In 1873, Horatio Spafford experienced a loss few parents could imagine.
His wife, Anna, and their four daughters were crossing the Atlantic aboard the Ville du Havre when the ship collided with another vessel and sank. Anna survived, but all four of their daughters were lost.
From Wales, she sent Horatio the heartbreaking message: “Saved alone. What shall I do…”
Horatio crossed the Atlantic to join his grieving wife. During that season of profound sorrow came the words that would become one of Christianity’s most beloved hymns:
“When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll…”
And the declaration that generations of believers still sing:
“It is well, it is well with my soul.”
Faith does not mean we never grieve. Sometimes “it is well with my soul” doesn’t mean everything around us is well. It means that even in the storm, our hope remains in God.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” — Psalm 46:1
May we have a faith that holds onto God not only on the mountaintops, but also through the storms.