A few months ago, I was helping out with sound at church. One of the main parts of helping out with sound is listening very closely to the songs during worship to see if you need to adjust anything for a better balance. So, I was in the sound booth, listening very closely as the worship band started their next song. They started playing an old hymn called “It is well with my soul.” As I was listening to the song, I was struck by how powerful those words are.
Over these last few months, in both my relationship with Connor (and the distance that separates us the majority of the time) and my career in music, I have gotten frustrated and discouraged by the circumstances surrounding both of them.
Long distance relationships are so incredibly difficult. There is no way around that. Even with all the wonderful technology we have today, nothing beats face to face conversation in the same space. It can be so frustrating to want something so desperately, (the presence of a certain person), and not be able to have it in the capacity that you would like. It is so easy to get discouraged by it all. BUT, my mind keeps being drawn back to that morning in the sound booth at church, listening to a whole congregation of creations crying out saying, “It is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul.” It is chilling to think about, and I have heard that little phrase everywhere I’ve gone for the last few months. It is such an incredible reminder to me to stop trying to be in control of everything. I know, without a doubt in my mind, that I am exactly where God has intended me to be. So, even though it is hard sometimes, I will say “It is well with my soul.”
My music career has been another source of frustration in these last few months. It frustrates me so much because I am so passionate about it, and things don’t always go as I would have planned them. I have done many shows this last year to nearly empty rooms, or to rooms of people who don’t seem to care much to listen to my music. That is really rough. It is hard to make every performance better than the last when the room I’m playing to can be so fickle. It comes with the territory though, and it is easy to get discouraged if I don’t remind myself that again, God has me exactly where He wants me, and He is working all things together for my good. So, regardless of the audience, regardless of how easy or difficult it has been to write, or perform, I will continue to say that “It is well with my soul…”