by John Biggs
It’s amazing how time has ceased to be an issue at all for me…every day is just so full. I almost don’t know what to write! Everything has been such a blessing, and an opportunity for blessing…there’s not just one over-arching story.
One thing I’ve been very grateful for is that while many sights and activities have been so new and breathtaking, I’ve really felt at home for the most part. I suppose that some of the things I’ve been doing and seeing are pretty exotic compared to my experiences before this, but it also feels very natural.
Some of my experiences? Horseback riding on a mountain plateau as clouds rolled in under the plateau, quietly watching as mountains were swallowed up like pebbles on a shore caressed by foaming surf. Another was being awakened by a warm dog nose pushed into my face, and later exploring with 5 beautiful, exuberant dogs.
Today I played Frisbee with the farm staff’s kids. I can’t talk with them because of the language barrier. And yet we always manage to have a lovely time with laughter and our collective desire to enjoy one another’s company.
Several days ago I hiked up and around a mountain. Beforehand, my uncle told me, "If you get lost, it’s your own fault. Have fun!" Hiking up this mountain that rises like the spine of a dog arching his back, I could see the whole farm unfold below me. I stood on the edge of red rock cliffs, streaked white, and alternating between smooth bowls and humps, with pock-marked expanses.
I sat under trees growing out of the rocks and wondered who had sat here before me, and who would sit here again. On the hike down, I crossed plains of rock that flowed out of the ground with grasses around as if to prove the foundation underneath. The dogs and I surprised 6 mountain rhebuck and we watched them bound away. Climbing down the side of the mountain, we stopped in the shade of a great boulder where I poured my water slowly over the dogs’ heads, thanking them for coming with me.
Whether it’s been reading in the evening with a dog falling asleep on my lap, or standing on a cliff edge watching a black eagle soar, everything truly has the familiarity of comfort—free-giving, free-receiving, and grace. I’ve been thinking about everything as a conversation with God. It’s become clearer that everything is an opportunity to love more and be loved. And I’ve been so glad that this goodness isn’t limited to South Africa, or anywhere "away from home." Although it sometime takes a trip or some other unique experience to wake us up to the amazing, beautiful presence of grace, it is always present.
I’m leaving the ranch this week to make my way to Stellenbosch and Cape Town, and then heading to New Zealand by way of Kuala Lumpur. I’m just so grateful to take and give the gifts learned here to these upcoming and consistent adventures. And I’m so grateful I won’t have to miss South Africa (or anything, anywhere, or anyone, really) because all the good and sincere love I’ve treasured here, is everywhere.