It is well with my soul

I've had some thoughts running through my head for the last few months about peace and hope.  In August I was listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir broadcast on a Sunday morning and I heard this song: (click to hear it) 

It is Well With My Soul - Music and the Spoken Word

I don't think I had ever heard this particular hymn, and it speaks right to my soul. I have listened to it on repeat ever since.

I love the words, although my favorite by far is listening to it:

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.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well
With my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul

My take away from this? No matter what, Christ overcame all. So I can have peace, no matter the circumstances of my life. What an amazing blessing this is. 

Two days ago I had a remarkable experience. I was able to meet for a few hours with a woman in my neighborhood named Therese who lived through the Nazi occupation of Hungary and endured unimaginable hardships during and after WWII. She is from a Hungarian Catholic family, and she watched her Jewish friends taken away by the SS Guards. She recounted to our small group the fear, hunger, and uncertainty she and her parents endured daily for 7 years as they were refugees across Europe in order to avoid abuse by German and Russian soldiers. Her story is riveting and true, and would make an amazing movie. Therese and her parents (and twin siblings, born right after the firebombing in Dresden) escaped Europe through a series of miracles and settled in the United States. While their days of starvation were over, her life continued to be hard as she married a very abusive man and continued to suffer incredibly. Eventually, she divorced, remarried a wonderful man, and they happily raised their combined household of 11 children. Therese's husband died last year.

It was a truly spiritual experience to hear Therese talk about her life. Not only was her story compelling and a fascinating glimpse into the history of World War II, but she felt strongly that we understand her message. She said that everything in her life is evidence of the love of God for her. That she was sustained and saved so  many times through miraculous means. She ended her talk with us with tears in her eyes, imploring us to remember to have hope. "Without hope," she said, "we are nothing. Our hard times are just part of the journey. And our hope and our help can only come through God and His Son, Christ Jesus."  

I am so grateful for the chance to know Therese and to understand better the remarkable events in her life. She was a true example that trials can harden us or they can soften us and turn us to the Savior. 

And I am so grateful for yet another reminder that life, despite its many hardships, is a journey, and "Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul."