There have been times in my life when I have felt like I was in the center of a tornado. The world was dark, life was out of my control and chaos swirled around me. Yet, as I stood there helpless and sometimes fearful of the outcome, I also had this unexplainable peace deep down inside.
One of the songs we often sang in church when I was growing up was, “It is Well with My Soul.”
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…”
As a child, I found it to be a beautiful and soothing song, but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I really understood. I remember the first time that the words clicked with me.
I was probably in my twenties when my dad had a mild stroke. He was pretty stubborn about going to doctors back then, and he seemed to be doing pretty good except struggling a bit with getting one of his arms and legs to cooperate all the time. Still, we worried about him.
I remember getting teary eyed as I stood next to Dad in church and listened to him sing. I love my dad a lot and admire his unshakable faith. But as I listened to him praising God despite the uncertainty of his health, I couldn’t find my own strength to sing along; I had to go outside. I was worried about my dad and what might be going on with him. I didn’t understand how God could let someone as wonderful as my dad have something wrong with his health. He was so young, he was one of the kindest men in the world and he had a bigger faith than anyone I knew.
Things were out of my control for sure, but Dad’s Godly example taught me that even when things are out of my control, I can trust God. While I worried, I witnessed my Dad experiencing a peace that passes all understanding.
As I continued looking to God through that storm and the future storms that followed, my relationship with Jesus grew. Over the years, God has been showing me that I can trust him and teaching me about the gift promised in Philippians 4:6-7,
We will experience dark, scary, difficult times in our lives. There will be times when our circumstances are out of our control. When we start to get anxious, we must pray instead of worrying. Through prayer, we experience that inner peace.
When we belong to Jesus, we have comfort in knowing that God is with us through each and every storm. We have faith that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). We have peace, knowing that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). We have hope that one day he will take us home to a perfect place where there will be no more crying, pain or death (Revelation 21). When we put our trust in Jesus, no matter what our circumstances, we are able to say, “It is well with my soul.” It may be difficult, it may hurt, but deep down inside, his peace prevails.
Great words!