Only just a teenager preparing for my second hike, I cast my
memory back to my first experience of the Berg and place the pack of batteries
into the trolley as we make our way to the till to pay. 24 triple A batteries –
I want to be sure that this time my torch doesn’t leave me in the dark.
So many batteries?
On my first hike we had a crack at Injasuti pass, ranked as
a difficult the first day gave me something to think about – just the climb to
the top of the little Berg left me with few words and sore muscles. I was very
glad to see our lunch spot for the day; Marble
Baths. This was also our stop for the night. Serene, remote and wild, the rough
terrain has left many a day hiker in pain and the real climb hasn’t even
started.
Day 2 was a real shock, we started off early (I can still
remember the initial pain of the pack weighing down on my hips) it took at
least 10 minutes to warm up to the walking again. Looking up at the mountain,
at the goal - the escarpment, it drives the body on to push itself to the limit.
Taking it slowly, enjoying every chance to take the load off my back and give
my legs a break. I was expecting to start setting up camp, a tent this time not
a cave, at a somewhat “normal” time; but this is the Berg, nothing is normal. Stopping
for dinner, but no setting up of camp just yet – you see due to the weather,
the group, the pace we got close to the top late, and then the small climb needed
to reach the last 100m scramble was iced up, there was no going forward and too
late to turn back. It had been 18 hours since we set off in the morning and
this was it - no further.
18 hours of hiking means that some of the walk is going to
be in the dark and the 2 AAA batteries which I had didn’t provide light for
very long. And there in is the reason for all the batteries. As you would
expect, I got ragged on the second hike, but I was prepared for what I was
expecting the only thing is that what I had experienced on my first hike was
not the usual, you don’t always have 18 hour days in the berg, and actually in
hind sight, even if you do, 6 batteries should be enough, not 24…
Are we not the same in everyday life situations? We prepare
for things based on our previous experiences. When we go on holiday, we plan
based on what happened previously, if we start a new job we expect something
similar to what we had before. It makes me understand why so many people don’t like
change – they don’t know what to expect and can’t plan for what is coming.
After His death on the cross, Jesus was not seen for 3 days
and the disciples went back to doing what they were used to doing (John 21); Simon Peter told a few of his
mates, fellow disciples, that he was going fishing, and they said they would
join him. Jesus then came and found them where they were and asked them for a
fish (they didn’t realize it was Him). It was after this that Jesus gave them the
great commission.
I find that God does the same with me; often he puts me in
situations that I could not possibly be prepared for. Although not always
comfortable it certainly tests and grows my faith and reliance on Him. If the
outcome is growth then I hope change will be my only certainty and the only
thing I am prepared for.
