The River: Chap 1 - Master Of The River | Story & Reflection

In Master of the River, we begin a journey of trust, courage, and learning to move with the natural flow of life. The narrator encounters Silas, a seasoned river guide whose skill and confidence transform the chaos of the rapids into a lesson in mastery, patience, and respect. Through their interaction, we discover that true mastery comes not from controlling the river, but from becoming one with its current—learning to navigate challenges while honoring the power and passion that drives them.

This chapter invites listeners to reflect on surrender, guidance, and the courage required to embark on their own path toward the Source.

Background music by Liborio Conti.

Transcript

Welcome to The River,

A parable of the Holy Spirit.

My name is Judy,

And I am the author of this story.

I'm honored to walk alongside you here.

In this journey,

We'll meet Spirit,

The living creative pulse of the Divine that moves through all things.

Spirit is the source of all that is.

It flows within every cell of your body,

Weaves through every molecule in the world,

Lives inside every experience and hums within every person.

It's always present,

Always inviting,

Always guiding.

Before we enter the story,

Let's take a moment to center ourselves and listen.

Find a posture that feels natural and safe.

Close your eyes if that feels right.

Take a slow,

Deep breath in,

And let it drift out gently.

Let your shoulders soften,

Your jaw release.

Let your mind calm like still water.

Imagine yourself sitting on the soft edge of a riverbank.

Hear the water as it moves,

Subtle yet unstoppable.

Feel Spirit flowing around you,

Through you,

And within you,

Carrying a quiet readiness,

A soft openness.

You don't need to force anything.

Simply allow yourself to be here,

To receive,

To be present.

Let your heart and mind relax into the rhythm of this gentle current.

The river is ready,

Spirit is here,

And you are ready to meet them.

Let's begin.

Chapter 1.

Master of the River Following the river would be a lot easier if they made it into a straight line,

I muttered grumpily to myself as I walked through the trees.

I had left my guide back several miles back,

And her last words to me were,

Follow the river and you won't get lost.

The trees wrapped around me,

Stretching as far as I could see in every direction.

Although I couldn't see the river,

I could hear it,

Ringing softly like crystal bells.

I didn't think that following the river would be hard,

But I had almost gotten lost once when the rocks made it impossible to walk along the riverbed.

I wanted to reach the bridge to the next town,

Where I was planning to stay the night.

Suddenly,

The trees cleared,

And there it was,

The river.

The water flowed quickly,

Foaming as it moved around the rocks and the boulders.

I could see the bridge spanning across the river just a little further from where I stood.

The water no longer sounded like bells,

But like a stampede rushing past me.

I could see and hear the power in it,

And was glad for the bridge because it meant I wouldn't have to try to cross it on my own.

The bridge was busy with people going both directions,

As well as stopping to look over the side and watch the river below.

I paused a moment just to get my bearings and look down into the rushing rapids.

That was when I noticed him.

He was standing on the bank near where the rapids began to calm,

Loading what looked like a canoe.

His movements were confident and efficient,

And in stark contrast to how I felt at the thought of crossing the rapids without a bridge.

When he pushed off from the bank and began to flow with the river,

I came to myself and remembered that my task lay on the other side of the bridge.

The next morning,

As I left my lodging,

I passed a store in town.

Talking with the owner was the man from the river.

It was clear that they knew each other.

I was curious about him,

So I went inside.

Hello,

I said to both men.

They nodded at me before the store owner asked if there was anything he could help me find.

Actually,

I said,

I came to introduce myself.

I reached out and shook hands with them both.

Turning to the man from the river,

I said,

I noticed you yesterday when I came into town.

You were loading a canoe.

You looked like you knew what you were doing.

How long have you canoed?

The shopkeeper laughed and slapped the other man on the back.

I told you it was only a matter of time,

He said.

The man from the river looked genuinely confused.

This is my friend Silas,

Said the owner.

He's been running the river for,

What,

Over a decade now,

Isn't it?

The other man thought for a second and then nodded.

The owner continued,

He's one of the best I've ever seen.

That's why I trust him to get my merchandise to my customers in the nearby towns.

He's never lost a load.

Wow,

I said,

Where'd you learn to do that?

My dad taught me,

Silas said.

We started with smaller sections of the river and worked our way up until I could navigate the entire river.

It scared me at first when I didn't know how it flowed,

But now that I understand it better,

It doesn't scare me anymore.

I treat it with the respect it deserves and it takes me where I need to go.

Do you think I could learn how to do that,

I asked.

Sure,

He said,

But not at this point of the river.

The rapids are too fast and too strong for a beginner.

I nodded in agreement at the thought of trying to navigate the thunderous flow I had seen from the bridge.

You should start with something calmer.

Hey,

There's a place further down the river,

That might be a good place to start,

He continued.

I know it's probably crazy,

But do you think you could show me?

I'm on a long journey and being able to navigate the river would shorten it considerably.

I have to stay near the river anyway,

So it would be a win for both ways for me.

I don't mind paying you.

Silas looked at me as if trying to figure out whether I was serious or not before nodding slowly.

I'll tell you what,

He said,

If you'll help me load my canoe,

I'll meet you farther down the river in three days.

And I'll give you a lesson in river riding.

I have to stop there anyway to pick up some things at a nearby town.

That would be great,

I agreed.

Silas nodded to a pile of boxes and bags sitting on the counter.

These go with us,

He said as he grabbed most of them.

I grabbed what remained and followed him out the door to a flatbed cart built almost like a wheelbarrow.

We put everything into the cart and rolled it behind us as we went to the riverbed where his canoe was tied.

As I loaded the canoe,

He pulled out a map.

This,

This is where we'll meet,

He said as he showed me the direction I needed to travel,

If you travel by the river,

You should get there in two days.

I have other places to visit,

So I'll meet you there in three days.

If you get lost,

Just head toward the sound of the river and follow it until you reach wonder.

I wrote down his directions just in case.

Out of curiosity,

He asked,

Do you know how to swim?

Kind of,

I guess,

I responded.

We used to swim at a local watering hole back home.

I mean,

I don't know anything fancy,

But I know how to float and dog paddle.

Is that what you mean?

He smiled,

Relieved.

That'll do.

You just need to know how not to drown when you fall out of the canoe,

And you will fall out of the canoe.

So,

Just prepare yourself for that.

I must have looked terrified for a moment because he laughed and slapped me on the back.

It's not that bad,

Just part of learning.

You can't succeed if you're not willing to fail,

He said.

Just before he shoved off from the river bank,

I asked him,

Where did your dad learn to ride the river?

He paused for a moment,

Looking at me sideways before turning to face me.

My dad traveled to the source,

He said.

He always told me that the river runs from the source back to the source,

Watering the whole world and all of its people as it travels its path.

If you ride the river far enough in either direction,

You end up at the source.

What's the source?

The source is the heart,

And the river is how the source expresses itself,

How the heart dances with all of creation.

Sometimes it rests gently,

And sometimes it pounds like thunder,

But it always moves and always flows.

Mastering the river means understanding it the way that a lover understands the one he or she loves.

It means honoring the river and the passion that makes it flow.

My dad understood that,

And he taught me to ride the river by becoming a part of the flow,

Rather than trying to direct the flow.

I nodded,

Even though I didn't really understand.

I'll see you in three days,

He shouted,

As his canoe moved away and began to float with the flow of the river.

It was only a couple of minutes before I was standing on the riverbed alone.

I picked up my backpack and began walking in the direction of wonder.

The river doesn't move in a straight line,

And neither do we.

It bends,

It rushes,

It quiets,

Each turn inviting us to listen a little more deeply.

Silas said that the river can't be mastered by force,

Only understood through love and respect.

Maybe life is the same.

Maybe the current knows something we don't.

As you sit with this story,

I invite you to reflect.

Where in your life are you trying to straighten what's meant to flow?

What would it mean to honor the river and yourself by trusting its rhythm?

How do you respond when the current quickens?

Do you resist,

Or do you let it carry you?

And what might change if you believed,

As Silas did,

That the river runs from the source back to the source?

If this story spoke to you,

I'd love to hear what part of the river you're traveling right now.

You can share your reflections in the comments.

I read every one.

If you'd like to help keep the river flowing,

You can follow this track to receive new chapters as they're released.

Every bit of support helps this story reach more hearts,

And I'm deeply grateful for it.

Until next time,

May you move with trust,

And may the river carry you home.