Look to God and Live… Joyfully!

I was at a concert a couple weeks ago of a performance by the BYU Women’s and Men’s Choruses.  It was a fabulous concert by both groups.  But during the course of the evening a story was told about one of the songs the Men’s Chorus was going to sing.  That story resonated with me in a myriad of ways, and so I wanted to share it.

Horatio Spafford was a successful lawyer in Chicago in the late 1800s.  He had a wife, Anna, whom he adored, and together they had five young children.  In 1871 his only son, age 2, died.  Then came the Great Fire of Chicago that financially ruined him.  It was followed two years later by an economic downturn that caused further hardship.  In some dismay, he and his wife decided to move the family to Europe, where they had roots (some accounts have the Spafford family traveling to Europe instead of moving).

In 1873 Anna Spafford and her four daughters boarded the SS Ville Du Havre for their ocean voyage, with Spafford himself set to travel a little later.  Partway across the Atlantic the Ville Du Havre collided with another ship.  226 of the 313 people aboard perished, including all four of Spafford’s children.  His wife, who was rescued, sent a telegram to her husband that read, “Saved alone.  What do I do?”

Spafford quickly caught a ship to be with his wife during this horrific time.  While on the ship he wrote the beautifully moving poem, later put to music by Phillip Bliss, known as It Is Well With My Soul.  Those words are as follows:

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.

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 has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

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,
A song in the night, oh my soul!

Spafford’s trials didn’t end here.  He and Anna had three more children, a son and two daughters.  The son died of scarlet fever at the age of four.  Blessedly his daughters lived well into adulthood.  His non-conformist doctrinal views led to his being ostracized by his church. He and his wife moved to Jerusalem and helped found a sect of similar believers.  Despite what he had been through, he never denied the faith that he had.

(Here’s a link to BYU’s Vocal Point performing that song)

As I’ve pondered this story the last several days – doing as much research as I could, in fact – I was impressed by the depth of this man’s faith.  It is so easy to count your blessings and “name them one by one” when life is going well.  When things are smooth you see so much to be grateful for.  I’ve discovered that faith in God – His purposes, His love, and His redeeming power – come easiest when life is easy.

But how strong is my faith when the trials come and life seems overwhelming?  I’m afraid I sometimes falter. I find myself questioning myself and even God’s love at such dark moments. Not just, “how could God let this or that happen to me,” but more on the order of questioning whether I am somehow worthy enough of receiving God’s love, hence the seeming lack of it.

Ironically, about nine years ago I wrote a song to express my feelings when things seemed a little tough.  Looking back, I laugh at how simple life was back then and wonder how I could have found my troubles overwhelming.  But I did, and as a cathartic exercise I wrote the following words:

When the flood waters rise, and the earth will not stand still,
When the winds sweep in and never seem to end,
When there’s war and confusion everywhere I see:
Children harmed, people lost, great despair.
There in the turmoil I stand still, and I listen, listen for His voice.

And I receive peace that passeth understanding, peace to fill my heart,
It’s the peace that tells me, “be of good cheer”.
For Christ has overcome the world, He is my light and life.
In Christ I’m safe.
I am His child.
My days are known.

When alone I shed tears, and when sorrow fills my heart,
When the world seems not to hear my anguished cry.
And when darkness and pain seem to fill my very soul,
I feel lost, all alone, great despair.
There in the turmoil I stand still, and I listen, listen for His voice.

And I receive peace that passeth understanding, peace to fill my heart,
It’s the peace that tells me, “be of good cheer”.
For Christ has overcome the world, He is my light and life.
In Christ I’m safe.
I am His child.
My days are known.

My days are known.
For Christ has said, “fear not”, for in Him there is peace,
Peace amidst the trials of this world.
Though all elements combine against me,
And all men conspire against me,
Christ has said in Him there will be peace.
Christ has said, “Be still. Be still and know that I am God”.

And I receive peace that passeth understanding, peace to fill my heart,
It’s the peace that tells me, “be of good cheer”.
For Christ has overcome the world, He is my light and life.
In Christ I’m safe.
I am His child.
My days are known.
I am His child,
Be at peace.

Peace.  I’ve come to recognize that true peace only comes from knowing and trusting God, from accepting His love and believing in His promises.  It’s not always easy to walk this path of faith. But isn’t it wonderful to know that Christ truly has overcome the world and that He is indeed at the helm?  What price peace?  Isn’t it worth everything to be able to say, with full resoluteness of heart, indeed, it is well with my soul.