It is well with my soul

Man it has been a rough week for me personally.

As many of you know, my mother has Alzheimer’s disease and this week has been a record setting week for phone calls from the nursing home. 

Think of it as getting calls from the principal’s office about your child misbehaving.

This is a terrible disease.  I can’t imagine what it would be like to go through every minute of every day confused.  It is hard on the family too because in many cases the patient becomes verbally or physically abusive, non-compliant and just difficult to be around.  Everyone tells me that it is not her, it is the disease, but that does not make it any easier for my heart.

As all of you know, my youngest son will be leaving for the Army on Monday morning. Oh goodness. . .  proud mommy, scared mommy, sad mommy. 

I warned him last week that I would probably be crying at least once a day this week. 

I have followed through on that promise.

Most of you also know that I work with a non-profit organization that fosters cats and kittens. We take them in, socialize them and love them, get them “snipped & chipped”, then find homes for them.  I have had 67 foster kittens through my home since I joined the group in September 2014. Yes, it is hard to let them go to their new families after loving on them for weeks, especially the ones that are born at my house or the ones that I bottle fed, but it is a good feeling knowing that I made a difference in their lives. What is harder is when you get one that is sickly and you try everything in your power to save them, but they die anyway.

I held one of my little foster kittens last night for like 5 hours, keeping her warm, trying to get liquids in her, pouring all my love and strength into her.

She crossed the rainbow bridge this morning.  She will get a place of honor among the others I have lost in the back yard. Please don’t tell me it was “just a cat”, because these are my little fur babies.  Each one has a unique personality and I become very attached to them.

FaceBook has this cool thing where you can look back and see what you posted “On This Day” if you posted anything in previous years. . .  it’s kind of cool sometimes.  In 2012, August 19^th was a Sunday, and those were the days when I posted “what I learned in church today” every week.  I posted the lyrics to the song “It Is Well With My Soul”. 

Holy catfish. I needed that today.  Bear with me, I am just going to paste the whole thing here because it is a lesson worth revisiting.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
My sin, oh, 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!
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when my 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.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Horatio G. Spafford was a successful lawyer in the late 1800’s in Chicago. His only son died at the age of four from scarlet fever in 1871, then he lost everything and was ruined financially in the great Chicago fire. In 1873 he decided to take his wife and daughters to Europe, but he was delayed by business and sent his family ahead. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship collided with another and sank in 12 minutes, all four of Spafford's daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, "Saved alone . . .". Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.
What power do we find, what can we learn from these words? 
*We have all been there. 
Psalm 40:1-3 - I patiently waited, Lord, for you to hear my prayer. You listened and pulled me
from a lonely pit full of mud and mire. You let me stand on a rock with my feet firm,
and you gave me a new song, a song of praise to you. Many will see this, and they will honor and trust you, the Lord God.
We have ALL faced times of difficulty, trial and despair. Financial trials, depression, death, divorce – we are not immune. We are not promised a rose garden every day of our earthly life. What we do know is this: 
*Christ has been there
Jesus has walked this walk. There is neither a place that we have been nor a place that we will go that He was not there, paving the way for us. Jesus cried out on the cross “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, that is straight out of scripture – Psalms 22:1. 
*He will be there with us
Jesus walks every step of the way with us. 
Psalms 62:8 - Trust God, my friends, and always tell him each one of your concerns. God is our place of safety.
Psalms 46:1-3 - God is our mighty fortress, always ready to help in times of trouble. And so, we won’t be afraid! Let the earth tremble and the mountains tumble into the deepest sea. Let the ocean roar and foam, and its raging waves shake the mountains.
Philippians 4:7 - Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.
How could we ask for more? So, sit back, give it to God and make sure that all is well with your soul.

Even though my heart is full of pain and sorrow today, it is well with my soul.

Thank you God.

Have a blessed weekend.