I couldn’t sleep tonight and, reading a fellow bloggers journal, I came across the story of a man, Horatio Spafford, who wrote the hymn It Is Well With My Soul.
His was a tragic life and he wrote the song after losing 4 daughters at sea.
Tragedy has a way of forcing us to dig deep into our lives and looking at who we are straight-on. It shows us our strengths and our weaknesses.
To have been through through this tragedy and still write the words to this song should not be baffling to me for it is Christ, the Creator of our souls, who knows how to soothe us the best.
The words are beautiful …
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.
(Refrain:) It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
(Refrain)
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
(Refrain)
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pain shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
(Refrain)
And Lord haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
(Refrain)
It’s hard to accept but it’s true — we have nothing to fear but fear.
Horatio learned to be content whatever his “lot” happened to be.
To see the video, click here. To read more about Horatio, click here.
“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”  Philippians 4:11
I am not always content in my circumstances but I strive for that ideal. May God grant me perseverance to succeed.
