"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."
Few phrases in the history of Christian faith carry the weight of these words. It is well with my soul. They have been sung in churches for over 150 years, whispered in hospital rooms, declared through tears at gravesides, and held onto in the darkest nights of the soul. They are not words of denial — they are words of defiant, anchored, unshakeable faith.
The Story Behind the Hymn
The hymn It Is Well With My Soul was written in 1873 by Horatio Spafford — a successful Chicago lawyer and businessman who had already endured devastating loss. In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire wiped out his real estate investments. Two years later, he sent his wife and four daughters ahead of him on a ship to Europe while he stayed behind to handle business.
The ship, the Ville du Havre, collided with another vessel in the Atlantic Ocean. It sank in just 12 minutes. All four of Horatio's daughters — Annie, Maggie, Bessie, and Tanetta — perished. His wife Anna survived, clinging to wreckage until she was rescued. She sent him a telegram with two devastating words: Saved alone.
Horatio immediately boarded a ship to be with his wife. As the ship passed near the area where his daughters had drowned, the captain informed him. It was there — in the middle of the ocean, over the watery grave of his children — that Horatio Spafford wrote the words: It is well with my soul.
This was not a man who had not suffered. This was a man who had suffered everything — and chose to anchor his soul in God anyway.
Why These Words Still Matter
The power of this hymn is not that it pretends pain does not exist. It is that it declares God's goodness in the middle of pain. Horatio did not write "everything is fine." He wrote "whatever my lot" — acknowledging the reality of his circumstances — and then declared "it is well."
That is the kind of faith that moves mountains. Not faith that denies the storm, but faith that stands in the storm and says: God is still God. He is still good. And my soul is anchored in Him.
Declaring "It Is Well" Over Your Life
There is power in declaration. When you speak truth over your circumstances — even when your emotions do not yet agree — you are aligning your spirit with God's reality rather than your temporary situation. You are choosing faith over fear. You are choosing God's perspective over your own limited view.
This is why so many believers choose to surround themselves with these words. A home filled with the declaration It is well is a home that has chosen to anchor itself in God's faithfulness regardless of what comes.
Our It Is Well With My Soul Blanket carries this powerful declaration in stunning, full-color artwork. It is one of our most meaningful pieces — chosen by believers walking through grief, illness, uncertainty, and loss. Wrapped around your shoulders during prayer, draped over your sofa as a daily reminder, or given as a gift to someone walking through a hard season, it speaks truth into every moment it touches.
A Legacy of Faith
Horatio and Anna Spafford went on to have more children after their tragedy. They eventually moved to Jerusalem, where they founded the American Colony — a community dedicated to serving the poor and suffering of the city. Their faith did not crumble under the weight of loss. It deepened. It expanded. It became a legacy that blessed thousands.
That is what happens when a soul is truly anchored in God. The storms come — and they will come — but they do not destroy. They deepen. They refine. And in the end, they become the very testimony that points others to the faithfulness of God.
Whatever you are walking through today — may you find the grace to say: It is well with my soul.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." — Philippians 4:7