Posted 9-5-19
I realize we have covered this song a little in past episodes of Digital Cornbread, but I cannot finish a decent list that covers defeating the billows of dementia without this wonderful hymn. “It Is Well With My Soul” was written by an imperfect man (like us all), a lawyer named Horatio Gates Spafford (1828-1888). Here are the lyrics and my favorite version of the song:
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/341
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well with my soul!”
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 His 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 dark hours about me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
This story was penned in one sitting as Horatio sailed to meet his wife in Europe. She had left a short time before to visit Europe with their daughters when tragedy struck and her ship collided with another ship and sunk. Their daughters were all killed and Mrs. Spafford was barely rescued while clinging to wreckage. According to historical accounts, this family was quite familiar with the sea billows of tragedy as “(T)heir young son died with pneumonia in 1871, and in that same year, much of their business was lost in the great Chicago fire. Yet, God in His mercy and kindness allowed the business to flourish once more.” They also lost another child later in their marriage. Regardless of Mr. Spafford’s later spiritual journey, God has used this hymn as a salve to help millions of people over nearly 200 years.
One of the keys of the Christian life is what could be called “preaching the Gospel to yourself”. This idea has been called various things for centuries, but the idea remains the same. When times are good…or great, think of the Gospel, and rejoice. When times really stink, like now as I watch mom rapidly declining, think of the Gospel, and rejoice of better times ahead. Know that “It is Well With (Your) Soul”, believer, and let that fact heal your soul. The Gospel is the power of God to Salvation. Being made alive and through understanding and clinging to the Gospel story, if you will, is how we become a Christian. But it is also a primary means that God’s Holy Spirit uses to give us peace through life’s billows. It undergirds good times (reminding us of His love and kindness/grace) and, understood correctly, takes the sting out of bad news (Read 1 Cor 15). See, while I am already grieving the loss of my mom (early) as a down-payment for later grief when she is actually gone (?), the sting of her passing is quite limited in scope, if you will, to wanting her passing to be pain-free, and missing her and her memories. And even that sting is temporary as someday I will rejoin her for eternity of eternities in heaven. I am at peace for where she is even though I feel super sadness and compassion for her. There is a peace of God that we cannot explain without this fact and that we cling to regardless of the billow.
So, keep your head up, caregiver. Keep your head up, brother or sister who just lost a loved one to this stinkin’ disease. Keep your head up, brother or sister with the disease. Think of the Gospel and what He has already done for you/me.
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
Don’t panic. Don’t let the devil steal your joy and start accusing you anew of past, forgiven, forgotten sin. All of it is gone. Even the terrible person I was at times in high school…gone. Forgiven. Nailed to the Tree. Think of the Gospel.
My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought—
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to His Cross, and I bear it no more;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Keep your eyes fixed on the author and finisher/perfecter of your faith: Jesus, and remember the Gospel through all He has done.
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live;
If dark hours about me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
Billows schmillows. With the Gospel, we can handle anything and someday we will have everything.
Update: Mom seemed to be pretty good yesterday. They let her sleep waaaaay too long and was late getting her to the table to eat. Her sore issues seem to be healing up although the hospice nurse will soon fill me in in detail. The facility is, as always, dreadfully short-handed. 🙁 This is very frustrating because it diminishes the speed and quality of care giving and it hurts the morale of those who are still there working their hearts out for these folks. There is such a demand! If you have a high school student looking for a career path that is rewarding, pays well (eventually) as you learn and grow in your career, and uses different means of educating them, please have them consider nursing. Mom, the Sweet 17, and a million other seniors need them.
#EndALZ
