“ In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart!
I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
I’m not going to lie . . . it has been a tough three years for my husband and I. This season has included debilitating illness for me, numerous hospitalizations and surgeries followed up by months of physical therapy. In fact, with my last hospitalization– my second bout with aspiration pneumonia–I seriously wondered if I would return home again. During that time my husband had to step in and continues to be my Primary Caregiver–certainly not in OUR playbook!
It has been humbling in a multitude of ways, yet in the midst of it all, we have learned to not only persevere but to give thanks to the One who has blessed us in countless ways. Reflecting back on this unexpected season of what I prefer to think of as–‘our unexpected adventure’–I can point to three things that carried us to where we are today:
- My husband is pretty even-tempered, is a good cook and we had over fifty years of marriage to prepare us as we worked through and came to appreciate our personality differences. (Of which there are plenty!)
- Even though the challenges have been daunting at times–and even now, the future appears a bit murky as I face a second back surgery–God has helped us to honor Him by keeping humor, love and mutual respect a priority in our day-to-day relating.
- God has been faithful to bouy our spirits as we have made Scripture’s call to “Count it all joy” and to “Give thanks in all circumstances”* a priority. (What a difference a list of daily praises makes to one’s mindset!) Our motto has become,
“When in doubt:
Give thanks, give thanks, give thanks
that He loves us and we are not alone in this!”
What has inspired (more like what has given me the courage to try to write a post again) is that I am actually feeling clear enough in my thinking to try to work with words again. (Yay God!) Also, I found an article titled,“The Story Behind: It is Well With My Soul”**, to be an unexpected encouragement that I think you might appreciate too.
The article presents the history behind the classic hymn, written in 1876–three years after the tragic deaths of Horatio Spafford’s four young daughters: Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta. They had been sailing to Europe on a transatlantic liner with their mother, Anna, when another ship collided with their ship in the middle of the night. The girls were killed, along with 222 others, after their ship sank in just 12 minutes. Discovered unconscious and drifting amongst the debris, Anna was saved.
As soon as she could manage, though devastated and injured herself, Anna cabled the heartbreaking news to Horatio (who had been delayed by business): “Survived alone . . . what shall I do . . . .” –their precious daughters gone forever.
What I was told forty-plus years ago when I first heard the story, was that when Horatio was sailing across the Atlantic to join Anna, the Captain of the ship notified him when their ship had arrived at the approximate site where the shipwreck had occurred. The story was that, inspired in the moment at the site, Spafford went back to his cabin and wrote the poem that eventually became the famous hymn.
But according to the Hymncharts article, the words that have comforted and encouraged generations were NOT an immediate response, but were actually penned three years after the tragic loss. Why does the timing matter and how can that encourage us in our own life experiences?
It matters because it is more honest, in that the miraculous working out of such a divine peace and healing took time for Spafford–just as it does for you and I–to come to the point of experiencing wellness of soul as we choose to trust God in our pain:
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.
To experience peace like a river and wellness of soul even three years after such a heavy loss was nothing less than a divine gift!
Right now, I invite you to join me in listening to this more contemporary version of Spafford’s words playing in the background. I am struck by how his was not a naive faith . . . that the depth and richness of what Spafford had gained in tragedy reflect the strength of his testimony to God’s faithfulness,
As I reflect on this, I have come to a better understanding of how finishing well is not speaking of facing the end of our days–which is kind of what I had assumed. What I’m realizing is that Spafford’s words regarding finishing well, reflect the mysterious work of how FAITH and TEACHABLE HEARTS in the face of life challenges come in various forms As we continue on with our lives, fully invested in God:
We “finish well” in the dailiness of life
as we choose to bow to the reality that
while life is difficult (tragic even),
Christ is still there to help us
as we choose to trust and lean on Him
with our fears, our disappointments and our losses.
What challenges are you facing right now? I have always found the wisdom, hope and direction found in Hebrews 11 and 12 an inspiration. Chapter 11 begins with this most helpful and succinct definition of faith:
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see.”
I encourage you to open and read the whole of Chapter 11, the “by faith” chapter, to appreciate how faith is essential for growth in every generation: With this, I am grateful for the call for courage to trust then found in Hebrews 12:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of our faith who for the joy set before Him
endured the cross, scorning its shame,
and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2
I find myself in awe at the thought of being surrounded by such greatness cheering us on along with the call to persevere in trusting Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of the most precious Gift ever given. The question is:
How will you and I respond?
I have found that by far, the best response to whatever challenge I face,
is in choosing to give thanks that He is with me
and declaring my trust in His divine plan
as it is being worked for me into Eternity.
I encourage you to join me in giving thanks to the One who is truly worthy of our trust through every chapter of our lives . . .❤️
All to His Glory!
*Taken from James 1:2 and 1 Thessalonians 5:18
**Found at https://hymncharts.com/the-story-behind-it-is-well-with-my-soul/
So glad to read your post. You are always on my prayer list. Thank you for the encouragement. I am working on trusting God and living life with an open hand, trusting Him. Your words are very welcome.
Thanks Beth. It’s been a blessing for me to return to writing again, I honestly thought He had closed that door. I promise you, your words have encouraged me every bit as much as mine have encouraged you. God bless you, Beth!
Thank you so much for this sharing! Giving thanks daily helps so much, purposefully.