AND THE BUFFALO WALKED ON THE BEACH

            Written April 21, 2022

A mother nursed her child

A father read a story

A grandmother looked at a picture album

A grandfather watched the weather

And a buffalo walked on the beach

All this passed through my mind as I laid there with needles stuck in me from my head to my toes.

My imagination took two of my favorite things — beaches and buffalo — and put them together. 

What a sight that would be!!!  Children would stop in their tracks and yell, “Mom.  Dad.  There is a buffalo walking on the beach!”  Mom and dad would look at each other, roll their eyes, and look back at their phones. 

What a sight that would be!!!  Lifeguards would be on their emergency phones shouting, “I said BUFFALO! Yes.  Buffalo.”  The emergency operator would think, “The kids they hire now days.  Do they understand their job is no joke?  A buffalo.  Right.”

What a sight that would be!!!  The lady on the fourth floor, standing on her balcony, would smile and say, “Wow God.  You did this for me didn’t you?  Thank you.”

What about the other pictures floating in my mind?  Were they just images or were they images from my life?  Or were they caused by those needles stuck in me from my head to my toes.

Have you been wondering about the needles? As I write this, I am trying physical therapy and acupuncture to get rid of the pain from sciatica.  When the needles were in, the lights were dimmed, and I was told to not think of anything I had to do.  I was to only think good thoughts.  Places where I feel relaxed.  Places I love to visit.  Peaceful thoughts.

What?  Do not think of anything you have to do?  Well, duh.  The moment I heard “do not think of things you have to do,” what popped into my mind?  Everything I have to do.

Even with the lights out.  Even with the spa music playing.  It was hard to relax.  It was hard not to think about all the things I had to do.  Plus, the first time I was afraid to move for fear those needles would fly out of my body.

Today was my third time and I did relax.  I knew I could move a bit and the needles would stay in place.  The spa music was only a bit irritating.  And then, with a vision of a buffalo walking down the beach, I actually went to sleep.

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Why is it so hard to relax?  Why do our minds keep working when our body wants to stop?  Why can we barely keep our eyes open during our favorite show, but go to bed and they will not shut.  Why can we be thinking happy thoughts, ready to drift off into never-never land, and WHAM – a worry knocks out all the good, happy thoughts and we lay there, wide awake, with absolutely no chance of falling asleep. 

Maybe we are holding onto the wrong things as we try to drift off.  Maybe we are not allowing God to hold our worries and our fears. 

Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:4-7

We can find peace when we pray and petition God.  He will guard our hearts and minds.  BUT, we have to let Him.  We have to pray and petition and then we have to leave it with God. 

And don’t forget to do it with thanksgiving!

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Now, back to that buffalo walking on the beach.  He had escaped from Yellowstone and headed east for an adventure.  When he arrived in Orange Beach, Alabama, he put on his sunglasses, placed a hat decorated with funky palm trees between his horns, nodded to the lady on the fourth floor balcony, and headed toward the waves.

His name is Elmer.