It Is Well With My Soul

Background

This hymn, the words of which were written by  Ho­ra­tio G. Spaf­ford, 1873,  was writ­ten af­ter two ma­jor trau­mas in Spaf­ford’s life. The first was the great Chi­ca­go Fire of Oc­to­ber 1871, which ru­ined him fi­nan­cial­ly (he had been a weal­thy bus­i­ness­man). Short­ly af­ter, while cross­ing the At­lan­tic, all four of Spaf­ford’s daugh­ters died in a col­li­sion with an­o­ther ship. Spaf­ford’s wife Anna sur­vived and sent him the now fa­mous tel­e­gram, “Saved alone.” Sev­er­al weeks lat­er, as Spaf­ford’s own ship passed near the spot where his daugh­ters died, the Ho­ly Spir­it in­spired these words. They speak to the eter­nal hope that all be­liev­ers have, no mat­ter what pain and grief be­fall them on earth.  


Music: Ville du Havre, Phil­ip P. Bliss, 1876 . The tune is named af­ter the ship on which Spaf­ford’s child­ren per­ished, the S.S. Ville de Havre. Iron­ic­al­ly, Bliss him­self died in a tra­gic train wreck short­ly af­ter writ­ing this mu­sic.

My Thoughts

The story of how this hymn came to be -  first told me by my father, I believe -  has always touched me. It is one of my favorite hymns.

My dad has always been a very positive person. You'd never know the tragedy or heartache in his life, to talk to him. That, to me, is the embodiment of the message of this hymn. "Though hast taught me to say, 'It is Well With My Soul'." Early in my life, I tried to find the positive, even if it meant just resorting to humor, to get through hard times. I think I got this from my father. It took me a long time to recognize its use in my life as a coping mechanism. I've not always been able to walk that brave line in the face of tragedy. But, it has been made easier through the example of my father, and of course, the Christ in my life.

This arrangement I felt needed to be sorrowful, almost the kind of sorrow you feel when you just can't take another step. The wind has been taken out of your sails. But, it also needed to express the hope that we all have in Christ, no matter the depth of our sorrow. All sorrows here are wiped away someday. In the middle of the arrangement, I switched to strings only. It sounded ethereal to me; as if choirs of angels, brave souls who had gone before, were singing down in hope, to support that poor soul, bearing so much weight, feeling so all alone...  I hope you hear not only the sorrow, but the blessed hope in this piece. It is still a bit rough around the edges, but I wanted to include it anyway. Who of us is not a bit "rough around the edges" if we indeed, need this tune? And yes, "It is Well with My Soul."

Listen Here

This arrangement comes from Sunday Morning Companion, Arr by Victor Labenske, found here. More details can be found on the Project Page.

Lyrics

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.

Refrain

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.

Refrain

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!

Refrain

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.

Refrain

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!

Refrain

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.

Refrain