Spafford and his wife had a consistent history of acting on their faith. After the great Chicago fire of 1871, they devoted countless hours to helping the survivors. In 1881, they moved to Jerusalem (taking two daughters born after the shipwreck tragedy) and helped found a group called the American Colony; its mission was to serve the poor. The colony later became the subject of the Nobel prize winning Jerusalem, by Swedish novelist Selma Lagerlöf.

His well-known hymn, It Is Well With My Soul, was written after two major traumas in Spafford’s life. The first was the great Chicago Fire of October 1871, which ruined him financially (he had been a wealthy businessman). 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, the Holy Spirit inspired the words of the hymn. They speak to the eternal hope that all believers have, no matter what pain and grief befall them on earth.

It Is Well With My Soul

Source: www.cyberhymnal.org - no indication of copyrighted material. Edited from the original text by adding the descriptive text for the hymn, from the same source.

JESUS IS the Bridge Ministries

Horatio Gates Spafford