The River: Chap 5 - Dry Gulch | Story & Reflection

In Dry Gulch, the traveler follows the river only to find it dammed by a town that has traded freedom for control. What was once living and lush has turned dry and lifeless under the rule of those who ration the river’s flow—and with it, the people’s spirit. When she meets a young man who still remembers the river’s song, a quiet rebellion begins to stir.

This story invites reflection on what happens when we try to control life’s natural flow and how spiritual vitality depends on allowing what is living to move freely within us.

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.

Well,

That settles it.

I said,

Tossing what was left of my coffee into the fire.

I'll need to stop somewhere today to get some supplies.

I looked around as if the trees cared about my supply dilemma.

That was the last of my coffee,

And y'all know how I need my caffeine in the morning.

I laughed at myself,

Shaking my head.

Spending time with some real people wouldn't hurt either.

Traveling near the river had become a source of comfort.

The sound of it flowing was a backdrop to my thoughts.

When I'd first started traveling,

The sound would keep me awake at night.

But now,

Now it made me feel as if all was right with the world.

So I noticed when it started sounding different.

Though I couldn't say how it sounded different.

It seemed muffled somehow.

I'd begun to wonder what was causing it when I rounded the corner and saw it.

A dam.

In all of my travels,

I had not seen anyone dam up the river.

It hadn't even occurred to me that someone would do such a thing.

I stood for a second in shock.

The dam was placed where the river would normally have split off and traveled inland.

I mean,

It was well-placed and obviously well-maintained,

But it interrupted the river's natural flow,

Which is what caused the strange sound.

If I had to describe the sound of the river,

I would say it sounded frustrated at not being able to follow its natural course.

I walked past the dam and saw,

On the other side,

A small town where the river would normally have flowed.

I needed supplies,

So I walked down.

The ground was so dusty.

After walking near the river where everything was living and green,

It was just very different.

I'd never seen so many shades of brown in one place before.

I felt thirsty just looking at the place.

Um,

Hello,

I said to a man who came out of a building to my right.

He looked at me without seeing me and kept going.

Okay,

I thought.

I might not be the only one needing some caffeine.

I could see the store across the street,

So I crossed over and entered.

The bell over the door rang.

I assumed to alert the owner,

But no owner appeared.

Hello,

I called out to the empty store.

What do you want,

Came a woman's voice from a back room.

Um,

Just a few supplies,

Maybe.

A woman came from the back room and looked at me like I had interrupted her.

Sighing heavily,

She said,

Well,

What do you want?

Do you have a list or something?

Come on,

I've got things to do.

She muttered under her breath about people not being prepared.

I stepped to the counter and looked around.

Um,

I need some coffee,

Some canned beans,

And some oatmeal.

I might need some other things once I look around.

She looked at me like asking for more things later on was not an option and set to gathering what I'd asked for.

Or maybe not,

I thought.

Trying to make conversation,

I asked,

Um,

Do you know who put up the dam?

Look,

I can either get your things or I can chit chat,

But I won't do both.

If you have questions,

Go ask the mayor.

I don't have time.

Okay,

Sorry.

I stood waiting for her in uncomfortable silence.

Within a few minutes,

She handed me a package with my items.

I paid her and she returned to the back room while I loaded my backpack.

Looking around the empty store,

I decided to go visit the mayor.

Maybe he would be friendlier.

As I entered the mayor's office,

The secretary looked me up and down before harrumphing and turning away.

This was not the friendly conversation I had hoped for.

I went to the secretary's desk.

Hi,

I'm a visitor and obviously,

He said with contempt.

And I was wondering,

Do you know who built the dam?

He looked at me in disbelief.

We did,

Of course.

Did you think it appeared out of nowhere?

Sheesh.

He turned back to whatever he was doing.

If you don't mind me asking,

Why?

Why would you not want the river to run through here?

He looked at me like I was the stupidest person on the planet.

The river is dangerous.

It does its own thing and we need stability here.

We started building our town here and the river overflowed,

Destroying homes and crops.

When we rebuilt,

We realized that we could either build a bridge and allow the river to run through the middle of our town,

Or we could build a dam and build the town we wanted.

We decided to build a dam because we're not going to let some river decide how we live.

Oh,

I see.

How do you get water for your crops and stuff?

He snickered.

We let the river run at specific times and in specific places so that we can grow food.

We built plumbing to pipe water into town.

We can't just let it run free,

Like I said.

We need stability and order.

I've traveled along the river for a while now and I've never seen it be destructive to those who know how to work with it.

Maybe there's another way you could have the stability you want and still have the life that the river brings.

You act like we're not living just because we know how to manage our resources well.

It's not our fault that other people don't know how to control the river and because of their ignorance,

They're at its mercy.

That's not how we do things around here.

Besides,

That dam has been there for over 20 years.

We're comfortable this way.

It's not going to change.

I've run into a couple of people from town already and they don't seem to be very happy.

Are you sure that everyone is comfortable?

He sneered at me.

Just because a couple of people are having a bad day,

Don't knock our way of life.

People who don't like it can leave.

He turned back to his work.

Okay,

I said to myself,

Turning to go out the door.

Outside,

I saw the face of a young person,

Maybe 20,

Look inside.

Something about his expression was familiar.

When I went outside,

I looked around and saw him standing to the left of the door like he was hiding.

You probably don't remember me,

He said,

Looking around furtively.

I met you at Ebb and Flow.

I'm the one who found the thin rope for your shoe.

Oh,

Of course,

Of course I remember you.

How are you?

Um,

Good.

He looked around like he was afraid we were being watched.

He grabbed my elbow and started to walk,

Steering me forward.

Let's get somewhere where we can talk.

He directed me to a Mexican restaurant on one of the side streets that dead-ended,

So there was very little foot traffic.

We sat at one of the tables on the porch and ordered drinks and chips and salsa.

It was very good.

So what's going on,

I asked between chomps.

I heard you asking about the dam,

He said.

Mm-hmm.

That's a dangerous thing to ask about.

He had my attention.

Why?

I asked,

A loaded chip halfway to my mouth.

You're a stranger,

So they're probably hoping you'll just leave.

However,

For those of us who have to live here,

Please be careful.

I put my chip down.

What do you mean?

He looked at me sincerely.

You saw what happened at Ebb and Flow,

How we enjoyed the river.

I nodded.

This town used to be very similar.

The river ran through town,

And every year or so it would overflow its boundaries.

It ran faster here than in Ebb and Flow,

And the current was stronger.

It cleaned out any garbage or junk that was around dead trees and such.

We used to have plenty of fresh water because it was always flowing.

Then about 30 years ago,

Before I was born,

A new mayor was elected.

He said he was going to invest in technology that would allow us to better use the river.

Instead,

He built a dam.

If you wanted water,

You had to ask him.

If he didn't like you,

The answer was no.

The people who didn't support him left because they couldn't get water for food.

After him,

The preacher was elected mayor,

And he only allowed water to those he felt weren't living right.

It became a reward offered by those in power.

Now you can only get water from the mayor or the preacher,

And they only give it to those they approve of.

People have to either conform,

Leave,

Or struggle.

But you guys went to Ebb and Flow,

So what's that about?

He looked around again and leaned over the table.

There are those of us who believe that the river is more.

It's not a reward for living right.

We suspect it's how one learned how to live right.

We don't believe it's supposed to be measured out by those in leadership.

We believe it's free for everyone who wants it,

So we go looking for it.

We're allowed a little more leeway because we're young people,

And those in leadership expect us to be more excitable.

However,

The expectation is that at a certain point,

We'll put those feelings aside and grow up,

And when we do,

We'll be expected to get in line or leave.

His story sounded so absolutely crazy that at first I doubted him.

However,

Looking around at the dry and dusty brown,

I began to think that maybe he wasn't so crazy after all.

I'd seen the reverent way his group had interacted with the river in Ebb and Flow,

And it was in stark contrast to life in Dry Gulch.

It was obvious that something was wrong.

How can I help?

Tell me about your experiences with the river.

So few people who've interacted with the river come here,

And most of those who do leave quickly.

To be honest,

I don't think they feel welcome,

And truthfully,

They're not.

I feel like the people here are as dry as the land,

And I don't want to end up like that.

I smiled and leaned back in my chair.

That?

That I can do,

I said.

For the next two hours,

I told him of my experiences thus far with the river,

What Silas had told me,

And what I had personally experienced.

He was like dry,

Thirsty ground soaking up a heavy rain.

Part of me was happy,

Because I wanted him to be free,

And part of me was sad,

Because I knew he'd never be free here.

The people of Dry Gulch had built their lives around control,

And in doing so had damned the very source of life they longed for.

They mistook order for peace and safety for aliveness.

But the river doesn't thrive behind walls.

It teaches us to move,

To renew,

To trust the rhythm of becoming.

And when we cut ourselves off from that movement,

It isn't just the land that dries up,

It's the soul.

As you sit with this story,

Take a slow,

Deep breath.

And reflect.

Where in your life might you be trying to control the flow instead of trusting it?

What fears keep you from letting the river move freely through your heart?

How have systems of safety or stability drained some part of your inner landscape?

And what begins to bloom again when you loosen your grip and let the waters run free?

If this chapter stirred something in you,

I'd love to hear what part of Dry Gulch reflected your own journey with control,

Safety,

And surrender.

You can share your thoughts in the comments.

Each reflection becomes another ripple in the current of understanding that connects us all.

If you'd like to help 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 remember that true stability isn't built by damming the river,

But by learning to trust its flow.