It is well with my soul

Today at church Kevin was preaching on joy. He was preaching out of Ecclesiastes 11. I was leading worship with Alison and we try to do songs about joy…mainly hymns because I wanted to do them but stuff like I Stand Amazed and You Are My King (Amazing Love). The last song I did was It Is Well With My Soul. Today during the service one of our members found out his father died. He was 90 and had a full life, but to lose a loved one is hard no matter what. So I was thinking of him as we went up to sing this song. I had looked up the history to this song and the author because I knew he had a crazy story. His son died at 4, he was a lawyer and had real estate that was all wiped out during the Chicago fires. After trying to help people out he wanted to take a vacation. He sent his family ahead and all four of his daughters drowned when the boat hit another boat. Only his wife lived. After all that and traveling to meet his wife he was moved, as they were passing the area where the boat sank, to pen the word to this song. I told that story before we sang, not to make people feel bad, but to see the joy that is found in the Lord. I wanted everyone to think of the words and the man who wrote them and what he was going through, and how he would say it is well with my soul Lord. I hope this song helped our church member deal with his father death. I actually was getting choked up thinking of my dads death, and how his death was able to bring me to the Lord. I wasn’t a believer before then, but afterwards I was searching for answers and the Lord drew me to Him. He showed me He was enough. It was through His sons death I would be able to say these words…It is well, with my soul.