What in the world is peripety you may be asking. It's a nifty little word that Beth Moore shared in her Bible study, Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman. What it means is a sudden reversal of destiny or fortune, that event or moment when the turn actually comes. I think I experienced peripety last night as I watched the video for session 6 of her Bible study.
She was talking about how you can be on the road with what looks like a certain future when God comes along and picks you up and sets you on a completely different path. As you know, I've been feeling stuck, like I'm getting nowhere fast in my goals and what I feel is my calling. She said something that struck me right between my eyes: "It's tough being a woman when you feel responsible for the how."
The peripetious moment in the book of Esther didn't come when Esther went before the king, risking her life. It didn't come when she confronted Haman and revealed her identity. No, the reveral of destiny came when Xerxes had a sleepless night and called for the book of records to be opened. Lo and behold the book opened to an accounting of Mordecai saving the king from a plot against him, an accomplishment that was never really recognized. (side note to self - when I feel passed by for recognition, maybe there is a divine purpose for it and God's timing is better - hmmm) In other words, Esther, even though she had to get over her fears and be brave, still didn't have to worry about the "how." She only had to obey.
I can hear my fears loud and clear in my brain - what if you're no good? what if nobody ever wants to read what you write? what if... how will you... where do you find.... But, I don't have to worry about the how; I just have to obey. Another part of the session hit me too, although probably not quite the way Mrs. Moore originally intended. One of her last points was "your story is good enough to tell." I got chill bumps when she said that. It was like God was speaking directly to me.
So, even though I don't know how this will work out and I feel like the country cousin come to visit in New York City when I think about the business of writing, I don't have to worry about that. I just have to obey, pick up my pen and write. God will just have to help me be brave, but He does tell us that whatever we have need of, to ask and He will give it.
~ Blessings, Bronte
I dislike the words destiny amd fortune, especially when talking about my life in the LORD. I can see where these words would appeal to the calvanist but I have a free will that can alter God's wonderful plan for my life. When something good happens, it is NOT fortune. Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of Light. But since Beth chose to use those two words, here are my thoughts on what she said: Pure logic would say that you can't reverse destiny. If you could then the first course that you were on when the reversal happened would not have been your destiny. Your destiny would actually be the second course, where you ended up after the reversal. Basically "reversal of destiny" is an oxymoron!
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