Love of words- winnower

Rather than a word "smith" hammering out meaning...
I look at myself as a word "winnower"~ throwing out words to see which fall to earth and sprout, grow and reproduce...
Epiphany~
I have loved this word I learned at an early age, I imagine from my church-going folks.
In the 50's and 60's my family life centered on the activities of the church of England. I loved the potluck church dinners and storytelling.
Epiphany to me has meant we turn the corner on winter towards spring. Solstice has passed and the light returns to the evening skies. Growing up in harsh winters, this meant hope for warmer weather.
After I lived in Mexico the significance was Dia de los Magos (Three Kings) and the countdown for Lent> which eventually in my life turned into King's Cakes and ticking off the days to Mardi Gras!

In layman's terms I use the word to signify an "AHA" moment, a realization; connecting the dots or some sort of insightful conclusion.
Today "epiphany" harkens back to its original meaning for me...Spiritual Awakening ~ vision of God.
Some translations for this Christian feast day are "The Day of the Lights"...also reference to "manifestations"-

I realize that for me, as Gary Snyder wrote, "Nature is not a place to visit, it is home.", my epiphany is choose to strive for a balance in modern society and in the natural world.

My aha moment is that I don't have to put away my childish things, such as my veneration for wild places and admiration for God's cathedral, the wilderness.
My aha moment is that in my lifetime I bear witness to unprecedented destruction of wilderness and natural areas in the name of progress to meet the demands of a burgeoning human population that cries for comfort and convenience.
Now I think of the word "creature comforts" ~ yet humankind's demands for plastics, cheap oil have really muddled up life on earth...
If we were more "creature" and less man, would we live like God's creatures and know better than to soil our own nests?
More than ever I turn to my faith in God to protect all creatures here below.
More than ever, I seek to find the spiritual solution to turn the tide in favor of the wild places...
...to wake up humankind to act to preserve our natural habitat!
Forget the whales!  Save Earth Mother. Save our souls.
Yes, it is my faith in God, my belief system that I am grateful for today.
For in these times, it is our souls and hearts that will create a consciousness of hope for survival in desperate times.
Indeed, an SOS message for our generation that shares such an abundance...do you love enough to act to preserve the earth for seven generations hence?