it is well. always. – FILO Blog

The meaning behind the hymn “It Is Well” stood out to me and convicted my heart when I heard Pastor Darren Whitehead preach a sermon about it at Willow Creek in the early 2000’s.The hymn was written by Horatio Gates Spafford in the 1800’s after having gone through a series of horrifying personal trials. After losing all of his wealth in the Great Chicago Fire, he then lost his 4 daughters in a tragic accident when the boat they were sailing on across the Atlantic Ocean collided with another. His wife’s life was spared and he traveled immediately, by boat, to go and see her. As he was passing over the very location where his daughters had died, he wrote the words to this famous hymn:When peace like a river, attendeth my wayWhen sorrows like sea billows rollWhatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to knowIt is well, it is well, with my soulThough Satan should buffet, though trials should comeLet this blest assurance controlThat Christ hath regarded my helpless estateAnd hath shed His own blood for my soulWhen I learned about the significant story behind these words, I was so moved. Can you imagine what Horatio must have been feeling at that moment? It must have felt like most everything he cared for was gone. His sorrows were as great as the gigantic waves in the sea. But yet, he still wanted to proclaim that the Lord has control and things can still be well in his soul. I still become emotional thinking about it!He goes on to write about what it will be like when the Lord comes back one day:And Lord haste the day when my faith shall be sightThe clouds be rolled back as a scrollThe trumpet shall sound and the Lord shall descendEven so, it is well with my soulIt is wellWith my soulOh it is well, it is well with my soulWhat I love about the story arc of this hymn is that it acknowledges the reality of his pain and loss. It honors the Lord’s place in his life. It centers himself on the truth of the Lord’s coming. I long to live with constant perspective like that. So, I’ve hung the words on the walls in my home. I have it tattooed on my arm. I sing it in church as loud as I can. I process it and declare it as the truth amidst the trials I face.Like me, you might not have lost all of your finances or lost all of your children in a tragic accident, but you have certainly faced trials of all sizes. Loss of a job, disagreements with a coworker or boss, equipment failure during a service, broken relationships, unexpected loss, disappointing news, shocking medical results and more.Each one of those trials matters, regardless of the perceived size. And I believe that all the Lord wants us to do in those moments is follow the same process Horatio did: Acknowledge the reality and claim the Lord’s truth in your life.I love chapter 18 in Todd’s book, “I Love Jesus But I Hate Christmas”. It’s titled, “Wait Five Minutes, Then Freak Out”. My personal mojo is typically, “Experience a trial and freak out immediately”. That’s not very helpful, is it?Todd’s book is speaking directly to our posture as leaders or members of a team and how we operate within trials that appear. But for me, the application still works in my own personal life. Growth for me looks like: experience a trial, take a beat or a breath, pray. That prayer will acknowledge the hard truth of the situation and then declare the Lord’s goodness and His steadiness in it.Lord, may it be so. “It is well with my soul.” Always.Read more about Todd's advice of "Wait Five Minutes Then Freak Out" in his book "I Love Jesus But I Hate Christmas". It is available in paperback, audiobook, and Kindle format. Go to filo.org/book to learn more!