"If I had known, I would have done this. … If I had known, I would have done that. …"
Those are the thoughts that have been repeatedly going through my mind the past two weeks after the sudden and unexpected closure of the company through which I sold clothing for women, children, and babies. This was my side hustle of two-and-a-half years that was taken from me in the 15 seconds that it took me to read the “we’re winding down business” email. The email was received at 8:20 on a Wednesday morning, and I was told my job was ending at 4 p.m. on the same day.
Of course, I was shocked and disappointed and wanted answers, especially after being told very little. But then I couldn’t help but think about the thousands of other women, many of whom had invested 10, 15+ years of their lives with this company. For many, it was their livelihood – not just a side gig. Others relied on this additional monthly income to make ends meet while working another full-time job. Needless to say, the ramifications of this abrupt corporate announcement were endless and damaging to so many, especially two weeks before Christmas.
It was all too similar to a local situation that happened the week of Thanksgiving. The Mississippi-based United Furniture Industries, one of the largest furniture companies in the U.S., laid off all of its 2,700 employees without severance or benefits … or notice, and the layoffs were effective immediately. It was and still is devastating to so many families.
The effects of these two businesses’ decisions are far-reaching, long-lasting, and life-changing. But the one thing that makes them so hard for all those involved is the fact that both decisions were completely unexpected and given without prior notice.
Thus, the reason for the “if” thoughts churning through my mind:
If I had known the clothing company was going out of business, I would have used my discounts to plan ahead and buy bigger sizes for my daughter that she could wear in the years to come. … If I had known, I would have told all my customers so they, too, could have planned accordingly. If I had known, if I had known, if I had known …
The list could go on and on.
I know the United Furniture employees were thinking the same, perhaps to an even greater degree. I can imagine them thinking how they could have saved more money, used their PTO sooner, gotten a supplemental health plan, and had another job lined up. Again, the list could go on and on.
Contrary to the popular saying, what we didn’t know really did hurt us this time. Because we never had a chance to plan for the unknown.
If we had only known what we didn’t know.
Among all the thoughts swirling around in my mind, I kept trying to recall this verse: “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
According to Bibleref.com, Paul describes
“this partial knowledge of God as seeing a reflection in a dim mirror. Some scholars suggest that he had in mind Corinth’s famous bronze mirrors, known for their imperfect reflections. After the coming of Christ, when the church is fully mature as He is, however, we will see God face to face, knowing Him in person instead of through partial revelation.
“In fact, Paul adds, we will know God and His ways then as He knows us now. God, of course, is never limited in His knowledge. He knows everything there is to know about us, even what we do not see or understand about ourselves. In that day, when God comes to live among us (Revelation 21:1-5), we will know fully, as He knows us fully in this moment.”
How beautiful – to be fully known by the Creator of the universe. How comforting – that Creator God knows everything there is to know about us, even what we don’t know and don’t understand, even the things we had wished we had known ahead of time.
So with that in mind, I can’t help but ask myself – and you – is there anything you would do differently to prepare for an eternity with Him? The answer could be far-reaching, long-lasting, and life-changing.
I don’t want to stand before Him on judgment day saying,
“If I had only known. …”
I don’t want to go into the unknown of eternity without knowing Christ. And I don’t want you to, either.
