It is well...

I've always loved this hymn and been truly baffled by how its writer could come out with such lyrics when faced with such personal tragedy. How he could face death and loss and say,"it is well, it is well with my soul".
Well, thanks to trusty ol' wiki... here's the story of horatio spafford, author of the hymn "it is well with my soul"

First tragedy: The Great Chicago Fire

In 1871 Horatio and his wife Anna were still grieving over a death of their son. He was a prominent lawyer in Chicago, and had invested heavily in real estate. On October 8, the Great Chicago Fire swept through the city, and destroyed almost everything he owned.

Second tragedy: The wreck of the Ville Du Havre

Two years later, in 1873, Spafford decided his family should take a holiday somewhere in Europe, and chose England knowing that his friend D. L. Moody would be preaching in there in the fall. Delayed because of business, he sent ahead of him his family: his wife Anna, and his four remaining children, daughters Tanetta, Maggie, Annie and Bessie.

On November 21, 1873, while crossing the Atlantic on the S.S. Ville Du Havre, their ship was struck by an iron sailing vessel and two hundred and twenty six people lost their lives, including all four of Spafford's daughters. Somehow his wife, Anna, survived. On arriving in England, she sent a telegram to Spafford beginning "Saved alone."

Spafford then himself took a ship to England, going past the place where his daughters had died. According to Bertha Spafford, a daughter born after the tragedy, the hymn was written in mid-Atlantic.

Surely it is the spirit of God that inspired such awesome words in a hymn so rich with teaching and meaning. 4Him did a great rendition of the hymn too.