THE STREAM

(c)2019 Carolyn Miller

Lyrics

See the tree beside the stream
drawing from the mountain spring
where this water flows life will follow

I linger there beside the stream
reminded of the endless flow
where living water goes life will flourish

for it draws my eyes above looking for the hope
this hope can fill me up and quench my thirsty soul
drawing from the stream of unending love

I'd love to climb that old gum tree 
and feel the strength surrounding me
where it taps into the flow of endless water

and I long to take a step into the stream
and let the current carry me
for where this water flows I must follow

I am drawn to the stream, it calls me
it's never dry, never thirsty, ever blessed
it's calling, it draws me

see the stream... it beckons me

Song story

I had been asked to share a song at a creative night at church. I had dozens of songs I could choose from but as I had several weeks before the event I sat down at my piano at Binbrook (our country cottage) and boldly asked God for a new song. I immediately had a picture of the creek where we had walked to that morning. I then remembered Psalm 1 and where the tree that sits beside the brook is deeply rooted, tapping into the water and it is flourishing.

I had never described a scene before in lyrics of a song but I had the desire to try. So, I began. Only weeks before I had written a piano piece that had the creek as its inspiration and so I had the images clearly in my mind but this time I wanted to express a definite message… that I had something specific to actually say.

The lyrics came together fairly quickly and I realised that the message was for me. It was a truth that God had been speaking to me about this year. It’s about tapping into His word, connecting with His people and listening to His spirit. He is the refreshment I have been seeking and yet for some reason at times I find myself holding back from receiving his love. The song reminds me that God alone is the living water and so don’t ever give up seeking him.

The song also confirms how the beauty of Binbrook (our country cottage) speaks to my spirit. I seem to hear God’s voice often when I am there. I hear him speak in the planting, in the watering, in nature and not in the manicured gardens of suburbia, but in the wildness of the plants, animals, bugs and the weather. In God’s creation, rather than our own, I find it easier to hear his voice.