It Is Well With My Soul
(Original lyrics)[1]
(Original lyrics)[1]
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know,a
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
In the latter part of the 1800's Mr. Spafford was a very successful Chicago lawyer. He invested heavily in real estate and met financial ruin due to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. After some recovery, he was once again hit by the economic downturn of 1875. He had planned a trip to Europe for he and his family, but decided to stay back at the last minute to deal with zoning issues that had arisen after the Chicago fire. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship that his wife and four daughters were on collided with another ship and sank. Only his wife was saved. He quickly boarded a ship to meet his grieving wife. While at sea, the captain came to Mr. Spafford and told him when they were crossing the point where the two ships had collided and where his four daughters had been lost. It was at that moment that he pulled out a pen and paper and wrote the lyrics to, "It is Well With My Soul."
The Spaffords went on to have three more children. Their only son died at the age of four with scarlet fever. A few years later, the Spaffords decided to move to Jerusalem where they helped to form The American Colony whose mission was to serve the poor. Their philanthropic work focused on helping the poor with no regard for religious affiliation. The colony became the subject of the Nobel Prize winning book Jerusalem. The story was inspired by a visit that the author had with the Spaffords. The charitable work begun by the Spaffords continues today in the original Colony house. The Spafford Children's Center provides medical treatment and outreach programs for Arab children and their families.
