Song Story: THE RIVER

THE RIVER

I was thinking about a telling the story of a husband and wife who can't relate to each other anymore. The images that came to mind where the frustration between the couple in the movie Revolutionary Road. They both feel like their lives are not what they wanted, he's changed, she's changed, they've both become worse versions of themselves.


Where the phrase "there is a river- fire, water" came from I found out later. But when I first said it I had no idea what it meant- only that I really loved it. That's what people talked about when they say the song wrote itself or it came from somewhere else. I say it came from the Holy spirit. 


The song wasn't finished until just before I recorded it about 8 months after I began it. The story changed from a fictional couple to my own life. I combined the story of this married couple with a real life relationship in my life. My relationship with my long time best friend. The short of it is, we grew apart after many years of hurts and disappointments. We both always wanted to be the closest of friends but couldn't find a way to pick up the pieces after one mistake after another, combined with moving away from each other, combined with growing up and becoming "adults" with careers and boyfriends.


The River became a picture of a healing place for all relationships in my mind- that of married couples, friends, and every other relationships we have. The River is not just any river or a symbol- it's literally the water of life. The River that flows from the throne of God (Revelation 22:1) Jesus called himself the living water and offered this water to the Samaritan woman at the well who had failed relationships. 


The fire in this river is God purging us and our relationships by exposing and revealing, burning away what's unhealthy, the sin that's separating us from Him and hindering our relationships. In Daniel 7 it says ..."and a river of fire was pouring out, flowing from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him; many millions stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened". This is the wonderful relief of being exposed and able to be healed by God's fiery, loving correction. Wounds can only heal when they are opened and cleaned, this is what God's river of fire can do for our relationships and our hearts if we open them to Him.


Getting swept away in the river is letting go, trusting, surrendering and not needing to know what's coming next . It's being vulnerable. I know in relationships, especially close ones it's the hardest to be vulnerable and honest because we feel the other person sees us in a certain way and we don't know how to change that. I think getting in the river of God is saying I'm going to trust you God to somehow makes things new if I just open my heart and try again. 


I don't know how God does it, but He does. He makes all things new again- that's His business- He restores, reclaims, reuses- he doesn't waste anything. He's the great recycler. Nothing is beyond repair. Salvation and salvage sound pretty similar don't they?


I feel right now as I'm writing this I need to tell you- nothing is beyond being made new. I'm not telling you to stay in an abusive relationship but I am telling you to get vulnerable and swept away in the river of living water flowing from the throne of God. If the relationship is not meant to be made whole again, than at least you can be made whole again. Step into the river of living water, the fiery correction and renewal of His compassionate love and trust that although you don't see how this can end right- it will! 

 “Then He showed me the river whose water give life, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
 -Rev. 22:1