It has always been one of my favorite hymns. It is a song about finding peace when everything goes wrong.
The story is powerful. Horatio Spafford's good friend, D.L. Moody was to be preaching in England. Spafford had sent his wife and family ahead of him, while he finished some business at home. He would follow them on another ship.
His four daughters were lost at sea when the steamer ship, the Ville du Havre, sank. It was hit by another ship. The girls were all lost, as the ship sank in twelve minutes.
His wife, Anna, was found unconscious, floating on debris. She sent him this brief telegram from England, "Saved alone." Alone. They were shattered and an ocean apart.
On the crossing to reunite with Anna, Spafford was taken to the spot where the Ville du Havre went down by the Captain. It was a powerful moment. The lyrics for this beloved hymn were seeded in that moment.
What many do not know is that Horatio and Anna had already lost their first son, Horatio Jr., to scarlet fever. They had already survived the Great Chicago Fire, where they did their best to help others less fortunate through the trials after the fire took many homes, jobs, and lives. They were not strangers to loss. The hymn articulates deep pain, but it comes out on the other side victorious. They had three more children - two who survived into adulthood.
Every life has seasons of joy and seasons of sorrow. Sometimes, they are mixed. Today is my sister, April's 57th birthday. She has spent her last thirty birthdays in Heaven. Time flies. Our first Lindgren niece arrived a little early... and four days after April's birthday that same year. Ciara's birth was a gift to us all. New life brings healing and new joy.
In the storms and in the valleys, we can still trust The One who holds the universe in place by His perfect design. As we move through the chapters in this life, we can look back and see that our God was always present. He never abandons his children. His purpose will not be thwarted by storm, by circumstance, or by our attempts to take the steering wheel. That is good news!
"Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." -Proverbs 19:20-21
It is well... it is well... with my soul.
Today, I am grateful for the old hymn, "It is well with my soul."
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