It Is Well!

In 1871, when fire ravaged the City of Chicago leaving 300 dead 100,000 homeless, attorney Horatio Gates Spafford, a friend of D. L. Moody, helped its people get back on their feet. After 2 Years of tireless effort he and his family decided to take a much-needed vacation. They planned to travel to England and join Moody in an evangelistic crusade then go onto Europe. Then when Spafford got delayed he sent his family ahead planning to meet them on the other side of the Atlantic.

But they never made it. Near Newfoundland their ship collided with an English sailing vessel and sank within 20 minutes. Spafford’s wife, Anna, survived by clinging to some floating wreckage but all 4 of their daughters drowned. Next day Spafford received this terrible two-word telegram from his wife: “Saved Alone!” He immediately went to be with her.

Later in the course of relating their story to D. L. Moody, Spafford said quietly, “It is well, the will of God be done.” In fact it was those days of overwhelming grief that inspired him to compose the beloved hymn that has comforted so man of us: 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!