All Will Be Well

We expect a bright tomorrow; all will be well. Faith can sing through days of sorrow; all is well.

As a former Baptist girl, I have great affection for old-time gospel hymns. Blessed Assurance. Standing on the Promises. What a Friend We Have In Jesus. Most, I know by heart. All the verses. One possible exception is the old favorite Just As I Am because, in my church, we only ever sang the first, third, and the last of that one. Every week.

With some trepidation I confess, however, that I’m not a huge fan of It is Well With My Soul. With apologies to those who find tremendous comfort and consolation in the words of that one, sometimes I feel like such a hypocrite singing it. There are times when the words pass through my lips but things are not well with my soul. I’m moody, or angry, or frustrated, or impatient. I’m tossed about with many’a conflict, many’a doubt. I have fightings and fears within and without.*

The above lines are from a hymn which does for me what It is Well seems to do for so many others. Written in the early 1800s by Mary Bowley-Peters, this song was recently updated and recorded by Matthew Smith of Indelible Grace. Lyrics are available here. One of the ways this hymn speaks to me is through its use of verb tense shifts. Yes, I really am that much of a grammar nerd. As one whose own verb tenses tend to shift wildly out of control in ways that would have horrified my seventh grade grammar teacher, tempting her to throw her dog-eared copy of Warriner’s in my general direction, I tend to notice things like that.

Contrary to what happens in my own writing, I believe these shifts are deliberate. They also reflect sound theology. Throughout the song, I am reminded, “All will be well. All is well. All must be well.” The beauty in this structure is that it reflects the already-but-not-yet reality of God’s work of redemption. All will be well because God is about the business of redemption; reconciling and restoring the brokenness of creation to the way it ought to be. The things that hurt now won’t always be this way.

All is well because, in Christ’s victory over the grave, the curse of sin, and sorrow, and death has been broken. These things remain, and they hurt and torment and try our souls. But the mortal wound has been delivered; our enemy has been defeated. Lo, his doom is sure.

All must be well because, frankly, if it isn’t, then what is the point, really? Without the certainty that all must be well, the best any of us can hope for is to get out of this life having experienced a minimal amount of suffering and tragedy and pain. All must be well because it depends on the certainty of the character and promises of almighty God.

It may not be well with my soul in this moment, in these circumstances, at this time; but all will be well. All is well. All must be well. Oh, Lamb of God, I come.

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.

*Just As I Am, v. 3





214. All will be well.

215. All is well.

216. All must be well.

217.  Miss Stuck and everything she taught me out of Warriner's.

218. Hearing the story of a family singing God’s praises around the bed of a faithful saint as she was ushered into heaven to join the eternal song. The powerful testimony of her life and the reminder that it is all, all true.

219. The privilege of weeping and praying and waiting with a friend; the opportunity to share her burden.

220. Blooming crocus and daffodil and forsythia.

221. Robins singing, “Cheerily, cheerily.”

222. Starting the spring yard work.

223. Prayerful support as we step into unfamiliar territory.

224. The way those prayers help me see that the opportunity to sit outside in the sun, read a good book, and enjoy a glass of wine during a difficult day is a gift and a reminder me that God is present and will give joy in the journey.

225. Father and son running a 5.5k road race together.

226. The son’s smile at the start of the race.

227. Dinner plans that changed at the last moment when the other couple had to cancel; a surprise opportunity to enjoy a lovely dinner alone with the beloved husband.

228. An invitation to our son to enjoy outdoor fun on campus with college students; the way it energized him.

229. A Sunday afternoon walk providing the opportunity to feel some sun on my shoulders, to meet a new neighbor, and to catch up with one whom I hadn’t seen all winter.