Just Some thoughts from Suz...

Hello loved ones,

Tonight at church I was really touched by a particular story so I thought I would share it with everyone I care about. Some of you may already know this story about Horatio Spafford. But to give you a little background, our pastor was talking about Abraham and his great faith. He talked about how God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son. Abraham didn't hesitate, they got up early the next morning and they headed on their way. Ultimately, God did not allow Abraham to sacrifice his son. But, Abraham demonstrated amazing faith by doing everything God asked of him. Our pastor went on to talk about loving the giver more than the gift. God has been teaching me a lot about this lately. I know God has truly blessed me. But, I want to praise and worship Christ even if everything I value is taken away from me. I pray I will praise, love, and find joy in Christ because of who He is not because of what he gives me. I worship Christ because he took my sin and died on the cross for me. Then our pastor told us the following story and I had to fight back the tears.

In the 1870s Horatio Spafford was a successful Chicago lawyer and a close friend of evangelist Dwight L. Moody. Spafford had invested heavily in real estate, but the Chicago fire of 1871 wiped out his holdings. His son had died shortly before the disaster as well.
Spafford and his family desperately needed a rest so in 1873 he planned a trip to Europe with his wife and four daughters. Last minute business caused Spafford to delay his departure, but he sent his wife and four daughters on the S.S. Ville Du Havre as scheduled, promising to follow in a few days. On November 22 the ship was struck by the English ship Lochearn, and it sank in twelve minutes. Several days later the survivors landed at Cardiff, Wales, and Mrs. Spafford cabled her husband the brief message, "Saved alone."

When Horatio Spafford made the ocean crossing to meet his grieving wife, he sailed near the place where his four daughters had sunk to the ocean depths. There, in the midst of his sorrow, he wrote these unforgettable words that have brought solace to so many in grief. The hymn refers to Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

The words of Spafford's beloved hymn follow:

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." It is well with my soul It is well, it is well with my soul.
Thou Satan should buffet, tho' trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul. It is well with my soul It is well, it is well with my soul.
My sin... O, the bliss of this glorious thought, 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! It is well with my soul It is well, it is well with my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when the 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.
I felt so unworthy to sing this beautiful song. Just trying to realize the feelings and emotions he must have felt. He lost his only son and his four daughters. He was in the midsts of a very tragic time but he still praises God for taking on his sin and dying for him. I have gone through difficult times but nothing that compares to this. I just pray that if I ever experience tragedy like this I can say, "It is well, it is well with my soul."

Love you all very much,
Suz