Not sure if its obvious, as will all lyrics a lot can be left up to interpretation.
This could be from the perspective of any woman who has had to give up her child for its betterment. A person of faith in a position to where they were unable to give the child everything they need, might realize they were cutting short the child's chances, possibly even to the point of being a detriment to its life. As hard as it might sound, God's call might be for that person to give the baby up, turning their life into his capable hands. This of course could and would be very hard to do, "hell to pay". The river is a metaphor for sending them off, without any expectation of every knowing what became of them.
Not sure if its obvious, as will all lyrics a lot can be left up to interpretation.
This could be from the perspective of any woman who has had to give up her child for its betterment. A person of faith in a position to where they were unable to give the child everything they need, might realize they were cutting short the child's chances, possibly even to the point of being a detriment to its life. As hard as it might sound, God's call might be for that person to give the baby up, turning their life into his capable hands. This of course could and would be very hard to do, "hell to pay". The river is a metaphor for sending them off, without any expectation of every knowing what became of them.