"Prepare for the Worst; Pray for the Best"

Those are words we've continued to hear during the anticipation and preparation for Hurricane Irma as it "barrels toward Florida". At 6:30 am, Florida time, I'm watching Fox News and I'm thankful to hear "we're praying" over and over. So many people huddled up in their homes, storm shelters, packed airports with all flights grounded, and many evacuated to safer places. Dear God, we pray for all those who don't know what today or tomorrow holds. May they call out to You, Who knows, for mercy and strength and may "It Be Well With Their Souls".

"It Is Well With My Soul" is a hymn written by Haratio Spafford, that I've sung during some of my own darkest hours. It tells me through my tears, God is the only ONE that sees the beginning from the end and that I must stand, though the pain seems unbearable. I know God will somehow make a blessing come out of any tragedy I might find myself in because out of the ashes and pain, I can say “Even so, it is well with my soul.”

Spafford a successful lawyer and businessman in Chicago with a loving family — a wife, Anna, and five children, were no strangers to tears and tragedy. Their young son died from pneumonia in 1871, and in that same year, much of their business was lost in the great Chicago fire. Yet, in God's mercy, the business flourished.

On Nov. 21, 1873, the French ocean liner, Ville du Havre, was crossing the Atlantic from the U.S. to Europe with 313 passengers on board. Among the passengers were Mrs. Spafford (Anna) and their four daughters. Haratio would be joining his family a few days later. Four days into the crossing of the Atlantic, the ship collided with a powerful, iron-hulled Scottish ship. Anna hurriedly brought her four children to the deck. She knelt there with them and prayed that God would spare them if that could be His will, or to make them willing to endure whatever awaited them. Within approximately 12 minutes, the ship slipped beneath the dark waters of the Atlantic, carrying with it 226 of the passengers, including the four Spafford children.

A sailor, rowing a small boat over the spot where the ship went down, spotted Anna floating on a piece of the wreckage. He pulled her into the boat and they were picked up by another large vessel which, nine days later, landed them in Cardiff, Wales. From there she wired her husband a message which began, “Saved alone, what shall I do?” Horatio booked passage on the next available ship and sailed to join his grieving wife. With the ship about four days out, the captain called Spafford to his cabin and told him they were over the place where his children went down.

According to Bertha Spafford Vester, a daughter born later after the tragedy, Spafford wrote this anthem ,“It Is Well With My Soul”, while on this journey. Can you imagine the broken heart of a loving father who found his solace and comfort in God and was able to pen it so that you and I can rise out of our darkest hours to sing along with him, "It is well with my soul."

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.
Chorus:
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul

PSALM 46:1-2 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea."

We’ve heard the quote “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” Tragedy can strike when we least expect it. Some crumble during suffering while others triumph over tragedy. Somehow they become better, not bitter; they rise to the occasion of hope and faith and without question, they recover much faster than others.

We’ve heard the quote “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” I'm praying for tough people this morning and I pray they triumph over whatever comes their way today. Oh how I pray that during these difficult times, God will draw especially close to them. May these experiences with our all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful Heavenly Father, teach us all that nothing is worth more than our relationship with Him. May God’s nearness be the most precious thing to them. Spafford knew this -- he knew soul-wellness—even in the midst of heartbreak. I pray that Floridians and all who face a crisis today come to know that Christ is WITH them and strengthens them. We we all sing the anthem of “It is Well With My Soul” today.

Get Close to Me!

When my two youngest grandsons were younger, they slept together (sometimes they still do that). I was the Nana-in-charge because Mom and Dad were away and in order to get two very frisky, full-of-life boys to power down, I had to come up with a strategic plan-of-action. Pillow fights, jumping on the bed like it was a trampoline, and incessant requests for water or some other vice they needed, paled in comparison to Nana’s “Super Brennan and Super Bryson” stories. That was my brilliant strategy – “If you don’t calm down, there will be no Super Brennan/Super Bryson story tonight.” It worked every time. I’d like to think they went right to sleep afterwards, but my Strategy #2 was to squeeze right between them in bed (great way to build a wall to keep them away from each other). Hey, President Trump, I may have a plan for you. LOL!

BTW – Super Brennan and Super Bryson stories were about two boys who had super powers because of their super backpacks that ALWAYS had the tools needed to help save the day for animals or people in distress! Bryson still asks me for one of those stories and I'll admit, the pressure is on to come up with something new and amazing each time.

Here’s the point I’m making with today’s blog, however. With all their shenanigans, they still wanted to make room for Nana. You know that I ate it up. They wanted me close, and I wanted to be close to them!

I remember, with my own children, and all of the grandchildren, getting so close to them all when they had a bad dream, weren’t feeling well, or were just simply restless and couldn’t sleep. My presence gave them comfort.

And, like those precious little ones, I often find myself in life situations that feel like a bad dream. I might be uncomfortable or even in physical pain. Then, I recall “The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth”. Psalm 145:18. And, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”. Psalm 46:1.

I’d like to tell you I ALWAYS call upon Him immediately, but I have to admit many times I settle for the tossing and turning and letting crazy thoughts bombard my peace. I know what to do. I simply need to reach out for His presence that is available to me -- any time and any where. I love that my grandsons wanted me close, and even that they were willing to make room for me to do so. They’d calm down because of my presence.

And, even more so, our Lord wants us to make room for Him. James 4:8: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
Daily I’ve come to realize making room for God by welcoming Him into the moments of my day is the most important thing I can do to stay calm, peaceful and out of stress. I actually create space in my day to talk to Him and read His Word. Like with my grandchildren, I think He also strategizes to get me settled down. He continually beckons me to sit still, to move over, to listen to HIS super heroes of faith stories. I make room for more of God’s presence when I honor Him in my actions and attitudes and “move over” by submitting my will to His. And I do this because I know that God’s presence is always available to me.

When we are in His presence, we can experience joy that safety and security in Him brings. His presence helps us experience His peace, regardless of circumstances surrounding our lives. God’s presence can bring us to a place of calm, comfort, confidence and rest. We just have to scoot over and make room for Him to cozy up to us. His presence really does makes a difference.