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.
I was talking with the owner of the general shop about a new item he'd just gotten in.
He was very excited,
And his face was animated as he explained its many virtues.
Whoa,
Whoa,
Robert,
Robert!
I said,
Grabbing his arm just before it hit a woman who'd come up behind him to ask a question.
Oh,
Um,
So sorry,
I didn't even see you there.
Robert turned to the woman.
Well,
You seem really excited about something,
She said.
However,
I don't think my husband would appreciate me coming back from shopping with a black eye.
Robert looked embarrassed.
Yeah,
I don't think he would either.
He looked at the two containers of coffee creamer that the woman held,
One in each hand.
What can I do for you?
She held out the creamers and asked,
These look the same,
But they're priced differently.
What's the difference?
Hmm,
Let's go take a look,
Robert said as he walked with the woman to where she had gotten the creamers.
Left alone,
I looked around the store and saw a man come in.
He looked about thirty-five,
But his five o'clock shadow already had some gray in it.
He was bent over slightly,
Like he carried the weight of the world in his backpack.
His clothes looked like they hadn't been washed for several days,
And his face looked both tired and like he expected people to take advantage of him.
At first,
He stood in the doorway,
Letting his eyes adjust to the light.
Then he saw me standing at the front register and made a beeline toward me.
Hey,
You the one with the canoe,
He said.
I have a canoe.
I don't know that I'm the only one with a canoe.
What are you looking for?
I saw someone unloading a canoe near Bantam Bridge as I crossed over.
They were dressed like you.
You got a canoe?
Ah,
I thought,
Knowing where this was headed.
I do have a canoe,
And I was unloading my canoe earlier this morning near Bantam Bridge.
It was probably me you saw.
Well,
I got a long journey ahead,
And I'd like to learn how to ride a canoe.
It'll save me time.
You do lessons or something?
I looked at him and remembered when I had stood atop Bantam Bridge,
Looking down at the river flowing powerfully beneath.
That was when I had first seen Silas,
Who had started me on my own journey.
The man who stood before me looked like he had a journey all right,
And I knew it wasn't going to go the way he expected.
It was going to go so much better.
I smiled to myself.
I don't offer lessons per se,
But I'll tell you what I will do.
I said to him,
If you help me load my canoe,
I'll meet you further down the river in a town called Wonder in three days,
And I'll give you a lesson in river riding.
You can see if it's something you want to do moving forward.
How does that sound to you?
His face broke into a weary smile,
And the truth of it touched my heart.
That would be great,
He said,
Like someone who hadn't gotten very many breaks in life and realized how precious they were.
I'll meet you there.
Robert returned from the creamer isle.
Are you going to learn how to ride the river from this one?
He said motioning to me.
She won't steer you wrong.
One of the most reliable ones out there.
Robert pulled out a cart with merchandise on it.
Here you go.
I'll have more for you next week.
Nodding toward the cart,
I told the man,
This goes with us.
He grabbed the handle and pulled it behind us as we walked toward the river where my canoe was tied.
I smiled to myself as I remembered silence telling me that the river ran with the heartbeat of the source and that the river flows from the source and returns to the source.
You never know what the river will wash to shore,
I thought to myself as I considered the man walking beside me.
Some of the most brilliant gems arrive unpolished.
At Banta Bridge,
The current completes its circle.
The one who once sought guidance now becomes the guide.
The river doesn't just carry us forward,
It carries us through,
Shaping our rough edges,
Polishing our hearts and returning us to the source renewed.
What begins as a lesson in surrender becomes a life of flow,
Generosity,
And quiet knowing.
As you sit with this story,
Take a deep breath and ask yourself,
Who has walked beside you on your own journey down the river?
Teachers,
Friends,
Or quiet strangers helping you see the current more clearly?
How has the river changed you since you first stepped to its edge?
What rough edges has it softened?
Where are you now being invited to become the guide to offer what you've learned to someone just setting out?
Can you feel the rhythm of the river within your own heartbeat?
The pulse of the source flowing through you,
Returning home.
At Bantam Bridge,
We remember that endings are only beginnings seen from another shore.
The river continues,
Through new travelers,
New lessons,
And new awakenings.
When we share what we've learned,
We keep its current alive.
If the river has met you somewhere along your own journey,
I'd love to know what you've discovered in its flow.
Share your reflection or a moment of recognition in the comments.
It helps the current reach others who may just be stepping in.
If you'd like to help these stories continue downstream,
You can follow me here on Insight Timer.
Every ripple of support helps the next traveler find their way to the water.
And remember,
The river doesn't end here.
It returns to the source just as we do.
So,
Keep listening for its call,
And when it speaks,
Follow.
