The Gift of What If

A question crossed my mind yesterday while I was listening to church on Zoom, “What if I knew then what I know now?” I suppose I’m approaching a slippery slope anytime I ask myself a question that starts with a “what if.” But there it was like a big blinking sign on the side of a highway begging for my attention.

Two things happened when I paused for a moment to consider my answer. One was the arrival of a big “wow!” Every single thing would be different. Not necessarily better, but absolutely different. Even one altered decision would have had a domino effect on all the others and it would have altered so many things.

The second was followed by an even bigger “wow!” I suddenly saw myself unable to go backward in time, but definitely moving forward in time. So instead of asking, “What if I knew then what I know now?” I asked myself, “What if I use what I know now to intentionally guide, shape and inform where I will be?” The things I know now may not be able to reshape my past, but they hold the potential to shape my future in amazing ways.

Maybe I am at a fork in life’s road, maybe we all are. Life moves fast and knowing and deciding are things to use with respect. I hope when I live another five, ten, or twenty years I’ll look back and say, “I’m so glad I knew what I did then and used it to better my life and those around me in beautifully intentional ways.”

Maya Angelou wisely shared, “When we know better, we do better.” May those words serve as both our lighthouse and our benediction today.

Cherie Shaw, CPE Intern