The last few weeks, I have thought of various songs that give comfort in some of the most challenging times in our lives. They have been songs that have reassured me that God has everything in control, even when I feel nothing but chaos. Last week I shared with you the fact that my father’s cancer has returned for the second time. When I first heard of the reemergence of his cancer, I was shocked. I certainly could not have ever imagined that this could happen, especially not twice.

This made me think of all the times when we wonder why these things happen. Honestly, I don’t know why these things take place, and I never will. What I do know is that I serve an awesome God, and more than anything else, I am reminded to trust that He is sovereign.

I have now been back on the UMHB campus for almost a week as I prepare for welcoming the new class of freshmen for Welcome Week. I am beyond excited to play a role in mentoring and encouraging these new faces as they transition into the college life. It wasn’t too long ago that I was in their shoes, going off on my own for the first time.

As I prepare for the school year ahead, I cannot stop thinking about my Dad. He absolutely means the world to me, and I can’t imagine what he’s going through and will go through once chemo starts next week. All I know is, is that God has a plan. He has a plan for me, He has a plan for these new freshmen and transfers, and He has a plan for my Superman Dad.

While the next six months will be challenging for my family, I know that God will use all of these circumstances for His glory so that His name will be exalted among every nation. He uses our weaknesses to give hope to others, and although I don’t always understand what’s going on, I just have to trust that He is sovereign.

As I type this entry, I can’t help but get emotional. I have so many thoughts running through my mind. It is in these moments, that I ask God to calm my heart so that I may know that He’s got this. Never has He left us, and He never will. I also pray this feeling of calmness for Dad. The next six months will be tough. Chemotherapy is never easy. Yet, I know God has a purpose for my father, and so I pray that when he becomes anxious and when fear tries to take over, that he never forgets that God is right there. God can calm our fears and worries when we trust that He is sovereign over all. I know that if anyone can conquer cancer and chemotherapy twice, it’s my Dad. He is the toughest, kindest, most determined person I know. After all he is my Superman.

I still pray, though, that when he gets anxious, and when we all worry about tomorrow, that we never forget to seek the face of God, that we continue to trust that He is sovereign, and that we ask Him to calm our storms.

Recently, I thought of an old hymn by Horatio Spafford, “It is With My Soul.” As I read these words, I pray that it is well with my own soul, and that I learn to trust in the majesty and sovereignty of my Lord and Savior.

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, it is well with my soul

And Lord haste the day when my faith shall be sight
And 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, it is well with my soul

No matter what life throws our way, we must learn to trust that He is sovereign, and that He leads us every step of the way. Sometimes we just have to proclaim, “It is well with my soul.” In the end, no matter how horrible various circumstances may seem, we will all stand before the throne, and as believers in Christ, we will one day know no suffering. What a day that will be. Until then, may we sing praises to His name. May our souls long for Him and trust in Him in the midst of all uncertainty.

I am constantly reminded of Psalm 46.

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging (NIV).

In every trial, God truly is our refuge and strength. Even though so many things in life seem terrible, and tomorrows often seem uncertain, God never changes. He goes before us and calls on us to trust in Him.

So when the uncertainties of life come your way, trust in Him. Let your heart proclaim, “It is well with my soul.”

¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

¹¹ The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

As I meditate on Psalm 46, and as I thank God for all that He has done, for all that He has given me, including the most Christ-like Dad, I say, “Be still my soul. God can use all of this for His glory and He will use it!”

I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that God is in that future. He’s in my future. He’s in my Dad’s future. He’s in your future! And so, even though the Earth trembles, and the storms of life rage on, I ask God to still my soul, for the God of Jacob is my fortress.

Therefore, may I always proclaim, “It is well, it is well with my soul!”

---

New International Version. Bible Gateway. Web. 18 Aug. 2015.

Spafford, Horatio. “It Is Well With My Soul.” MetroLyrics. Web. 18 Aug. 2015.

---

It Is Well With My Soul by The Isaacs

Be Still by Kari Jobe