Musings – Page 2 – Spiritual Sun Pennies

92) A Priest’s Meditation on the Passion

As a member of the Seven Sisters’ Apostolate, I have the privilege of spending one Holy Hour each week in prayer for a particular priest. The demands of the priesthood are many, and the blessings that flow through his ministry are invaluable to the life of the faithful, and to those who do not yet know Christ. How blessed their ministry is to have inspired one woman to offer a Holy Hour for the priest who has been a blessing to her life! This one Hour was the foundation for the Seven Sisters’ Apostolate, which has now expanded exponentially to all 50 States in the US, and beyond! When the Holy Spirit offers an inspiration, and the recipient has listened, heard and responds, the results are no less than miraculous! And of course, the blessings flow not only to the priest, but through him to his flock, through them to their extended relationships, and to the Sister who is praying. Another example of the ripples of grace that flow from prayer 🙂

I’ve always stopped to reflect when I read in the Scriptures, “they saw the grace of God.” What does that look like? How can I tell? My Seven Sister membership brought me to a moment when I saw and experienced God’s grace at work. I’m a sub for a group that prays for a very holy and wise retired priest, now 97 and in an assisted living facility. He is sharp and filled with wisdom, a man of great intellect and compassion. Six of us joined him for Mass and then a time of fellowship before his lunch hour. His walk is slow and deliberate, using a walker for stability. With the dignified manners and respect of his generation, and of his own character, he greeted us all and expressed his gratitude for our gathering, and for our prayers. He said that as he was no longer giving homilies, he wanted to continue to share from his treasure house of years of prayer and study, and so began to write poems. The one I heard this day is a meditation on Christ’s Passion, which will remain with me and has deepened my own appreciation of what the Lord has done for me.

In a voice deep and sonorous, at a pace that is slow and thoughtful, he read us his poem. His pauses, inflections, and obvious feeling for the words he had written created an atmosphere of holiness, in complete listening silence. The very many years of his personal contemplation of the Passion of Christ were skillfully woven into a beautiful tapestry, which we were so blessed to receive. It was an intimate prayerful gathering, and indeed, it was here that I “saw the grace of God.”

He began with the repetition of one word, “Pain.” Hearing him speak this word, and seeing his face as he spoke it, revealed the depth of his understanding of Christ’s suffering. He wrote of the wound that hurt Christ the most, in His shoulder from the carrying of the Cross. I’m reminded of the prayers of St Bridget of Sweden, where she also remarks on this particular pain, and how much sorrow it caused our Lord to know that despite all His sacrifice, there would be many who would turn away. The final words of this extended meditation came to the Resurrection, and to His invitation to us as Friend, to stand on His right beside Him.

How grateful I am to be called to pray for this holy priest of God, and to have been a recipient of His recitation. May God continue to bless his days, until he goes to meet His Savior, his Friend, face to face.

Father God, thank you for the gift of the holy priesthood! Thank you for raising up the Seven Sisters Apostolate to offer holy hours for Your priests.
Thank you for calling each of us to appreciate and pray for them, to enter into Christian Friendship with You and with one another…

91) Do It Now

Procrastination has been a challenge for me all my life. I’m reminded lately of my mom’s acronym, DIN! Do It Now! How I need to respond to that command, and recall how often in Scripture things were done “immediately,” “with haste!” Perhaps my problem has been with discerning just what it is that needs doing now! There are so many options, and it’s time to start whittling them down to the essentials, in the hope that actually doing it now can be accomplished! Where to start?

Making a list of non-negotiables can be a starting point. For me at this time in my life, this would include daily Mass whenever possible, and daily rosary, always possible. Checking the calendar to note appointments or meetings that are necessary should come next. Daily exercise of some sort has become more important, as I find myself spending way too much time sitting, often at the computer. So I’ll put a daily walk, and also my exercise video high on the list. I try to keep the kitchen tidy as my main contribution to housekeeping chores, and basic bedroom tidiness too. And that’s really about all of the essentials!

That leaves lots of room for the non-daily activities, like laundry, other cleaning, paying bills and other paperwork…. This is when I get bogged down, seeing the giant list of things that don’t demand immediate attention, aren’t on the daily essential list, but need to get done “sometime.” Ah, sometime… that smells like procrastination to me! Methinks I need a better plan ~

This brings me to mom’s second acronym – HIC = Help Is Coming! And the help she knew was always available came from the Lord! He would send people help, inspirational help, a Word from the Scriptures – but always something to get going and do the next right thing. Over and over the Scriptures remind us to ASK! So I’m asking now, Lord – help me to discern how to spend each moment of each precious day that You give me in a way that glorifies You and helps to fulfill the plan and purpose You have made me for today. I don’t want to just spin my wheels and waste the gift of time You’ve given me. I know that this isn’t about being more “productive,” but rather living in Your will for me each day, which naturally includes accomplishing whatever tasks You have set before me. I recognize these will include times of rest, times of silence with You, time in Your Word. I think of Bp David Rcken’s advice: “Each day, no more, no less, no sooner, no later than what the Lord asks of you.” Harmonize my life, Lord, that the music it produces may be pleasing to Your ear and create a symphony that will bring blessings to others. DIN and HIC – thank you mom!

Lord God, help me to live well the days remaining to me! I ask to hear Your Voice throughout each day, leading me on the path that accomplishes what’s necessary, and brings glory to You! Thank you for my mom’s wisdom, that whispers in my ear…

90) Surrender to Grace

This last weekend was spent in helping my sister-in-law pack up and leave the cabin she dearly loves, to return to her residence in a retirement community. She had spent several weeks solo at the cabin for many years, but last year due to health challenges it hadn’t happened. Missing that time at the cabin had been really hard for her, and a time of depression had set in.

It was a long drive, and she thought she could do it alone this summer. When I offered to help her get there, she readily agreed to the offer, so my son and I picked her up in July and made the trip North, planning to do the return trip in September.

It was a time of great blessings, and also of a surrender to the grace of God as she realized the reality of physical limitations due to health and age – she’ll be 90 in October! Blessings included many evening meals shared with extended family visiting at nearby cabins, being back in the woods able to see the lake and savor the deep quiet. Short trips to nearby towns with easy and beautiful country driving were a joy!

It wasn’t all easy though – some of the things she most wanted to do were not do-able; the dock was too wobbly and her legs too unsteady to sit on the bench at the end of the dock. The lovely and peaceful bench on a little lake in the woods surrounded by a bog was unattainable, as the board walk was unstable. The shot received to reduce the pain in her legs began to wear off as the weeks went by, and the constant pain began to return.

All of this reminded me of Paula D’Arcy’s story told in her book SACRED THRESHOLDS, where she relates her time as a therapist with Morrie Schwarz. (TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE). Morrie had ALS, and was slowly losing his ability to do all the things he had loved in this life. Paula walked with him through this journey, as he shared the stories and they re-lived them together, savoring and celebrating the joys, and then letting them go, one by one. This was what my sister-in-law was able to do. She was in the place she loved, remembering the special joys she had experienced there, and then by God’s grace being able to let them go. The reality of not being able to do what she thought she could was acknowledged and accepted, and she said she was blessed with peace as she realized this would be the last time she would spend being at the cabin solo like this. And it was ok, for the frustrations had been replaced by peace.

What a gift the Lord had given to her! As Paula writes in her book about Morrie, she had found the path of surrender to the grace of God. I think of my mom, the last time she came to the cabin. We walked all around the property, visiting the special spots which had been like home for her for over 60 summers. She said goodbye to each one, with gratitude in her heart for all the blessed memories, and ready to let them go and be passed on to the next generations. The words she wrote to the family about the property are a precious legacy –

“Each of us is responsible for our brief moment here on earth. All of us have a love for this small piece of God’s handiwork. May the future find that it has been nurtured and cared for during our lifetimes. All that we have is God’s alone. We are blessed to have each other with whom we can share it.” Please God that we may take these words to heart and live them!

Thank you Lord, for the path of surrender to Your grace! What a gift that has been modeled for our family! My I learn it well as I too am being called to savor the memories and experiences, and then to return them with deep gratitude to You, the source of all that has blessed me in this life…

89) Prison to Praise

What do I do when I fall into a funk? When I’m stuck in self-pity and feeling discouraged? When I want to run away, to hide in my room? Only remedy: sing praise to my God!

My friend Loretta introduced me to the book PRISON TO PRAISE by Merlin Carothers many years ago, and it’s offered an answer to my prayer for help again and again. “God inhabits the praises of His people,” (Ps 22:3), and where the Good God is, the enemy flees!

Here I am once more, feeling lost and confused, and down in the dumps. Thank You Lord, for reminding me of the antidote! I’ll sing Your Praises, and thank You for this situation just as it is, trusting that You know all about it! Nothing is ever a surprise for You, and You have a plan to follow in every circumstance, to bring good from every adversity. (Rom 8:28) I need to listen to You first, and not to trust in the world’s advice!

I’m reminded of Mom’s response when things got too overwhelming in caring for Dad with his Alzheimer’s. She would go into the bathroom, shut the door, and sing the Doxolgy loud and clear! “Praise God from Whom all Blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below! Praise Him above Ye Heavenly Host, praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!” This would renew her inner strength, and give her the grace to carry on with whatever needed to be done, knowing she was not alone, but rather accompanied by the Good God Who had been faithful to her all her life, even as she had been a faithful Christian all her life!

How grateful I am for the foundation of Faith in which I was formed as a child! There was never any doubt that God was Real, He loved me, and He would be with me in whatever circumstance I found myself. He’s with me now, in every question, every challenge. I don’t need to spend time speculating on the “what ifs,” but rather make an act of faith, of hope, and do the next best thing. For me today, it’s been to sit down and write this, to remind myself of Truth, and allow the Lord to re-set my attitude. I’ll move from “poor me” to Praise God!

Thank You Lord, for reminding me of Truth when I come to You for help. Reminding me to praise You in all circumstances, for Your Word tells me that You inhabit our praises, and where You are, evil cannot endure! May I always come to You quickly, in haste like Mary, and not linger in desolation. Jesus, I trust in You!

88) Real Presence in the Eucharist

The Eucharist began to really come alive for me when our son Stevie was in the second grade. His class at Sacred Heart was preparing to receive the Sacrament of First Communion, and would come to the celebration of Mass together to learn more about it. Because of some renovating going on in the main church, daily Mass was being held in the basement of the Center, and there usually weren’t too many people besides the second graders in attendance. As it was open to adults though, I attended to be with Stevie and his class.

On one occasion, Fr. Len hadn’t expected any adults to be present, but an older couple and myself came to the celebration. He hadn’t brought any Hosts from the tabernacle in church, as the second graders weren’t ready to receive yet. So at the conclusion of the liturgy, he said he would go over to the church and bring some Hosts for us adults. I didn’t know the older couple, and felt somewhat out of place; I had errands to run and things to do, so I thought I’d just leave and be on my way. It was snowing outside, so I was brushing the snow off my car when it occurred to me: if the Church teaches that Jesus Christ is truly present in the consecrated Host, what on earth am I doing walking away without receiving Him? Fr. Len had returned to the Center, so I went back in, but he thought I had left, and so had consumed the Host he had brought for me.

This really got me to thinking about what I believed.

I had recently read an article about faith, which had encouraged a doubter to just “act as if” what he professed was true, whether he felt like it or not. “Act as if.” If my faith tells me that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, how should that affect my life? Would I ever leave Mass without receiving Him? Would I be casual about the Blessed Sacrament?

I began to attend daily Mass as often as I could, and often reflected on how my life should look if I truly believed that the Lord of the Universe, the Author of Life, my Lord and my God was present and available to me each day. And as I prayed and read, the recognition grew that this awesome God wanted to come to me; He thirsted for souls to love and receive Him. More than just being “available,” He deeply desired union with us, His children.

The mystery of the Eucharist is so deep and multi-layered, I can only be amazed and incredibly grateful for the grace to believe that Jesus is truly present to us, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Blessed Sacrament. So often God has revealed a truth to me through our children, and often through Steve. The best thing I can do is pray, and the greatest prayer I can offer is the Mass…

Lord God, thank You for the incredible Gift of Yourself, offered to us at each Holy Mass. May we never take You for granted or neglect the opportunity to attend the sacred liturgy, keeping participation in the Mass at the center of our lives ~

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ********************************

While kayaking on the lake one summer day, I leaned on the side of my kayak and tipped over in the water. I had both my camera and my cell phone with me – the cell phone died, but the camera survived, altho it sometimes produced spots on the photos as if to remind me of my water adventure. The camera still worked pretty well most of the time, so I was using it to take some photos of the monstrance in order to promote Adoration in our parish of Sacred Heart. As I looked at the images, they were appearing with a big dot right above the monstrance, which looked just like a huge Host. I had seen dots appear before, but never like this one, and in such a perfect location. It seemed to me as if the Lord were magnifying His Presence in the Host, and the image has been a beautiful blessing for me. It’s not a photoshop trick – it’s a gift from God

We only had the tabernacle with Mary’s statue in this position for a short time before the tabernacle was moved to a position under the mosaic behind the altar – the “spot” wouldn’t have showed up there like it does on the brick wall. Perfect timing, perfect positioning… Lord God, thank You for this beautiful surprise and declaration of Your Presence in the Blessed Sacrament! May our hearts grow to welcome you and Your Presence be magnified in our lives ~

87) The Presence of God

While visiting with friends, I joined them for Sunday Mass. I don’t like to spend time critiquing a service, but rather to be grateful for the Mass, to give thanks and intercede for loved ones, to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament! I love to sing the hymns, and it was good to be there with those I love.

This day, however, I found myself grading everything – the pastor, the choir, the congregation – not what I want to be doing. The pastor was not a native and it was a real struggle to understand him, along with a sound system that wasn’t working correctly and was fluctuating between loud bursts and silence. The music leaders were difficult to hear, and tricky to follow. I was finding it challenging to enter in and be fully present to the liturgy, being distracted by what I was perceiving as a less than “quality” service. I’m ashamed to even admit it, as I recognize how uncharitable my attitude had become.

The moment came, however, when that all changed! It was at the time of consecration – the priest was saying the sacred words that changed the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ – and the atmosphere changed! God showed up! I could sense it in a very real and tangible way – His peace was there, His Presence permeated the room, and the liturgy became alive! I don’t know if others experienced this as I did, but it changed the entire service into a time of worship and gratitude, shifting my critical attitude back to one of thanksgiving and appreciation to be there! Praise God!

As I thought about this, it reminded me of other times when I had experienced God breaking through, and indeed changing the atmosphere. We used to have a small jail ministry that met monthly with the county prisoners, to offer them a time to gather and hear God’s Word. I clearly remember that almost without exception, about half way through our time together, God would show up! I would know this, and would let others know: God is here! He’s with us, and He wants us to know that He’s here! This seemed to usher in a time of grace, when the inmates became more open, and there were beautiful sharings of sacred moments in their lives.

It reminded me too of David Wilkerson’s book, THE CROSS AND THE SWITCHBLADE, about his calling to minister to the street gangs of New York. He would rent a space for a meeting, and would invite the gang members to attend. They were a very unruly bunch, to say the least, and his initial efforts to preach were met with loud interruptions and cat calls, and total disrespect. But then, something would happen! As he realized that his human efforts were ineffective, and of himself he could not control this crowd or succeed in sharing God’s Word, God Himself would show up! Not in the flesh of course, not that others could see Him, but He would make His Presence known. A hush would come over the room, the gang members would often find themselves in tears, and God would begin the work of changing hearts.

This is what I felt at that church service with my friends. It was as though a hush came over the congregation – you could hear a pin drop, and sense that something beautiful was happening in people’s hearts. We all left having been blessed and renewed, in God’s tender quiet way. I know in my mind that He is there with us always, but what a grace to truly know this in a deeper way that changes everything!

Lord God, thank You for Your Presence, with us always! Thank You that in unexpected and delightful ways You sometimes make that Presence known in a sensible fashion. Would that I may be open to recognize You at that time, to proclaim Your Presence and invite others in to receive Your Love and Mercy…

 Lord God, thank You for Your Presence, with us always! Thank You that in unexpected and delightful ways You sometimes make that Presence known in a sensible fashion.  Would that I may be open to recognize You at that time, to proclaim Your Presence and invite others in to receive Your Love and Mercy…

86) Sweet Hour of Prayer

How often the lyrics of a song come to mind with just the right words to bring hope and comfort when I need them! Or they may be words of peace and joy, of playfulness or mercy – not pre-meditated, but erupting spontaneously from the files in my memory bank. Many of them are hymns learned through the years, sprinkled among popular or folk music, contemporary praise and worship – so many blessed words!

What comes to mind today is a memory of a time of difficulty, many years ago, yet it remains so clear in my mind. The specific occasion of the trial eludes me, all I remember is driving aimlessly out in the country, fighting back tears and a deep sorrow from a relationship difficulty. In Ignatian terms, this would be a non-spiritual desolation, which could lead either to spiritual consolation, or spiritual desolation. Because the words of a hymn came to mind, the grace of spiritual consolation was given to prompt me to turn to God and receive His help to weather this current inner turbulence. The hymn is “Sweet Hour of Prayer,” written in 1845 by William Walford.

Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

How often I need the reminder of the graces that come from the consistent practice of a daily hour of prayer! Prayer that is grounded in Scripture, where the living Word of God has the power to transform and re-align my clouded vision to conform to God’s perspective in any situation! As I heard the words of the hymn in my mind, and struggled to sing them through my tears, His holy peace began to filter back into my spirit, and I regained His perspective on the current time of distress. He knew, He was with me, and He would help me through this!

Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting heart to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Even as I remember this moment from many years ago, it becomes present to me now to remind me of the gift of prayer, and to strengthen the peace that God has put in my heart. He bids me seek His face, believe His Word, and trust His grace! “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you,” is His Word from 1 Peter 5:7. With Your songs in my heart, may I keep singing now and into eternity!

Thank You Lord, for inspiring men and women through the ages to put the truths of Your Word to music! Thank you for their transforming power to change the spiritual atmosphere and restore Your peace where there is anxiety and discord. May I not neglect daily time in Your Word to honor You and to receive Your grace to live a life of blessing for others…

85) Poem – God is Here

Saturday May 31
Driving from Plymouth to Madison
Talking out loud to Jesus in the car
“Jesus, I want to KNOW You!”

And my words stopped
Trailing off
My heart was moved
And I had to stop speaking

Billboard on the side of the road
“God Is Here”
“Random” billboard
With words I needed to see

God’s Word to my heart
Assurance of His Love
Of His Presence
Of His Love

Over and over
All I need to do
Receive His Love
And give it back to others

How do I do that?
Receive His Love?
In Adoration
At Holy Mass

In His Word
In praise and worship
In letting myself be loved
By those in my life

By remembering God’s faithfulness
His care for me
All through my life
All through my life

So Thank You Lord praise You
For stopping me
Even as I spoke
I spoke the words out loud

I think You want me
To do that more often
To say it out loud
And know that You hear me

I love You Lord
I want to KNOW You!
To know You, Jesus
With all that is within me…

84) I See You

On a recent pilgrimage / retreat, we were matched with a fellow pilgrim, whose identity we wouldn’t know until the end of the journey. It was suggested that we hold that person in our hearts, and during one of the quiet times during the trip, ask God for a word or image that would be meaningful for them. I had received words and images from others in prayer ministry, and recognized the gift this can be, so happily set aside a quiet moment to receive this grace for my secret fellow pilgrim.

As I prayed, the image of someone standing under a white blossoming tree came to my mind, and the Scripture where Jesus sees Nathanael under a tree and recognizes him as someone in whom there is no guile. I felt the Lord was saying to this person, “I see you. I know you. I know what’s on your heart. Come close to Me.” To test this thought and image, I returned to the exercise several times before the end of the pilgrimage, and the image and words remained true, and clear.

At the end of the pilgrimage, we gathered together and discovered who our secret partner was. I didn’t know her, and had not interacted with her on the trip. We were instructed to share what the Lord had given us for this person, so I told her what I had seen and heard. When I began, telling her Jesus had seen her standing under a white blossoming tree, she was visibly moved! She explained that at home she had a lilac tree that every other year had displayed beautiful purple blossoms, but for an unknown reason, this year the blossoms were white!

The words of Jesus, “I see you. I know you. I know what’s on your heart. Come close to me,” along with the image that was so very personal, were a blessed gift from God for my partner! There was no possible way I could have known she had a tree like that; God in His love and tenderness wanted her to know that He sees her, He knows her, He knows what she carries in her heart, and He desires that she come closer to Him! How much the Lord wants us to know that He knows everything about us, that He cares, and He desires an intimate relationship with us!

As is always the case when the Lord gives us the gift of bringing a blessing to another, the image and the words blessed me as well. God’s Word is filled with assurances of His love and and care for us. Ps 139 comes to mind here: “I have probed you and I know you. I know when you sit and when you stand. Your journeys and your rest I scrutinize. With all your ways I am familiar…”. These words from Scripture bring peace to our hearts, and when coupled with an image that only God could know, they are a powerful witness to the truth of His personal knowledge of us.

The second part of this word was the story from John 1:47 where Jesus declares “here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no guile.” I looked up the word “guile” and found this definition for the spiritual meaning of guile: “to be free of deceit, cunning, hypocrisy or dishonesty in thought or deed.” Ps 32:2 says “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, in whose spirit is no deceit (guile).” My partner struck me as just this sort of soul, which added another dimension to the story. The Lord knows her heart, and wants her to know she is blessed by the Lord for her pure spirit.

Praise God for this little prayer exercise that brought blessing to us both, and to others I have shared it with. How we desire to be seen, to be known, and to be called into deeper intimacy with Him! I’ll remember it whenever I see a white blossoming tree!

Thank you Lord, for your gift of the Holy Spirit which puts into our minds a word or image to bring blessing to another. Grant us this gift of the Spirit that we may be agents of Your love and mercy to our brothers and sisters, drawing us both into a deeper intimacy with You…

83) It is Well

Our parish hosted a recent Day of Reflection focused on the theme “It is Well.” The theme corresponded to the beautiful hymn, “It is well with my soul,” written by Horatio Spafford in 1873. I was especially blessed with Fr Wratkowski’s reflections about just what it means “to be well.”

He began with the story of the writing of the hymn, a tale of deep faith in God in the midst of tragedy. Horatio and Anna Spafford had experienced financial disaster after the Great Chicago fire, but were now able to plan a trip to Europe to visit family and friends, and to celebrate Christmas in Paris. Horatio had to wait to finish some necessary business, but bid Anna and their four daughters bon voyage and Godspeed on the French steamer SS Ville de Havre.
Off the coast of Newfoundland their vessel collided with an English ship, the Loch Earn, ripping a huge hole in the hull, and causing so much damage that their ship sank within 20 minutes. Fr Wratkowski spoke of how before the ship sank, Anna gathered her children to pray, seeking God’s help. She prayed not only to be spared, but “for the grace to endure whatever might come.”

What came was the tragic loss by drowning of all four of their daughters, with Anna alone surviving. She was rescued by a life boat, and ten days later arrived in Cardiff, Wales, where she sent a telegram home to Horatio with the simple message “Saved Alone.”

He took passage on a ship to join her as soon as he could, traveling the same sea route where his children had perished. The captain of the ship called him when they came to the very spot where his daughters had drowned, and it was there that Horatio looked not down at the sea, but up to Heaven where he trusted his loved ones to be, and the words of the beautiful hymn, “It is well with my soul,” began to live in his heart.

He arrived and joined his grieving wife, and also met with their close friend, evangelist Dwight Moody. In relating their story to him, they were able in faith to say, “It is well. God’s will be done.” This phrase remained in Horatio’s heart, and was the kernel of grace that produced the words of the hymn. There’s much more to the story, and well worth reading, as from this tragedy the Spafford family’s life bore great fruit in service of God’s people.

There’s a beautiful YouTube presentation, with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the hymn, and a theatrical re-enactment of the story that includes “the rest of the story.”

There are so many hymns that we’ve come to know and love. How much more this one means to me now that I’ve heard the story behind it’s composition. I return again to one of my favorite Scriptures, Romans 8:28. “All things works together for good, for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” Praise God for His Word, for HIs Promises, and for the grace to endure whatever may come, knowing that nothing is outside of His Providence.

Thank You Lord, for the beautiful witness of faith that has been handed down to us throughout the centuries, and inspires us to trust You in all circumstances. Help me to remain close to You always, and know that indeed, it is well with my soul…

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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.
Refrain: 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 hath regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
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!
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.
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! Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when the 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.