinded him and God’s divine voice informed him that what he was doing was wrong. This shook him to the core of his beliefs and values. Paul recognized his wrong doing and surrendered his life to Jesus and became a Christian, bringing others into the Christian faith.

Not all of our enlightening moments will be as dramatic as Paul’s. Some are more subtle and changes can be small.

Some of mine have been to change a job, career or friendship that was holding me back from being my best. It inspired me to write. It’s given me a change in perspective on the way to behave or act in situations.

It’s also caused me some regrets. I find myself trying to instruct my grandchildren what I know now that I wish I knew then. But they have to have their own enlightening moments. And I can’t wallow in regret.

The apostle Paul embraced his enlightening moments so much, he started to pray for more of them, and he urges us to do the same.

We simply ask God to enlighten the eyes of our heart, which I believe means change my perspective so that it changes the values I hold near and dear, or makes my direction clear.

We can all use this prayer on a regular basis, so we can receive the divine revelation to know the power, riches and beauty we possess to lighten our load and make our lives’ path clear.

• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author of the book “Letters To A Friend,” speaker, life and writing coach and nurse. She can be contacted at annetteebudzban@aol.com