I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day

"And in despair I bowed my head:

"There is no peace on earth," I said,

"For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men."

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs.  I notice that every time I hear it sung or we sing it in church we leave out the 3rd verse.  So I read a book about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (the author of the song) to learn about the history of the song.  

I learned a lot about this man.  He lost his first wife when she miscarried their baby at 6 months.  She was 22 years old.  He met his 2nd wife years later, but it took him 9 year to marry her, largely because he was still healing over losing his first love.  They had 6 children together.  One afternoon while he was napping, he awoke to find that his second wife's skirt had caught on fire.  She passed away the next morning and Henry, in trying to put out the flames, burned his face significantly.  This is why he always wore a beard after that.  During the Civil War his oldest son signs up against his father's wishes and is badly wounded.  

As I read about him, I found my heart aching for him.  He had many taken from him and his expressions in the 3rd verse were those of a struggling disciple, and that I could identify with.  I also could feel his resolve in the following versions, and knowing what had happened to him, his declarations of faith in God are inspiring.

• Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
  "God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
  The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
  With peace on earth, good will to men."
•  Till, ringing, singing, on its way,
  The world revolved from night to day,
  A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
  Of peace on earth, good will to men!