It isn't well with my soul

Suffering. It's a fact of life. Everyone will go through it at some point or another. The main reason we go through it is because we weren't created for death. God breathed his very life into us so that we could thus enjoy his creation. We weren't created for sorrow or tough times either. That wasn't God's intention when he created us.

Recently, there has been a lot of suffering going on in several of the facets of my life. This year, I've known several people who died from cancer. I also know several more people diagnosed with cancer. And I know several who have continued their journeys through cancer. One is a seven year old boy with a twin brother and two young sisters. Another is a twenty something lady. I also know of several friends who have recently lost their jobs.

This really hit home this lenten season when our seminary president's wife found out her cancer had returned. Our seminary community was devastated. Today our president preached his final chapel service at NTS as president for he and his wife will be moving to California to be near to family during this time of what will probably be her last days on earth. She was there today to listen to her husband preach. As we began to sing, I couldn't look over at her and at the same time sing the lyrics to a him proclaiming that was fine with my soul. Yet, at the same time I was deeply moved by it.

The reason was because she and her husband could sing those two hymns. They knew that whatever their lot, God had taught them to say, it is well with their soul.

In moments of pain and moments of sorrow, we aren't ever promised that things will be easy. Our lots in this journey through life can be down right miserable. But the fact is that we have a God who journeys with us through those moments of infirmity or destruction. I don't understand why, and I am still learning to say it is well with my soul. But today, I was moved by two people who can firmly say in the face of sorrow that it is well with their soul.