Cow Song and My Soul
A song I learned in Girl Scouts occasionally escapes from a box marked "childhood" in the attic of my brain. It makes its way into my present-day thinking for no reasonable explanation at all - usually!
Maybe you remember Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow! The lyrics go something like this: “One dark night while we were all in bed, Old Mrs. Leary lit a lantern in the shed, and when the cow kicked it over, she winked her eye and said, ‘It’ll be a hot time in the old town tonight.’ Fire! Fire! Fire!’”
My troop, with our impressive rendition of this song (it was our “go to”), were known to slightly annoy the leaders and mothers - including mine - who carted us to and from weekends of Girl Scout camp. Actually, that’s an under-statement; it’s probably the reason my mom kissed troop driving duties goodbye after a couple years.
Picture seven or more carefree girls squished in a car - sharing seats and any space available between the driver and the necessary groceries, sleeping bags, and camping gear. This, mind you, was before spacious SUVs and seatbelt laws.
I clearly remember that five miles or so into the drive, we’d begin to sing with hushed, angelic whispers. With each additional round, the volume increased. Accompanying movements became extra dramatic. The last round, the one that would inevitably generate threats from those who dared to drive us, typically ended with us girls shouting at the top of our lungs with faces turning fifty shades of red.
Which reminds me to mention, in case you’re unfamiliar, that the silly song is associated with the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Over 2,100 acres and more than 17,000 buildings were burned, and 31% of the population were left homeless. Certainly, neither the fire nor the extensive loss is a laughing matter. But our obnoxious singing and hilarious camp memories sure are.
In later years I discovered that Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow isn’t the only tune rooted in the fire. The second, though more substantial and more influential than a barnyard animal kicking over a lamp, emerged a few years later.
The song was penned by Horatio Spafford whose fortune (mostly real estate investments) was literally brought to dust and ashes in the Great Fire. Just two years later his four little daughters died in a tragic ship collision as they traveled with their mother to England.
In the crucible of great personal loss and unspeakable tragedy - while crossing the Atlantic to meet his wife - he wrote the lyrics to It Is Well With My Soul. It is said that this song of great consolation was birthed in the area identified by the ship captain as the location of the collision. The very place where his daughters died.
It has comforted countless souls in times of disappointment, sorrow, grief, mourning, and despair. When nothing makes sense and the world seems to be crumbling.
This morning, while doing several chores, the cow song popped into my mind. This time it didn’t take long to know why. My heart needed a touch of comic relief and, more importantly, a huge dose of encouragement.
Neither tragedy nor trauma is hovering over me. But someone dear to me has been wading in some not-so-good choices. I get it - we all struggle with various temptations. No judgment. I'm very sympathetic. It's fair, though, to say my soul has been a bit downcast and sorrowful.
After humming a few rounds of bovine absurdity, I sensed a shift. That’s when It is Well moved in. Front and center.
As the lyrics rolled across my tongue, I found myself using them as a kind of declaration over my mind and emotions. “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.”
How incredibly amazing that a song, written in a pit of deep pain over a century ago by someone I've never met, effectively altered my perspective. Timeless!