This past weekend I had a bit of a
revelation. Nothing of great import to the masses but one that is
important and even very surprising for me.
As some of you reading this may know my
family and I moved. We went from quite literally the boonies, three
and a half miles out on a dirt road, to quite literally knee deep
into a residential neighborhood. This has been the first time in many
years that we have lived somewhere that we are surrounded by houses
and we can hear the sounds of children playing and see our neighbors
as they go about their business. To say that we were very anxious
about this before hand would be an understatement. To go from country
living to town living has been somewhat of a culture shock but as it
has turned out it has also been a good thing.
This past Saturday morning I was
singing a song to myself that I hadn't heard in quite awhile, in fact
I woke up hearing it and was humming it while making coffee but it
wasn't until I sat down outside to listen to the birds and the wind
in the trees that I realized what song it was. Once I realized what
the song was I also came to realize just how appropriate the song was
for me because it was describing just how I was feeling. That song
was “It Is Well” Written by Horatio Spafford.
For those of you not familiar with who
he was or the song, Horatio Spafford was a wealthy lawyer in Chicago
during the latter part of the 19th century who lost a lot
of money after the great Chicago fire of 1871 and the economic down
turn of 1873. During that year as well his wife and four daughters
left for Europe upon a ship that hit another ship and quickly sank.
While his wife survived all four of his daughters were killed. It has
been said that he wrote this song on the way to Europe to meet up
with his wife and that he wrote it over the very spot that his
daughters had died. Horatio Spafford wrote many songs but “It Is
Well” is probably the best known of them all.
I have to say that my life hasn't been
quite like that. I have never had any great wealth to loose nor have
I lost four daughters. I think it's more the idea that storms come
and things that we may take for granted can be quickly removed from
us with no warning. I remember last winter thinking to myself just
how quickly things can change and while I was thankful to God for
what I had at the moment, living in the mountains and woods, it could
all be taken away in an instant, and then the real moment of truth of
your soul and relationship to God really comes to light. Adversity
can tell you much.
So ,as I said earlier, I woke up with
this song going through my head and I realized the truth to it, it is
indeed well with my soul. Despite everything that we have had to deal
with, despite having to leave our beloved mountains and boonies,
despite some personal setbacks, all is well with my soul.
Apparently I am not alone.
I was telling my wife what was going on
and she smiled at me and said that she was experiencing the same
thing. She said that she hadn't realized just how much stress we had
been living under, where we had been, until we came here and it was
gone. What has made the difference? I don't really know. It could be
that I am from this general area, though my wife never lived here, or
it could simply be that we belong on the coast, or maybe we have
finally arrived to a place where God wants us to be, I don't really
know, I just know that we have peace and all is well in our souls.
It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul) It is well, it is well, with my soul.