In my Adolescent Literature class with Dr. Devin Brown, we discussed artistic unity: when an author mentions an object or interaction early on in the story that is relevant to the plot later. This idea struck me, and it caused me to ask myself, where have I seen artistic unity at work in my own life?
Everything is so intertwined and complex in the plotlines of our lives. In my life, I see surprising connections in a discussion about a painting on the wall, a new member in a small group, reading poetry for class, watching a TV show and even an Instagram direct message (DM).
At the start of freshman year, I was terrified about making friends. Enough of my public high school friendships were challenging to the point of my detriment that after my senior year, I had intense walls and boundaries set up. I knew I could not shut myself off entirely because I wanted to thrive here. So the calendar kept moving closer towards move-in, and I timidly kept tip-toeing with it. I knew that I needed to make at least one friend once I made it to Asbury.
When I finally got here, I was not scared, or I was, and I shoved it down to make it through Welcome Weekend. I had a wonderful roommate, and I trusted I was going to be okay. We took the typical first day of school picture together, and a girl named Rachel from my TAG Group responded to it, complimenting us. I thought about just thanking her and moving on, but I hesitated.
I noticed before her message that she was a photographer, too, and her hometown was only 40 minutes from mine. There was a “now-or-never” moment, and I decided to go for it.
“Did you bring your camera with you?” I said. “If you did, would you like to take photos for fun around campus sometime?”
I don’t remember exactly what I was thinking in the 45 minutes it took her to respond. Knowing myself, I’m sure it included constant checking of my phone and pretending not to care as I scrolled on Instagram. I felt incredibly dumb and weird for asking someone to hang out via social media. Finally, I got a notification. She told me she would love to, and the rest was history.
If someone told me a year and a half ago that sending a message to a girl on Instagram would change my life for the better, I would have rolled my eyes at them and kept going on with my life. But I am so grateful I am here with this friendship that will last a lifetime and the other relationships it has led me to. Without an Instagram DM, I would never have become friends with Addie and Maria. Without an Instagram DM, I would not have gotten lost in the middle of Daniel Boone National Forest for over 6 hours with The Notorious BIG’s “Hypnotize” stuck in my head the whole time. Without an Instagram DM, I would have missed out on so many drives screaming to Taylor Swift’s entire discography.
Looking back, I am so grateful the Holy Spirit nudged me to go out of my comfort zone and be vulnerable. I would not have a best friend where our biggest problem is indecisiveness over a Halloween costume. I would not have someone I know I can tell anything to and still be accepted and appreciated.
How amazing is it that the author of our lives has such attention to detail that he would use something so small and mundane to change the course of our journey forever? I encourage you to trust the author’s intentionality in writing our lives in seasons of unknowns and challenges. Artistic unity surrounds us. Whether through eye contact with a stranger, a poster for an event, or an article you read, everything has a purpose.