“It Is Well With My Soul” (Horadio Spafford 1873)
by Pamela Harr
8.5 x 6.5 x 6 $950
Horatio G. Spafford a Christian activist, devout family man and prominent American lawyer lost nearly everything in the 1871 Great Chicago Fire. Soon after his 4 year old son died of Scarlet Fever. In 1873 he and his wife Anna and four daughters planned a trip to Europe. He was delayed but sent his family on ahead planning to join them in a few days. On November 22, 1873 their ship the S. S. Ville du Havre was struck by a British iron sailing ship off the coast of Newfoundland and sank in 12 minutes. Anna survived but their four young daughters Annie 11, Maggie 9, Bessie 7 and Tanetta 2 drowned. A few days later his wife sent the heartbreaking telegraph message: “Saved Alone. What Shall I Do . . .” Horatio immediately followed and asked the captain to notify him when they passed the spot where the ship went down. When the captain told him they were nearing the area Horatio went to his cabin and near the scene of his daughter’s deaths he penned these magnificent and moving words expressing his unfaltering faith in God. These words were later put to music by his friend Philip Bliss and have become one of the most loved Christian hymns. With God’s help the Spaffords picked up their broken lives. They pioneered the Spafford Children’s Center in East Jerusalem and the West Bank which still cares for more than 30,000 children each year. To hear the music and story refer to YouTube – It Is Well With (the story behind the famous hymn by colinbattersby)