Week Thirty-Eight: River/Divine Flow. September 17 – Wellspring of the Soul
Our deeper life is like a wellspring—welling up from below invisible at its source but rippling into our palpable existence, galvanizing our imagination and endeavors. Bill Plotkin
Gregg’s Reflection
Like a river, God’s love and grace flow every moment of every day, everywhere, all the time. The challenge is whether we are conscious of it. Brother Lawrence said, “The Divine Presence occupies the here and now. If you are not aware of this—become so!“
When I wade into a cold river with fly rod in hand, I feel more than just the tug of a current—I sense mystery flowing beneath the surface. Bill Plotkin writes that our deeper life is like a wellspring, invisible at its source yet rippling into the visible world. I’ve seen that truth mirrored in clear mountain streams, where underground springs bubble up, feeding the river with living water.
Fly fishing has taught me to trust those unseen flows. You cast into a run, not fully knowing what moves beneath, yet confident the river holds life. In the same way, God’s Spirit wells up from hidden depths within us. We cannot always see the source, but we can trust its presence. The current carries more than water—it carries grace, imagination, and renewal for the journey.
When I pause midstream, line drifting in the current, I remember: my soul, too, is fed by an underground river that no one can dam up or stop. Meister Eckhart said, “The soul has something in itself that is so akin to God that it is one with Him and not just united” (Sermons). God’s hidden spring rises within me, offering life to my prayers, words, and relationships.
Scripture
Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.
John 4:14
Ancient Quotes
All streams flowing forth from a clear spring are also clear. So it is with a soul in grace. Planted like a tree in the spring of life, her deeds delight both the human and the divine.
Teresa of Ávila, Interior Castle, trans. Mirabai Starr, p. 42
The Divine Presence occupies the here and now. If you are not aware of this—become so!
Brother Lawrence, Ellyn Sanna, Brother Lawrence: A Christian Zen Master
Modern Quotes
Our deeper life is like a wellspring—welling up from below (unconscious) invisible at its source but rippling into our palpable existence, galvanizing our imagination and endeavors.
Bill Plotkin, Nature and the Human Soul, p. 303
Journaling Prompts
- Where in your life have you sensed God’s hidden spring rising?
- What practices help you notice the flow of Spirit within you?
- In what ways might you live more from that hidden Source?
Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 38 Reflection: River/Divine Flow