by Heather Biggs
In the young adults’ Bible study, at the start of each session, we talk about how our week has gone. We talk about the high, the low, and the buffalo! Something good, something bad, and something that we did not see coming! So, I’ll offer a variation of that for the last week: a high, a low, and a “Where did that come from!?”
There were a couple of things Ethan and I had really been looking forward to about the spot we were going to for our honeymoon. Something we had most looked forward to, was the pizza oven! Neither of us had operated one before, but armed with our delusion and a couple of bags of wood, we were confident we could master it… Turns out pizza ovens are actually not “just like a braai fire”. For starters, there are no briquettes, and the complete lack of oxygen in the oven does not help either. It took three hours, a lot of pizza peel (the looooong, broad pizza-lifter thing) waving, and every egg box and paper bag in the house, but eventually, Ethan got it right! And my oh my, those were the best pizzas we have ever eaten! Were they a tad burnt? Maybe. Did all the toppings stay on? No. But the thing we had so looked forward to turned out even better than we had expected!
Another thing we had really looked forward to was the outdoor bath! Beautiful views of the ocean while reclining in a hot, bubbly bath, with a glass of wine nearby… This vision was not quite as successful as the pizza oven. Firstly, we had forgotten to ask about the geyser for the bath, so although the shower right next to it had steamy hot water, the bath itself was colder than the rock pools down below. After carrying pots of water backwards and forwards from the shower, a lukewarm bath was eventually achieved! Shortly thereafter, the bubble (bath) was burst when we discovered that the push-down plug was right underneath where you were meant to sit, and every movement cost you some bathwater! We were a bit disappointed, but hey, you win some, you lose some.
Coming back to PE, Ethan and I also had a couple of expectations about how things would change as we started our new life together. These expected changes were welcome and highly anticipated, but there have also been other wild cards dealt that have felt a bit like stampeding buffalos. We were not expecting a burst tyre (courtesy of a pothole), or having to decide what to do with our beloved but worn-out old car. We are not going to sit here and complain about our baby buffalos, though. Many folks have had to deal with their fair share of much bigger, unwelcome buffalos over these last few weeks. Things they did not plan or budget for. Or maybe you had your own “bathtub” that you were really looking forward to, but it has not turned out the way you hoped.
The last few weeks have been a good opportunity for me to sit and reflect on the places where I have been tying too much of my emotional state to expected successes. Places where, if things go pear-shaped, I start to crumble. Even though these are things that can be worked through with time and patience, I still find myself focusing on the failed plans and unexpected divergences. Of late, I have been feeling a bit crumbly inside. I have felt as though I’ve come across a few too many buffalos.
Seeing all the videos of houses being flooded and embankments being washed away, the children’s church song about building your house on the rock has been playing in my mind a lot: “The wise man built his house upon the rock”, and when the rains came down and the floods came up, the house on the rock stood firm. What does it take to go from crumbling when the world gives you buffalos, to being able to stand firm?
With the inconsequential wins and losses that Ethan and I experienced while we were away — the hot pizzas and cold baths — it did not actually matter to us, because we were there together. That joy of closeness made up for any wayward plans. People keep telling us about the “honeymoon period” of love, with all its various meanings. But the one thing I hope never fades is that feeling that “just the two of us is enough”. And it is that same closeness with God that is the answer to how we stand firm. Knowing and feeling that, through the highs, lows, and buffalos, God is with you helps keep your eyes focused on your rock and not on the floodwaters around you. Whatever buffalos have wandered into your path, I pray that you are able to look away from the problem and find peace in the closeness of our Maker.
Much love in Christ
Heather B