It Is Well

Yesterday my best friend buried her son...as his father said "His long battle with cancer is over and he is the victor! Let it be known, he did not lose his battle with cancer. He is experiencing the ultimate triumph: he has run into the arms of Jesus with new legs and a perfectly healed body". Pastor Ken Stroud and his wife flew over from England to be here and he gave a beautiful message. He spoke out of 2 Kings 4:25 Elisha saw a woman and asked her is it well with you? is it well with your husband? is it well with your son? and she answered it is well....(Totally paraphrasing here) even though her son was dead she answered it is well. He made a point to tell everyone it is well..he continued to say that Aiden has not proceeded us in death, Aiden has proceeded us in life and he is living quite a life. (let me just say if I lived in England I would so be attending his Church) As pastor Stroud was speaking I was reminded of the hymn It Is Well With My Soul by Horatio Spafford~ just a brief history of this man who wrote a truly beautiful song. In 1871 his only son died at the age of four then shortly after that the great Chicago fire happened and destroyed his business and ruined him financially he was an attorney. In 1873 he had planned to travel to Europe with his family he sent them on ahead because he was detained with zoning business which was a result of the fire. While crossing the Atlantic the ship sank rapidly after hitting another ship called the Loch Earn all four of his daughters were killed his wife survived and sent him a telegram that said "saved alone". Shortly afterwards as he traveled to his grieving wife he wrote It Is Well With My Soul as he passed close to where his daughters died.....later they did have three more children but, again one, a son, died as a baby. His family moved to Jerusalem and helped found  a group called the American Colony its mission....to serve the poor. I can not even fathom what it is like to feel the pain of such a loss and my heart hurts for my friends. The service was beautiful, and oh so touching, as we go forward and miss Aiden, I pray the words Pastor Stroud said will ring through our hearts and souls, "It Is Well". I want so much to wrap them in my arms and hold them but, distance makes that a tad difficult so instead, I leave them with this.


It Is Well With My Soul~
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, 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!
Blessed hope, blessed 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.

That's My Thought For The Day,

Crazy for Christmas