How Is Your Soul Doing?
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.
We are all quite familiar with the story behind this song when Horatio Spafford penned the words to this hymn. He had lost everything that was important in his life—his family and business—but not his faith. He was still able to find peace.
Can we find peace in turbulent waters? There are times that I can, and times when it is a pipe dream. However, I put on a brave, smiling face and tell everyone who asks, “How are you?” that I am fine. I know I’m not but I don’t want anyone to think that all my little ducks are not in a straight, neat line. Most of the time now, I don’t even know where they are or what they’re doing.
Recently we had a visiting pastor deliver a message that rocked my boat! “How Is Your Soul Today?” was the title. She caught my attention because I do not want to tell anyone that my soul has a foul odor, or that I am in a black hole. Yes, I’m almost 74 years old and I still have moments/days/weeks of hiding out in my fox-hole. It’s not necessarily in a pity-party mode, but shutting out the world while I try to find my little ducks, line them up again, and make sense of my circumstances.
In my fox hole, I am never alone. I know that His presence is near. You ask, “Do I talk with Him?” Of course, constantly it seems. But some healings just take longer than others. Here in lies the rub! I try to shoulder everything on my own and I even block out my closest friends who love me the most. I don’t want them to know I’m struggling. Truth is they already know that my soul is sick because I stop socializing.
Perhaps the best way of finding this peace would be to talk to my dear, trusted friends and let them know the condition of my soul before I enter the fox hole. Reviewing the Spafford story brings me hope. As I emerge from my time-out, maybe my friends should just board up the entrance to the fox den.
God has given me faith to move mountains. Let me shout, “It is well with my soul!”
Loving Lord, thank You for loving us back when we get lost in the world. Please teach us to turn to You for healing when our soul gets a little musty. AMEN.