The Schwechat in Vienna, Austria. March 2019.

This month I had the amazing opportunity to be in Austria again. Though I have been there numerous times now its beauty never ceases to mesmerize me; it’s truly magical.

What made this trip very special is I traveled with a friend, a musicologist, who is writing a book on Beethoven. We drove to out-of-the-way towns in the countryside outside of Vienna looking at different apartments Beethoven stayed to work on compositions as the “Ninth Symphony” in a quiet area where he could relax as his hearing continued to disintegrate.

My most memorable moment was walking along a path in the Vienna Woods next to a rippling stream (the Schwechat) in the area of Helenental, an area near the lovely spa town of Baden. I can’t begin to describe how peaceful it was walking along the path to the sound of the stream. And to think Beethoven walked this path many times composing in his head, yet hearing nothing.

I know I have written about Beethoven before, but I continue to be humbled by this genius. He lived with such a disability, yet created so many masterpieces. This should be a lesson for all of us--to strive to use our God-given talents the best we can, to never give up regardless whatever hurdles we may have to climb over. And along our path in life, let’s remember to slow down and listen to the soft rippling of a stream…

What do you do to “listen to the soft rippling of a stream”?