Worship in the midst of loss
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
The story behind this well-known hymn is well known, but worth recounting – it never fails to move me.
Written by Horatio Spafford, the hymn was written after two major traumas in his life. First the great Chicago fire of October 1871 ruined him financially. Shortly after, while crossing the Atlantic, all four of Spafford's daughters died in a collision with another ship. Spafford's wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram< 'Saved alone.' Several weeks later, as Spafford's own ship passed near the spot where his daughters died, he wrote those incredible words. He worshipped at the place of utter loss.
Hannah did something similar – we shouldn’t assume that she ever got used to not having her much-loved firstborn around. She thought about him constantly and no doubt questioned her own actions at times. But her incredible song of praise reminds us that heroes don’t always “win” in the conventional sense – but they are able to find hope and strength in worship in their moments of greatest desolation. Worship is not an escape from reality, but an expression of faith and trust in the midst of the harshest realities.
With Hannah, there’s a wonderful postscript. By her unselfish, sacrificial actions – she gave Israel one of the most effective, godly men in history. And there were more surprises in store for Hannah – in the form of five more children. Her story ends happily; not all do: but the call to worship however life turns out remains.