Fanny Crosby (1820-1915)
READ: Psalm 1
At age 8, Fanny penned the
following verse:
Oh, what a happy soul
I am,
Though I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be.
Though I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be.
How many blessings I
enjoy
That other people don't,
To weep and sigh because I'm blind
I cannot, and I won't!
That other people don't,
To weep and sigh because I'm blind
I cannot, and I won't!
From a young age Fanny Crosby put
her trust fully in her Lord Jesus. She was blinded at six weeks old due to a maltreatment
given by a quack pretending to be a certified doctor. But the injustice never
deterred her and she was known to be glad and contented in her blindness. When
anyone showed pity at her situation, she declared the joy she felt in knowing
that the first face she would ever behold would be that of her Saviour.
Fanny was a gifted writer and
spent much time writing poetry. She also worked avidly to memorize Scripture
and as a child could recite from memory the Pentateuch, the Gospels, Proverbs,
Song of Solomon and many of the Psalms. She loved God and His Word and her
greatest joy was to write hymns, setting her words to music, be it her own
compositions or the music of others. Over the course of her life, Fanny wrote
over 9000 hymns! She wrote so many that she used a variety of pen names so that
hymnals would not be full of “Fanny Crosby” hymns.
Fanny’s life was not without
troubles. She and her husband lost their only child at infancy, and, though
they were always friends, the couple lived much of their married life in
separation. Still, Fanny was a woman who found joy in the Lord. Though she made
enough money to live in comfort, she chose to live in the slums of the Lower
East Side of Manhattan. She had a heart for the poor and spent much time
working with rescue missions.
Fanny Crosby left a great legacy
through the written word. Her hymns have drawn countless of people to the foot
of the cross and to the feet of Jesus.
All the way my Savior
leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my guide?
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my guide?
JOURNALING AND PRAYER
1. Where do you feel weak in your faith?
2. Ask God how He wants to grow your faith this summer. What does He want to do in your heart?
3. Thank God for what He has shown you, and pray that it would become a reality in your life.
