new favorite words

As part of the Esther bible study by Beth Moore, I have been introduced to several of my new favorite words...

"the reversal of destiny" (aka "the reversal of fortunes")--the complete changing of the course of a series of events. This happens several times throughout scripture. Here is an example:
2 Corinthians 5:21-For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

"peripety"-a sudden turn of events that reverses the expected or intended outcome, particularly in literature (dictionary). It is the hinge on which the reversal of destiny occurs (Moore).
A monumental example: Jesus rising from the grave. Before this significant event it looked little different from many other situations common to that day. However, this was the turning point that changed EVERYTHING!

So as I processed and internalized this literary device, I realized that this applies directly to individual lives. In fact, Esther and Jesus were individual lives--not just a piece of literature. So I attempted to think through various events in my own life to pick out the peripety that caused a reversal of destiny...
The day that my mom dropped me off to stay at Nana's "for a while". Often we are unable to see a peripety when it happens because it is in the representation of ordinary events, however the course of my life was changed in that moment. It wouldn't be for years that I could look back, view it for what it was, and be so thankful.
Obviously, the day that I accepted Christ as my savior.
Possibly the moment that I decided and stood firm to go away to college, despite the instruction from at least one who didn't think it was the best idea.

As I continued to inspect what this intriguing aspect of journeys looks like, I considered that it could also apply to negative changes in course. Beth did not mention any of those examples and when I looked briefly online did not find any either, so I am unsure whether the same word would apply.

It made me wonder...What is the peripety in other people's lives? What do some of those moments look like that cause the reversal of destiny?