The lyrics to the song "It Is Well With My Soul" were written by Horatio Spafford. In the late 1870s, Horatio was a successful Christian attorney and real estate investor, by all standards he was very wealthy before tragedy after tragedy struck.
In 1871, he lost a fortune in the great Chicago fire, while still recovering from the loss, his beloved four-year-old son died of scarlet fever. To cool things down, he decided to take his family for a vacation. So he sent his wife and four daughters on a ship to England, where they would accompany his friend, the famous evangelist D. L. Moody, on his next crusade. Since he had a lot of work to do, he sent his family and decided to follow them later. However, while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship was involved in a terrible collision and sunk.
All his four daughters perished among the 226 sailors leaving only his dear wife Anna. Upon rescue and arriving in England, Anna sent a touching telegram to his dear husband - "Saved alone. What shall I do?"
Horatio, on receiving the telegram and the tragic news, immediately took another ship to go and be with his wife. Lost in thoughts during the trip, the captain of the ship, aware of the tragedy that had struck his family, called him to inform him that they were now passing over the spot where the shipwreck had occurred taking away all his four daughters. As Horatio thought about his daughters, words of comfort and hope filled his heart and mind. He wrote them down,
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to know
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Horatio and Anna’s faith in God never faltered. He later wrote to Anna’s half-sister, “On Thursday last, we 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”.
Today God, it is well with my soul, I am thankful I had a peaceful sleep, I am thankful I am alive with possibilities, I am thankful I have a roof over me, I am thankful I have a job, I am thankful that I have Family and Friends. Above all, I am thankful that I have the Lord Jesus Christ on my side. Be blessed and don't be envious or shocked when others are prospering because you don't know what they have been through to get there (test, trials, and tribulation) so thank God for what you have. "Little is much when God is in it."
It is well
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