A Needed Refuge

One of the greatest blessings that has come from our move to Virginia nearly eight years ago was the discovery of Burke Lake Park, just seven minutes from our home. I wish every one in the world had a "Burke Lake Park" near their home. It is truly one of my favorite places on earth. The lake itself is 218 acres which is about the same size as the farm I grew up on in Missouri. Including the lake, the park apparently occupies nearly 900 acres of prime land right in the midst of Fairfax County.

We had been going there for years before we discovered that this was originally going to be the proposed new international airport for Washington, D.C. but a citizen outcry defeated the proposal and the location was finally decided to be at the current location of Dulles International Airport (Dulles was dedicated by John F. Kennedy on November 19, 1962--Burke Lake Park was opened on May 25, 1963).

There is something about the 4.6 mile trail that circumnavigates the entire lake that is such a refuge for my soul. It is as if one can enter the trail with a weight of concerns or problems or questions and by the time you come out at the end of the trail (which is only about 25 feet from the beginning--just across the road) most everything can be solved or be put into perspective or be seen more clearly or, quite frankly, be forgotten altogether. It is a sacred grove for me and Maurine. We have had so many revelatory experiences on that trail, talking through issues in our own hearts, exploring our weaknesses, solving problems with our business, figuring out complex financial issues--you name it, Burke Lake Park can handle it.

I have come to know each turn of the trail, each view of the lake, each section of woods, each gentle rise (and how long it is in the midst of a run!), almost each edge of a root that can be hazerdous (like the one I tripped on during a jog and broke a couple of ribs!). I know the best places to spot Great Blue Herons, the most common gathering areas for the Northern Canadian Geese, the various angles for shooting family photos (although I'm always discovering new, wonderful angles), the best cove for catching catfish (although I've not fished at all yet), the two places where the smell of pine can sweep you off your imaginary feet and take you to the mountains of the west, the real 3.5 mile marker and the real 4.5 mile marker (because the trail is really 4.61 miles long), the list goes on and on. I have come to know individual trees in these stunning woods. I know the section of the woods (between 3.0 and 3.5) where the Woodpeckers can be so loud they sound like war drums from ancient tribes. I know the sections where the drainage is bad and the trail can get a little mucky.

My point is this: I really know this trail and this park and it has become a sanctuary to me, a needed refuge, an outdoor temple, a place of communion and refreshment for the soul. And I have only just scratched the surface of my feelings for this place.