What if we lived in a world where COVID-19 hadn\u2019t happened? What if all those plans we had hadn\u2019t been altered? What if we didn\u2019t have masks on our faces right now or this nagging feeling that things are very different?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These were the questions I asked myself as I watched Will Darbyshire\u2019s newest video, \u201cFaces & Places.\u201d Darbyshire was tasked by Adobe to create a video that would fit under the brief \u201ctime travel,\u201d so he did. Darbyshire compiled video segments from his travels and escapades during the year 2019, showcasing the beautiful places and people he had come in contact with in a world that was pre-COVID-19. This video made me think about how we were as a human race before we experienced a year such as this. But not only did it make me contemplate the immense impact this year has had on us, it made me think about the sheer impact any year or season can have on us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We are each the summation of places, experiences and other people we come into contact with. We carry moments and interactions and fleeting thoughts with us everywhere we go. So, what happens when we experience something that is so deeply formative we cannot imagine existing without it \u2014 we cannot remember what it was even like to exist prior to \u201cmeeting this person\u201d or \u201cliving through that moment\u201d? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similarly, as I conclude this chapter of my life that is college and reflect on its occurrences, on one hand, I am envious of the person I was before entering \u2014 a person who was inundated with anticipation and curiosity with no clue of what was to come. I had so much to learn and endure and experience when I stepped into this role. I had yet to experience so many of the instances that have been undoubtedly formative in my trajectory as a person, nor had I encountered the people who I cannot imagine moving forward without. Who was I this time four years ago? Who was I before experiencing these things? What did I care about? What was I anxious about? I am envious of this former self because of all the good she was about to live through. However, at the same time, I don\u2019t envy her at all because she did not know what it felt like to know these things I now know. She did not know these people, she had not witnessed these interactions between passersby, she had not yet heard what are now my favorite songs. At that point in life, I had so much to learn that I didn\u2019t even know what I needed to learn. And I know good and well that I was anxious about many things \u2014 things that I cannot even remember now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf only you had known on this day what would bring you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m reminded of these words Jesus spoke to the city of Jerusalem. If only they had known what would bring them peace. As I reflect on my life the past four years and think about the magnitude they have had, I can\u2019t help but think these words of Jesus would have applied every step of the way. And now, as I\u2019m facing massive amounts of uncertainty and worry, I can\u2019t help but think Jesus again would say, \u201cIf only you had known on this day what would bring you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is funny how much we can try to predict, plan, manipulate and pore over, when, in the end, we look back and can\u2019t imagine things being any different. We can\u2019t imagine not living through our worst-case scenario coming to life; we can\u2019t imagine living without meeting these people or enduring that challenge. Somewhere along the way, there no longer exists that \u201cplan B\u201d or the alternate universe where \u201ceverything went according to plan\u201d because everything just was the way it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, today, as I reflect, process, wax, wane and move forward \u2014 although I\u2019m doing a terrible job of staying calm and collected \u2014 I can\u2019t help but hear Jesus\u2019 ancient words reverberate through my stubborn, human heart: \u201cIf only you had known on this day what would bring you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
What if we lived in a world where COVID-19 hadn\u2019t happened? What if all those plans we had hadn\u2019t been altered? What if we didn\u2019t have masks on our faces…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15166,"featured_media":15111,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[78,25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-columns","category-opinions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16242"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16243,"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16242\/revisions\/16243"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}