Could you imagine having it all in this world? A loving spouse, beautiful kids and enough wealth to be comfortable for the rest of your life. Now imagine you lose one of your kids to sickness and before you can grieve properly, a fire takes a chunk of your wealth. Do you think you would be able to have the faith to keep on going? Ok, imagine two years after that you send your family on vacation and there is an accident that claims the life of your four remaining children. It sounds absolutely crazy that something like that could happen, but it did in the 1800’s. Horatio Gates Spafford faced all those personal losses, yet was still somehow able to continue doing the good work of the Lord. Honestly, I don’t know if I would have been able to keep it together after enduring something like that. I’ve dealt with some tough losses, but nothing of that magnitude. I definitely didn’t handle those situations with grace and aplomb. It wasn’t until I opened my heart up to God that I was able to appreciate the time I had spent with the people I’d lost. The Account of Horatio Gates Spafford helped me to realize that the more you stay in worship the more ready you’ll be when you lose something important to you.

“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed is the name of the Lord” -Job 1:21b-

There is a song that my wife is so in love with and no matter the rendition it almost always brings her to the brink of tears. When she looked up who wrote it and why she became even more enamored with “It is well with my soul”. I decided to look up who wrote the lyrics and what his motivation was. To say I was shocked by The story of Horatio Gates Spafford would be an understatement. It was more of how he responded to tragedy that threw me for a loop. He praised God even more he wanted to help even more people. He did not allow his grief to cripple him, but instead let his faith guide him. I literally just lost my aunt to Covid-19 it was sad and disheartening. As I stood there in the cemetery seeing and hearing my cousins cry, I realized that auntie Yvonne is with God. No longer does she have to suffer and I say that with confidence. She spent her life giving, helping, and guiding others. She did her best to live Christ-like in her daily life. All seven of her children were devastated, but they didn’t stay that way. God afforded her the time she needed so she could share a bit of her faith with her family. Now, they find comfort in knowing she is welcomed by Jesus and they praise to the Lord with even more vigor. Just like Mr. Spafford, they let their faith lead the way, not their pain.

“The scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’ ” -Luke 4:8-

Though I am saddened by my aunt’s passing, I am also grateful for getting to know who she was. The lessons she learned from Jesus she passed on to my mother who in turn passed them on to me. The trickledown effect is serious because now, my kids are learning those same lessons. Praying is only one aspect of acknowledging God’s power. With worship, you’re telling God how much you believe in his power. That’s what I need to do more of so when the next rain storm comes my faith will act as an impenetrable umbrella. Sometimes in the midst of tragedy we allow sorrow, anger, and grief to become a sort of Demon that feeds on our despair. Combating an enemy like that takes a faith that can be built up through praise and worship. If you’ve never tried it you should and experience the difference.

“Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth” -Isaiah 12:5-

Rest in peace Yvonne Antoine, born on September 3 1942 and passed away on August 23 2020. I will always remember you and your contributions to this family of ours. Your faith in Jesus shines through the tragedy of your passing. Your children are examples of your love, as is your little sister. You set an example that will be remembered for years to come. You proved to us that Jesus is worth praising and that worship is a consistent Way/ve.

Thank you for reading this post today, you and your time are genuinely appreciated. God Bless and don’t forget to keep Chasing God’s Way/ve.