The beloved hymn, “It Is Well with My Soul,” has brought deep comfort and hope to grieving hearts—yet it was born out of unimaginable loss.
Its author, Horatio G. Spafford, was a successful Chicago lawyer and businessman with a devoted wife, Anna, and five children. Yet profound tragedy marked his life.
In 1871, Spafford’s four-year-old son died of pneumonia. That same year, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed much of the city, including property owned by Spafford, leaving him financially devastated. A committed Christian, Spafford planned to travel to England with his family in 1873 to assist with evangelism led by D. L. Moody.
Before departure, business delayed Spafford in Chicago, and he sent Anna and their four daughters ahead aboard the SS Ville du Havre. On November 21, 1873, tragedy struck again. The ship collided with another vessel and sank in the Atlantic. All four daughters were lost. Anna survived and later sent her husband a devastating telegram: “Saved alone.”
Spafford boarded the next ship to join his grieving wife. As the vessel crossed the Atlantic, the captain quietly informed him they were passing near the place where his daughters had perished. It was there, in the midst of deep sorrow, that Spafford penned words of faith that still echo today:
“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.”
Most of us will never face loss on the scale Horatio Spafford endured, yet we all experience pain when peace feels distant, and sorrow comes in waves. The story behind “It Is Well with My Soul” reminds us that faith does not deny pain—it gives voice to hope right in the middle of it.
~ Kristine Morgan
Christ Fellowship