All Is Well With My Soul.......

All Is Well With My Soul

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, I have learned to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

This Lyric was written by a Chicago lawyer, Horatio G. Spafford; aman who had suffered almost unimaginable personal tragedy.

The Spaffords' only son was killed by scarlet fever at the age of four. A year later, it was fire rather than fever that struck. Horatio had invested heavily in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1871, every one of these holdings was wiped out by the great Chicago Fire.Aware of the toll that these disasters had taken on the family, Horatio decided to take his wife and four daughters on a holiday to England. Yet just before they set sail, a last-minute business development forced Horatio to delay. Not wanting to ruin the family holiday, Spafford persuaded his family to go as planned. Just nine days later, Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read:
"Saved alone."

On November 2nd 1873, the 'Ville de Havre' had collided with 'The Lochearn', an English vessel. It sank in only 12 minutes, claiming the lives of 226 people. Anna Spafford had stood bravely on the deck, with her daughters Annie aged 12, Maggie aged 8, Bessie aged 4 and Tanetta aged 6 months, clinging desperately to her. Her last memory had been of her baby being torn violently from her arms by the force of the waters. Anna was only saved from the fate of her daughters by a plank which floated beneath her unconscious body and propped her up.
Durin Spafford's worst times of grief he would put pen to paper to write hymns and lyrics such as the above.

I sat and listened to this story last night; a story of how one man coped with the incredible loss and grief of his children and realized that indeed, all is well with my soul. To Morris and Helen, and to our dear friend Gary Raymond, I often forget to make the time to say “thank you” for being such compassionate people. I would sit with the three of you any time because you have taught me that all is well with my soul.

Merry Christmas Benny x