In 1873, Horatio Spafford sent his wife and four daughters
on to Europe hoping to join them after attending to some urgent business matter.
Unfortunately, the Ville du Havre,
the ship upon which his family traveled, was struck by another ship and most of
the passengers were killed. Horatio’s wife survived, but not one their
daughters did. While traveling on another ship to join his wife in Europe, the captain pointed out the place where it was believed the Ville du Havre had gone down. After
viewing the place of his family’s demise, Horatio returned to his cabin and
penned these words: “It is well; the will of God be done.” Later, those words became the foundation to the hymn It Is
Well.
What does it mean to be well in my soul? I have pondered
that question for a year and seven months ever since the tragic day we lost
Woody in a horrific hiking accident. We have suffered tragic loss, but even
more than that we are suffering the effects of unmentionable trauma. One cannot
comprehend the full force of the weight of which we have been under for so
long, trying desperately to prevent it from squashing the very life from our
bodies. The image of my children covered in their father’s blood while tears
flowed down their dirt covered faces still haunts me. The look of fear in their
eyes as we held Woody trying so desperately to hold onto hope and hold onto his
life, will always be with me. Yet I still know that it is well with my soul. It is a knowledge that permeates every pore
of my being. I know God holds my breaking heart and not once has He dropped a
single fragment. He is with me—always! And as long as my eyes are fixed on Him,
I have peace—not to be mistaken for trouble- and pain-free circumstances. No,
peace is quite different. It is a deep seated sensation that no matter what I
am walking through in this moment, eternity awaits my arrival and then my tears
will cease and my heart will once again be whole.
I believe what Horatio did over 140 years ago when faced
with harrowing circumstances; it is
well with my soul because the God I have placed my faith in is just, and eventually He will turn my life's anguish into a beautiful hymn.
