it is well...

God's love pouring over our lives wakes us up to a more flavorful life than we ever could have imagined...in Him, we understand the full essence of who we are...we find at last our true identity as deeply loved children...how we have longed for that all our lives, and we taste it in relationship with God...in Him, our sorrows are not wasted...as we submit to suffering as a path to real life...He pours His love over it...it is a process...and it all takes place in Him...

every step in the process is important...

one of my favorite hymns is "it is well with my soul"...this song was born out of great loss...which makes it what it is...authentic and beautiful...

1st verse
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."

2nd verse
though satan should buffet, tho' trials should come
let this blest assurance control
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate
and hath shed His own blood for my soul.

now we are getting somewhere...trials, surrender, it's all here...powerful lyrics...

3rd verse
my sin - o the bliss of this glorious thought
my sin - not in part but the whole
is nailed to the cross and i bear it no more
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul!

yes, there is an exclamation point in the hymnal...incredible verse...incredible hymn...

the last verse
and, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll
the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend
even so - it is well with my soul.

when i look over these verses...there is an order to them...just like the process in our lives...
if you look at verses 3 and 4...you can't haste the day until you nail the sin! it will not be well with our soul if our sin, not in part but the whole, doesn't get nailed to the cross...if it doesn't get nailed, then we still bear it...and no one will be praising the Lord, much less hastening the day...

the last verse really is wonderful...but it has to be in order...

so it is with the journey of our life...starting with every piece of us...all that is lovely, all that is hideous, all that is sinful, and all that is beautiful...we surrender it to God...we allow the hard things we go through to make us better rather than bitter...

God pours His love over us...and we are changed...