The River: Chap 3 - Ebbanflo | Story & Reflection

In Ebbanflo, the river reveals its rhythm—the dance between giving and receiving, movement and stillness. As the narrator encounters those who resist the river’s flow and others who open fully to its touch, a deeper truth begins to surface: the river is not just water but a living presence, inviting union and transformation.

Through moments of humility, generosity, and awe, the narrator discovers that to be in harmony with the river is to let it move through you—allowing yourself to be changed by what you once tried to control.

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 Three.

Ebb and Flow.

Darn it,

I said under my breath.

It had been four days since I had left Wonder and I didn't expect to see the next town for another day.

Unfortunately,

My boot lace had just snapped.

The thought of walking for a day with one boot on and one boot coming off did not thrill me.

I looked around for something I could use in the meantime.

I found a rubber band that might work for the top loops and if I reworked what was left of the broken lace,

It might get me by until the next town.

Satisfied that I had solved the problem,

At least for now,

I poured the rest of my coffee onto the warm coals in my campfire before covering it with dirt to make sure it was out.

Ever since my experience at Wonder,

I had traveled close to the river.

As I watched it,

I went between thinking it was a living thing and thinking it was just a river,

A force of nature.

Even still,

It had a rhythm that I couldn't deny,

But rhythm isn't the same as consciousness.

The question wasn't whether the river was living,

But whether it was alive on its own.

Was it part of a system that was living or did it bring that system to life?

I didn't know and that bothered me.

I was alone in my thoughts when a woman bumped into me.

Excuse me,

Trying to get through here,

She said as she rushed past me holding a folding chair in what looked like a large drink cooler.

Behind her,

A man followed carrying a beach umbrella and a bag.

I looked around and saw that the landscape had changed.

The rocks had become smaller and further ahead,

They became sand-like.

A few people were coming out of the forested area to settle onto a flat area covered in what looked like sand.

I realized that I would have noticed it even in my own thoughts,

But not until I was right on it.

The woman and man who had passed me were setting up a little area for themselves on the sandy bar.

I decided to go talk to them.

To be honest,

I was hoping that they might have a bootlace.

Even though I knew it was a long shot considering they were dressed in swimsuits,

Still,

A long shot is better than no shot.

Hi,

How are you guys?

Excuse me,

But you're in our way.

The woman cut me off.

The man looked at me like he was trying to decide if I was a threat.

Oh,

Sorry.

I looked around and moved back not really knowing where in our way was.

I was wondering if you might have a shoelace.

The woman moved her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose and sneered at me.

Does it look like we have a shoelace,

She said,

Waving at her bikini-clad body.

The man looked more apologetic than defensive as he finished putting up the umbrella.

I'm afraid I wouldn't really know,

Ma'am,

I said as I shook my head and walked past her.

She huffed and settled into her folding chair.

Another group was setting up a table and chairs about 20 feet away,

So I walked over to them.

Almost immediately,

I was surrounded by 15 teenagers and young adults.

They were excited as they brought out food and set it on the table.

A few were setting up a volleyball net nearby.

One of the women smiled at me and waved me closer.

Would you like a piece of fried chicken,

She said as she took aluminum foil from the plate.

Sure,

Thanks,

I took a piece.

After several days of granola and camp rations,

It was delicious.

What's going on here,

I asked,

My mouth full.

Oh,

We're here for the annual flooding,

She said.

Annual flooding?

What's that?

Every year around this time,

The river overflows its banks and floods this entire area.

It's wonderful.

We like to come and play in it.

It's a great opportunity to reconnect and enjoy being with each other.

I've been coming every year since I was 14.

I looked at the group.

It was obvious to me that they had a connection with each other,

Unlike the basking woman and man I had just passed.

Do you know them?

I nodded to the man and woman sitting in their chaise lounge folding chairs,

Digging their toes into the sand.

No,

She said thoughtfully.

Maybe this is their first time here.

I asked the young woman about a shoelace,

Which she did not have,

But she called the rest of the group together and after some scrounging,

One of them found an extra long,

Thin rope that had been used to tie the volleyball net down.

They cut off enough for me to use as a shoelace.

It wasn't perfect,

But it would get me to the next town.

They invited me to stay for lunch and to enjoy the river's overflow.

I was hungry and the fried chicken and potato salad looked delicious,

So I accepted.

Mid-afternoon,

The river began to wash over the sandy bank.

Closer and closer it came.

I could feel the anticipation as the young group quieted and sat down on the sand in groups of three or four.

They were almost reverent as the water covered the sand,

Teasing their toes,

Then their bottoms,

Then covering the entire sandy beach.

Some of them lay down in the water,

Splashing it over themselves,

While others cupped it in their hands and poured it over their heads.

After a bit,

I noticed that some,

Then all,

Began to drink from the overflowed water.

As they did,

Their skin began to glow slightly with phosphorescence from the water and their demeanor changed.

It was like they became more,

Somehow.

I felt like I was no longer with teenagers but men and women.

It was stunning and unexpected.

Ugh!

I heard from beside me.

I turned and saw the woman and the man jump up from their chaise lounges and look around at the water in disgust.

It's getting me wet,

She said.

I told you we should have sat farther back.

I thought you wanted to be near the water,

He said.

I only wanted to dip my toes in it,

Not get soaked.

Can't you do anything right?

Sorry.

I'm going to go over there.

You move the stuff.

I don't want all this dirty water on me.

The woman flounced about ten feet farther away from the water's edge.

The man looked at me like he'd been caught doing something wrong.

I looked at him apologetically and then looked away.

I felt badly for him.

You just can't please some people.

As I sat,

Digesting my lunch,

Watching the young people enjoy the river,

I realized that there was something else going on.

As much as they were loving the river,

It was loving them back.

I watched the water lap and caress their skin,

Gently pulling them deeper in.

I watched them respond by moving into deeper water.

It was almost like I was watching an intimate relationship form,

A seduction of sorts.

It was in stark contrast to the woman and the man who were hovering at the edge of the river,

Dipping just their toes into the water.

I realized that what bound these young people together wasn't that they had fun together,

But that they had experienced the river together,

Each one in their own way.

They had each been seduced by the river.

The other couple hadn't allowed themselves to be seduced,

And it showed in the division between them.

In that moment,

With a chicken leg halfway to my mouth,

I realized that the river was more than just a force of nature.

It was more than just water.

It was something else.

It was alive and driven by a consciousness that wanted to be one with all of creation.

Silas had been right.

The river ran with the heartbeat of the source.

The river in Ebb and Flow didn't just flow around the people.

It flowed through them.

Some resisted its touch.

Some surrendered.

And those who did found themselves lit from within.

Everywhere the water touched became alive,

Glowing with something ancient,

Something intimate.

Maybe that's the invitation to stop watching life from the riverbank and let ourselves be washed open by it.

As you sit with this story,

Take a slow breath and reflect.

Where in your life are you still standing on the bank,

Afraid to get wet?

What would it look like to let life move you more deeply?

To let yourself be moved,

Even changed,

By its current?

How does resistance show up for you?

And what softens when you allow the flow?

And when you imagine the river loving you back,

What happens inside your heart?

If this chapter stirred something in you,

I'd love to hear what part of the story reflected your own river.

You can share your thoughts in the comments.

Each reflection adds another drop to the current of understanding that connects us all.

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

You can tap follow.

Every gesture of support helps these stories reach more hearts,

And I'm deeply grateful for that.

Until next time,

May you flow with the rhythm of life,

And may the river remind you that you were never separate from Source.