Saved Alone

Hi, friends.

I hope you are having a lovely day. 

Today, I wanted to share one of my favorite hymns of all time with you.

It never ceases to amaze me how God can use something so horribly devastating, and turn it into something beautiful and useful for His glory.

Enjoy.

Horatio Spafford  

{Courtesy of American Colony Hotel}
In 1871, tragedy struck Chicago as fire ravaged the city. When it was allover, 300 people were dead and 100,000 were homeless. Horatio GatesSpafford was one of those who tried to help the people of the city getback on their feet. A lawyer who had invested much of his money into thedowntown Chicago real estate, he'd lost a great deal to the fire. And his oneson (he had four daughters) had died about the same time. Still, for two yearsSpafford--who was a friend of evangelist Dwight Moody--assisted the homeless,impoverished, and grief-stricken ruined by the fire.After about two years of such work, Spafford and his family decided to takea vacation. They were to go to England to join Moody and IraSankey on one of their evangelistic crusades, then travel in Europe. HoratioSpafford was delayed by some business, but sent his family on ahead. Hewould catch up to them on the other side of the Atlantic.Their ship, the Ville du Havre, never made it. Off  Newfoundland, itcollided with an English sailing ship, the Loch Earn, and sank within 20minutes.  Though Horatio's wife, Anna, was able to cling to a piece offloating wreckage (one of only 47 survivors among hundreds), their fourdaughters--Maggie, Tanetta, Annie, and Bessie--were killed.Horatio received a horrible telegram from his wife, only two words long: "savedalone."  Spafford boarded the next available ship to be near his grieving wife, andthe two finally met up with Dwight Moody. "It is well," Spafford told himquietly. "The will of God be done."  Though reports vary as to when he did so, that belief ledSpafford to pen the words to one of the English language's best-known hymns. Somesay he wrote it on the ship to meet his wife, around the place where his daughters died.

It Is Well With My Soul

Words: Horatio G. Spafford, 1873

Music:  Philip P. Bliss, 1876

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll; 
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me 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.

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!
Blessèd hope, blessèd 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, 
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Isn't that amazing? 

Much love, 

xoxo