Here is a Made Prayer “Deer in the Water Catcher” for a friend and his beautiful family. The message came in through Deer who stood by a river:
“Be vigilant to maintain your balance. Float gently with the challenges and the joys of life.”
Balance Between Receiving and Releasing
As the river flows, it embraces the joy of each gift it receives—cool rains that swell its banks, leaves settling gently upon its surface, bright fish that dart within its depths, and sunlight that dances on its ripples. Each addition brings a sense of renewal, an affirmation of the river’s purpose and the beauty of its journey. These gifts are met with a quiet gratitude, a serene contentment that hums beneath the surface. Yet, with every bend and curve, the river must also face the challenges of letting go. It releases its cherished leaves to the wind, lets stones be carried away, and sometimes even parts with waters it once held close. There is a bittersweetness in these moments, a recognition that to continue its journey, it must not cling too tightly to what has passed through its currents.
Emotionally, the river’s releases can be like surrendering a piece of itself, as if each leaf, each drop, and each pebble were fragments of its own story. There are times when the current slows, heavy with sediment, and the river feels the weight of what it carries—the burdens that linger, the joys that have drifted away. Letting go is not always easy; it requires trust in the unfolding path and an acceptance that not all things are meant to stay. The river’s challenges lie in this delicate balance, in the tension between the desire to hold onto the gifts that have shaped it and the wisdom to let them move on. It is a quiet struggle, a dance between fulfillment and loss and a dance between embracing and releasing.
Yet, in this ongoing dance, there is also a profound joy. Here a deeper current runs beneath the surface. The joy of letting go is found in the freedom it brings, the lightness that comes when the river unburdens itself and flows more freely. It learns that release is not an end but a transformation, a way to make room for new gifts, new experiences, and new waters that will shape its course in unforeseen ways. The river’s journey is not defined by what it holds onto, but by how it flows, adapts, and continues, always moving forward. Even in the challenge of release, there is an undeniable joy, a quiet triumph in knowing that the river’s essence lies not in what it keeps but in the relentless, beautiful motion of its journey.
You are invited to be the river. Find your balance within you, graciously accept the gifts of life, and release with honor those things no longer needed.
This is my journey,
Nate Long “Owl”