Like many people this time of year, I got to looking at the calendar and compared how much time is left in the year with how much “vacation time” I have available. More than I’ll use, it seems, but thought I should make a stab at it! I did feel the need for some R&R, too, but couldn’t work out getting more than a few days away.
So for the third time this year, we headed back to Lake Geneva, WI—a spot that’s become a relatively nearby favorite.
Our first visit in 2022 was in the winter (see “Overcoming the Cold”).
We returned in March (after I had my little “episode” at church! – see “What Makes for a Good Day?”)
And now in October.
Lake Geneva is a pretty area any time of year; each season has its own unique beauty. The downside of winter and early spring, though, is that all the boat docks are disassembled and stacked on the shore—right next to the Lake Shore Path.
Let me explain.
Almost the entire perimeter of Lake Geneva is privately owned, with (mostly) huge, beautiful homes built along the shore. Most of these homes have their own private boat dock. The 21-mile Lake Shore Path circles the lake and cuts through these private properties. On each of our trips, we hiked several miles along the shore path, and it’s a great hike. But the stacks of lumber definitely detract from the ambiance!
On this venture, though, we beat the deconstructed docks—for the most part. We passed through a couple of properties where the workers were involved in the disassembly process. That in itself is interesting. Think about how they must systematically remove pieces and be sure each is labeled properly, because the whole thing has to be reassembled next April!
After planning this brief getaway, we kept our eye on the weather. We were leaving after noon on Monday, returning on Thursday. The week before, it looked like the weather for our entire time would be great—sunny with temps in the 60s. Great for being outdoors, and we hoped to hike the entire perimeter of the lake.
But as every Midwesterner knows, the ten-day forecast is rarely accurate beyond, say, day three!
On Monday morning, the forecast for Monday was great; Tuesday was good, getting iffy in the afternoon; Wednesday looked like a good chance of rain.
Monday did turn out great. We enjoyed a brief walk along the shore and nice sunset.
And Wednesday was mostly a washout, but an adventurous one. When we got up, it was clouding up to rain, and the chances were 100%. So, we lounged around reading and relaxing.
Until about 10:45 when the tornado siren went off.
At the time, I looked outside and saw no evidence of a threat at all. It wasn’t even raining. I thought, perhaps, this was the town’s weekly system test. After two minutes, the siren stopped and everything seemed calm.
Then I received a text message, alerting me that there was a tornado warning issued for the area.
Then the siren went off again…and suddenly the storm hit. Torrential rain and hail pellets pelted the windows The wind was ferocious. My wife thought it prudent we head to the basement of the hotel—so off we went. Thirty minutes later, it was all clear, and by early afternoon we were able to venture back outside and enjoy walking through town.
Sandwiched between the perfect Monday evening and nerve-wracking Wednesday, we got in a nice eleven-mile hike along the shore path on Tuesday.
We headed out mid-morning on a beautiful, mild autumn morning. The blue sky was almost cloudless; the bright sunshine brought out the vibrant colors of the changing leaves. Thoroughly enjoyable!
Nevertheless, we knew this wasn’t going to last. When we set out, the forecast called for a 50% chance of rain by 3:00; nearly 100% by 5:00. By the time we got 5 ½ miles down the trail, those percentages increased significantly, and the arrival of the rain was to come sooner! It looked like we’d get wet before we finished the hike. Turns out, it did start spitting rain the last mile or so, but intermittently and not enough to get us too wet.
Along this walk, I was struck with what theologians call “common grace”—the idea that God graciously gives good gifts to all, regardless of merit.
To be sure, the massive, gorgeous homes prompted the thought. Why did the owners have the privilege of enjoying such prosperity, to live so comfortably and luxuriously? Was it because they’re more worthy than the people who live in much more modest dwellings a short distance away? Nah…grace.
That wasn’t foremost on my mind as we strolled by, though. In seeing these places, I had thoughts more along the lines:
- “Wow! That’s insane! Why such extravagance for a weekend home?!” At one point, I reminded Chris that in our three visits this year, walking about 14 miles of the shore path, passing numerous homes, we rarely saw evidence of anyone actually being there!
- “Is that a single-family dwelling??? Looks more like a retreat center!” They were single-family dwellings.
- “That’s a nice place…” etc.
What especially struck me on that walk wasn’t the homes, though. It was a fence.
Just before encountering the fence, a generous, thoughtful property owner installed a glass-covered case with a notebook inside, inviting passers-by to sign their names and write a comment. Next to the case was a dinner bell with a sign that read, “Ring the bell if you need a miracle”—or something like that.
Then came the unique, colorful twelve-section fence—“The Miracle Path.”
On each of the 36 slats, some “words of wisdom” were painted, inviting the reader to pause and ponder.
Some of the sayings are a little “la-la-landish”:
- “Make peace with uncertainty.”
- “Walk ahead of yourself in perpetual expectancy of miracles.”
- “Expect a miracle”
Some are terribly misguided:
- “Go and make interesting mistakes. Break the rules.” Um….careful there!
- “We’re all just walking each other home.” Um…no.
But many make a good point, offer a challenge, or contain a kernel of truth that could provide a message of hope or encouragement:
- “Remove the rock from your shoe rather than learning to limp comfortably.”
- “It’s not your aptitude but your attitude that will determine your altitude.” – Zig Ziglar
- “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”
- “Hesitation enhances fear.”
- “If you can be one thing, be kind.”
- “An inch is a cinch but a yard is what’s hard.”
- “Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday…not so bad is it?”
Clearly, the generous property owners care about other people. They invested a good bit of money, time, and effort creating this “Miracle Path,” as they called it. They wish for “peace to all who enter here.”
At the same time, their “sprituality” was eclectic, reflected not only in some of the sayings on the fence, but in the Buddha sitting in a garden along the way. What do these people believe? Who or what is their god? If everyone follows the offered path, where will it lead them in the end?
Continuing the walk and leaving “The Miracle Path” behind, we came upon another property where the owner clearly gives testimony to walking a far different path.
Lying next to the path, they placed a rock etched with a quotation from Scripture:
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy.”
– Psalm 16:11
Here, rather than a statement crafted out of human experience, discovery, or ingenuity, was the truth revealed by God in His Word—a truth that is the testimony of those who have received God’s saving grace (“the path of life”) and its consequent joy.
I smiled at the profound certainty of this quotation in contrast to the earlier hodge-podge of witticisms and the grave uncertainty of where they will lead a person.
And on this same property, another rock with a quotation provides direction for that path of life made known by God. Some of those earlier sayings—some—offered a degree of helpful advice. This stone contained three pointed, challenging commands—again from God’s Word.
“Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God”
– from Micah 6:8
Then it struck me.
If I walk the path of life God has revealed to me, I’ll know a fullness of joy that The Miracle Path, with all its fence-slat witticisms, is pursuing but will never achieve.
Let’s be sure we’re on the right path!
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