Above the piano in our house is a large wood sign with the phrase, “it is well with my soul” on it. Kimberly and I purchased it during a season of our life together where we were not completely sure what the future had in store for our little family. Since then, the sign has been displayed in three different houses in three different states. Across from that sign, Kimberly and I have sat without knowing how we were going to pay the bills. We have sat across from that sign and mourned the loss of family members and close friends. We have sat across from that sign individually as the other was in the hospital with one of our children who was ill. In some of the most desperate and concerning moments of our life together, within our line of sight was a reminder of the faith in God as provider and sustainer that we committed to have when we obeyed the Gospel.
As Paul writes with desperation and love to the Philippians, he says to them, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
As we deal with and respond to the turbulence of the world, we may feel unsteady and uncertain. We may feel lost. We may feel alone. We may feel betrayed or belittled. We may feel broken. But through a recognition and reminding of our faith, found in a reading of scripture and the renewal of prayer, we can say with confidence in the midst of chaos, “it is well with my soul.”