In the dimming light of a November evening in 1873, successful Chicago lawyer and businessman Horatio Spafford bid farewell to his wife Anna and their four precious daughters. They were bound for Europe aboard the SS Ville du Havre, while business matters delayed his own departure. The separation was meant to be brief — a temporary parting before reuniting for a family holiday. Nobody could have foreseen the tragic events that would unfold upon those vast Atlantic waters.
Thirteen days into their voyage, in the deep of night, their ship collided with an iron-hulled vessel. The impact was catastrophic, and within minutes, the mighty ship began to sink into the cold, dark waters. In the chaos and confusion that followed, Anna Spafford found herself clinging to a piece of floating wreckage, her children nowhere in sight. When rescued hours later, she would learn the devastating truth — all four of their daughters, Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta, had been lost.
Upon arriving in Cardiff, Wales, Anna sent a telegram to Horatio that bore just two words: “Saved alone.” With these crushing words, his world changed forever. Yet in the midst of this unfathomable loss, Horatio chose to embark on a journey that would lead him through the very waters that had claimed his children’s lives. As his ship passed over the spot where his daughters had perished, something remarkable stirred within his grief-stricken heart.
In that moment, surrounded by the same vast ocean that had taken his daughters, Horatio Spafford picked up his pen. From the depths of his anguish flowed words that would touch countless hearts across generations:
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.
These words, born from the crucible of personal tragedy, would become one of the most beloved hymns of faith, helping us understand that peace isn’t the absence of suffering, but the presence of God in the midst of our pain.
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18
SPIRITUAL THOUGHT
Some of us have experienced tremendous loss this past year. Yet even our deepest pain can become a wellspring of hope for others. When faced with incomprehensible loss, Horatio chose to anchor himself in the unchanging character of God rather than the changing circumstances of his life. His story challenges us to find peace not in understanding why we suffer, but in knowing Who holds us through our suffering. Even today, his timeless words continue to guide countless souls through their own dark nights of despair.
MY PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your presence that brings peace even in life’s fiercest storms. Though we walk through valleys of deep darkness in this world, we thank You for the promise that this is not our final destination. You are preparing an eternal home where we will dwell with You forever, where every tear will be wiped away, where death and mourning shall be no more. Help us trust You even when we can’t see Your hand at work, and give us the strength to declare that, with You by our side, it is well with our souls. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
