Again, I’m finding myself with insomnia in the wee hours of the morning with severe writer’s block so I’m going to continue posting on hymns and praise songs that speak to me at this moment. “It Is Well With My Soul” has long been one of my favorite hymns and one that I *know* I sang to Daniel in both the NICU and PICU. (I distinctly remember the NICU experience because I was rocking him and he was just looking up at me like I had created the entire world just for him.) I learned it during my college years in Intervarsity and it is one that I have loved since then. I think the reason I love it so much is that it bears the message that in the midst of everything that can happen, we are called to be at peace and to be able to say “it is well with my soul”.
The story behind this hymn according to Cyberhymnal: This hymn was writ?ten af?ter two ma?jor trau?mas in Spaf?ford??s life. The first was the great Chi?ca?go Fire of Oc?to?ber 1871, which ru?ined him fi?nan?cial?ly (he had been a weal?thy bus?i?ness?man). Short?ly af?ter, while cross?ing the At?lan?tic, all four of Spaf?ford??s daugh?ters died in a col?li?sion with an?o?ther ship. Spaf?ford??s wife Anna sur?vived and sent him the now fa?mous tel?e?gram, ??Saved alone.?? Sev?er?al weeks lat?er, as Spaf?ford??s own ship passed near the spot where his daugh?ters died, the Ho?ly Spir?it in?spired these words. They speak to the eter?nal hope that all be?liev?ers have, no mat?ter what pain and grief be?fall them on earth.
Here are the four verses usually found in hymnals:
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.It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with 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!It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with 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.It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
The recording is of Chris Rice singing it off of his album “Peace Like A River”:
Beautiful. I’m so glad you posted this. This has long been one of my favorite hymns. In fact Dean already knows that when that day comes, it is to play at my funeral. I missed the bass line harmony in the chorus of this version, nonetheless, it was wonderful.