{"id":7130,"date":"2015-12-16T06:59:02","date_gmt":"2015-12-16T11:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=7130"},"modified":"2025-01-30T15:59:39","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T20:59:39","slug":"worship-wednesday-all-is-well-storyteller-frank-peretti-and-songwriter-michael-w-smith-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=7130","title":{"rendered":"Worship Wednesday \u2013 All Is Well \u2013 Storyteller Frank Peretti and Songwriter Michael W. Smith"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Worship<\/a><\/p>\n

[From the Archives]<\/p>\n

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.<\/em> \u2013 Romans 8:28<\/a><\/p>\n

All Is Well \u2013 A Story for Christmas <\/em>brings tears to my eyes every time I read it. It was published in 1990 and we read it to our children every Christmas until they were old enough to read it themselves. Then I read it to myself. Frank Peretti is the author and Robert Sauber did the illustrations for the first book. It seems to be out of print now, and a newer edition, with illustrations by Gary Glover, came out in 2002.<\/p>\n

I fell in love with the first edition, and it\u2019s still my favorite. Don\u2019t you love when you\u00a0recover something once precious to you which you thought lost forever? In our many moves, somewhere along the way, we lost All Is Well \u2013 A Story for Christmas<\/em>. I was delighted when, just today, I found the book, that old one, captured on a YouTube video.<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Blog<\/a>Screen Shot<\/a><\/p>\n

The memories of\u00a0that book have stirred again \u2013 reading together cuddled up with the children in front of the fire in Tennessee, Or listening to the audiobook as they\u00a0stared sleepily\u00a0into the dark on those long drives to grandparents. Then childhood years\u00a0across North Africa when stories familiar brought home closer. The tears came again today, as I\u00a0watched that YouTube video and the telling of All is Well<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The story focuses on a single mother and her little girl, in tough times financially. There was no money for rent and they were facing losing their home. The little girl, Jenny, was determined to help, and she found an old box of Christmas ornaments that she peddled to neighbors in hopes of helping her mom, Ruth, with the rent. One of those ornaments was a small homemade piece of clay inscribed with the phrase, \u201cAll is well.\u201d The rest of the story is a lovely picture of courage, hope, love, and kindness \u2013 of neighbors reaching out to this little twosome so in need.<\/p>\n

The last page of the book ends with this:<\/p>\n

\u201cAll is well, huh, Mom?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAll is well, Jenny. Some way, somehow. We can\u2019t see it yet, but all is well.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

(Narrator) \u201cWell, like I said in the beginning, it all depends on where you\u2019re standing and how good the view is from there. When you\u2019re the storyteller, you have a pretty good view. You know things people in the story don\u2019t know\u2026 I know Ruth and Jenny will be taken care of\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

You know what tickles me: Ruth knows it, too. She knows. She can\u2019t see any of it from where she is\u2026but she knows. \u00a0Now that she remembers how come all is well, she knows. She remembers and she\u2019ll tell Jenny once again: that God is the grandest storyteller of our lives. He weaves our days then strings them like beads on the chain of history. He knows the placement of every person\u2026the end from the beginning. From His lofty heights, He has the best view of all.<\/em><\/p>\n

She remembers and she\u2019ll tell Jenny that in a stable in Bethlehem so long ago, God wrote Himself into the story and became that central character . Now the Weaver of the Story walks with us in the midst of the story\u2026and He will stay with us, until that story is complete, in His way, in His time, for His glory\u2026and that\u2019s how come all is well. Remember?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cFor I know the thoughts that I think toward you,\u201d says the Lord<\/span>, \u201cthoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.\u00a0<\/span> And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.\u201d<\/span><\/em> \u2013 Jeremiah 29:11-13<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Blog<\/a><\/p>\n

Take the time to worship today\u2026and then read this story as a family if you can. Or click on the YouTube video and cozy up with your kiddos to watch the story unfold. My children are all grown up now, but I don\u2019t think they will have forgotten. All is well\u2026or\u00a0can be. Remember that.<\/p>\n

\"Blog<\/a>Photo Credit: Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

YouTube Video of original story All Is Well (1990) by Frank Peretti \u2013 book and audio CD no longer available.\u00a0Illustrations by Robert Sauber<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

All Is Well: The Miracle of Christmas in July <\/span><\/u><\/em><\/a>by Frank Peretti (2002) with illustrations by Gary Glover\u00a0\u2013 this story is updated from the\u00a0one above \u2013\u00a0with Daniel as our young hero, and his mom, Ruth \u2013 same great message of love, neighbors, and God\u2019s faithfulness<\/p>\n

YouTube Lyric Video of All Is Well<\/em><\/span> by Michael W. Smith (featured in audiobook of <\/span>All is Well<\/span><\/em> above<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

YouTube Lyric Video of All Is Well\u00a0sung by\u00a0Carrie Underwood & Michael W. Smith (Spirit of Christmas Album)<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

For the long nights and heavy burdens \u2013 Jesus is coming.<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

PostScript \u2013 January 2, 2015<\/strong> \u2013 Look what my daughter gave me for Christmas \u2013 she had the original book among her Christmas books for her 3rd grade class. Now I have them both again\u2026.<\/p>\n

\"2014<\/a><\/p>\n