It Is Well

Daily Gratitude Year 6- Day 108: Today. I am grateful it can be well with our souls.

One of of my favorite Hymns has always been "It Is Well With My Soul." In college, Dr. Ted Lee always introduced it as "One of the great hymns of the faith." We sang it often in Olivet's chapel. 

I can still hear the boom of his voice in my memory. It was probably there that I first learned the song's history. In November of 1873, Horatio Spafford sent his wife and four daughters ahead of him to Europe for a vacation. They ship that carried them sunk.  His wife, alone, survived. 

On his journey to reunite with her and their friend DL Moody in Europe, the ship's captain let him know when they were crossing over the area where the Ville du Havre sank. It is there he penned the lyrics to "It Is Well With My Soul". 

"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul."

How does one right something so beautiful in the agony of grief? The only answer I know is that he can create beauty from ashes. 

He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,
 and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel,he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,a joyous blessing instead of mourning,

 festive praise instead of despair. -Isaiah 61:2-3a 

A crown of beauty is trade for the ashes and mess of our lives. Some messes we make by  ourselves... or with the help of others. Some, are born of circumstance. One of the things Satan loves to use is unfortunate circumstances to taint our view of God. How can God be good all the time when life pitches some hard days to strike us out?  

God gave us free will in love and with hope. He gave us our soul breaths longing for us to choose a relationship with him out of love, not by His royal, sovereign command. To be chosen is the greatest kind of love. Not out of duty, but born of a deep desire to be together in all kinds of days. 

The scriptures indicate God wants us to love him with a wild abandon with our whole hearts and adventurous souls. He wants to claim us not tame us. "Be strong and courageous. I Am with you."  

He wants to be with us in daily conversation and lavish us with his goodness... even when life gets hard or really hurts. "Come. I will give you rest." 

I think this quote wraps it up well: 
"For the soul to be well, it needs to be with God. Our souls were made to walk with God." -John Ortberg, Soul Keeping

That is what Horatio Spafford wrote about in his famous hymn. His peace was not of this world and his very real grief would in time bear beauty from the ashes... and it did. There would be more trials, but his troubles never became his legacy. 

No matter the depth of the sorrow or the situation, He is ready to trade a crown of beauty for the ashes when we seek him with our whole hearts. 

Today. I am grateful it can be well with our souls.