Attending the funeral for Amber last Sunday, It Is Well With My Soul was the last song that was sang (it was sang beautifully by the way). From a musical standpoint, I love singing this song. I am a music geek when it comes to the chorus and the echoing harmony parts it includes. It is by far one of my favorite songs.
While it is one of my favorite songs to sing and at most times a beautiful reminder of how blessed I am, there are times when I want to rephrase it. There are times when my soul is troubled, and I feel helpless. Sometimes I struggle and must ask myself is it truly well with my soul? Then I can remember this part of the song: That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul. God shedding his blood for me is the reason I can say “It Is Well With My Soul”.
Most of you may not know how this song came to be. On November 22, 1873 a ship named Ville Du Havre was struck by another ship and sank in twelve minutes in the Atlantic Ocean. Aboard this ship was members of the Spafford family on their way to England. A mother and four daughters, ages two, five, nine and eleven. Sadly, only the mother survived the disaster. The Father Horatio, who had planned to arrive to England later, boarded another ship to travel to his wife. Along the journey the captain called Horatio Spafford to the bridge and showing him navigational charts, advised they were travelling over the spot the Ville Du Havre had sank. Spafford stated that as they passed over the spot where she went down, "in mid-ocean, the waters three miles deep. But I do not think of our dear ones there. They are safe….dear lambs”. Horatio Spafford went to his cabin and wrote the words to It Is Well With My Soul as he mourned his four daughters.
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
We will always have storms to face and tragedy in our lives. Thankfully we have a loving God that we can cling to and trust so we can confidently say, It Is Will With My Soul.
Reminder to be there for each other and there is better time then today then to get to know Jesus.
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