Pandemic requires God’s gift of adaptability

By Anthony Hailey
Special to Arkansas Catholic

When we enter this world, we all come with certain innate talents and gifts, bestowed upon us by the Lord. Some of them include our athletic abilities or our intellect, but there’s one gift that stands out above all in a time like this: adaptability.

The past few months have been hard for all people. It’s changing our whole way of life. In order to combat these harsh times, we desperately need this gift of God, this gift of adaptability. Without it, we would never be able to get past this whole ordeal and better our society.

Ever since early March, things have been completely different from the regular daily routine. In my own personal experience, I have witnessed some monumental adaptations during this time. These are things I never thought would happen if this situation never existed.

My day would mainly involve going from class to class while relying on my teachers to control the majority of what happens during that time. During this whole quarantine, though, I’ve had to adapt. I’ve had to be the one who controls how I complete my subjects, and I had to take initiative in making sure I turned them in on time. I know my classmates also have to go through this as well. This goes to show that this gift is not just one sole gift, but rather it is a gift that brings along even more gifts.

From this specific adaptation to my lifestyle, I’ve picked up on the ability to take initiative and control of my own actions. This is why adaptability is one of the greatest gifts we can have during any tough situation.

On a broader scale, I have witnessed a huge change at my own school, Catholic High. Catholic High School isn’t necessarily known for its technological prowess, but what they’ve done during this time is more than just impressive. Straight out of the gate (ever since schools were shut down), Catholic High moved to a virtual setting for schooling.

At first, I really didn’t know what to expect, but then they showed me how great this gift of God really is. For a school that primarily is known for its traditional aspects to be one of the schools that are spearheading virtual schooling across all of Arkansas, this is something that made me remember that God is always there for us. Even in this rough time, we should always know that God is with us, no matter what, to provide us with peace.

This gift of adaptability can be found in the Church itself. Since the lockdown started, churches across the city, state and the country have hosted virtual, or livestreamed, Masses. This shows me that while we are adapting as a society to this horrible pandemic, we still have that place that many of us seek peace and solidarity in, and that is the Church. If somebody told me before this pandemic started that I would have to witness Mass through a digital device, I honestly wouldn’t have believed them. This is the reality that we face, though.

Things have changed, but with these changes, we have to adapt. If there is one thing that I can say to someone right now, it would be that they need to look for a way to adapt to our current situation. Find a way, during this time where we are separated from each other, to make yourself a better person. Even though this is a rough time, we cannot let that fact define us. It is imperative that we move with the times. If we do not, there is no way that we can improve ourselves, let alone get back to the way things were.

Anthony Hailey is a rising senior at Catholic High School in Little Rock. He attends Christ the King Church in Little Rock.

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