Louisa felt called to missionary service in her youth, but her health interfered. At 25, she married a Mr. Stead and they had a daughter, Lily. When Lily was 4, the family was enjoying a beach picnic when suddenly they heard screams from a drowning young boy. Mr. Stead raced to rescue the boy, who frantically pulled him under water; both drowned before Louisa’s and Lily’s terrified eyes.


Shortly afterward, while seeking to understand this tragedy, Louisa wrote, “‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, and to take him at his word; just to rest upon his promise, and to know, ‘Thus
saith the Lord.'”


Soon Louisa took Lily to South Africa to serve as a missionary for 15 years. Louisa remarried and, after more health problems, served with her husband as missionaries in Rhodesia for 10 years. After Louisa’s death, Lily grew old carrying on the work in Rhodesia – where “‘Tis So Sweet” is still sung widely.


There is sweet rest in trusting Jesus through everything – even that which confounds us –
to weave rich purpose into
our lives.