Horatio Spafford was a lawyer and Presbyterian who lived in Chicago, America. His wife Anna was Norwegian born, and together they had a large family. However tragedy struck when they lost several of their children. Spafford refused to give into self-pity after the loss of his four children at sea, and later his young son to fever. Spafford chose to keep faith and hope.
Spafford is most known for lyrics he wrote for the hymn called “It Is Well With My Soul”. It is said that Spafford wrote the lyrics to that hymn, at the time that he was in a boat, crossing the very waters where his deceased children had perished. There is a lovely video that tells the story of Spafford, and at 7.35mins into the video, you can listen to the Tabernacle choir singing the hymn “It Is Well with My Soul”.
The morale of this story, for Horatio and his wife Anna, is to “continue with the seed of service” and regardless of how awful and terrible things get, never give up. “The human spirit can rise above tragedy …. God’s love does shine in the darkness …. hope does heal the wounded soul”.
Later in life, the Spafford’s emigrated to Jerusalem to live, and they devoted the remainder of their years to charity work. And their work continues on today.
Video source: https://www.pbs.org/video/it-well-my-soul-8dzfrb/ (Accessed 24.05.21).
References:-
When Peace, Like a River | Hymnary.org http://www.hymnary.org/text/when_peace_like_a_river_attendeth_my_way
Family Tragedy – The American Colony in Jerusalem | Exhibitions – Library of Congress (loc.gov) http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/americancolony/amcolony-family.html
History – Spafford children’s center (spaffordcenter.org) http://www.spaffordcenter.org/about-us/history/
Video of Tabernacle Choir Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir | It Is Well with My Soul | Season 2018 | PBS http://www.pbs.org/video/it-well-my-soul-8dzfrb/
Accessed 24.05.21 at 20.25pm.
Alice Letts 