It is well!

The moment is burned into my heart and memory forever...
I was 26 weeks pregnant with our fourth child.
I was wearing a simple knee length black dress and I was sitting in the front row between my two favorite men:
Dad and my Beloved.
In front of us was a coffin.
A lovely, mahogany coffin draped with a vibrant spray of colorful flowers.

As the finality and frailty of life washed over me, the pianist approached the piano and began to quietly play an ancient hymn, one that I had chosen.
It was the first time I had been in a church building for more than 6 weeks due to intense bed rest that kept me housebound and bed ridden.
As the music began to play and the voices began to sing along,
there were no words coming from my mouth.
I just sat with my hands raised to heaven
and allowed the beautiful truth to wash over my spirit and
speak peace to the pain that had taken residence there.

There have been and will continue to be moments in this temporal existence
in which there are no words to say.
It is often in those moments when the Spirit speaks the loudest. For me, it has often been through music.

I heard this song yet again today and it makes me cry every time.
Not out of sorrow, but out of relief.
I do not have to walk this road alone or bear it's burdens alone.
The heaviest burden of all--my sin and unrighteousness--has been relieved and I bear it no more.

What ever road you are walking this day,
I pray that you too will lift your hands to heaven
as a sacrifice of praise
and that your heart will echo the words to an almighty, all knowing and ever loving God:
"it is well, it is well, with my soul."


<><tce