Greetings
All,
Everyone loves
an inspiring story! I came across the story below while preparing
for my Sunday School class on, "100 Must Know Christians From Church
History." It is about Fanny Crosby the
well-known hymn writer (well-known, at least, to those who attend churches
that did, or still do, sing hymns - since many don't)! I have taken
material from three sources to create the account below, the major source
being, "50 People Every Christian Should Know - Learning
From Spiritual Giants of the Faith" by Warren Weirsbe. Should you
desire to look at a far more extensive recounting of her life, it can be found
in her autobiography, "Fanny Crosby's Life Story,"
or Edith Blumhofer's book,
"Her Heart Can See." Enjoy.
"I
believe myself still really in the prime of my life!" wrote Frances Jane
Crosby at the age of eighty-three. She lived twelve more years
(1820-1915)... Donald P. Hustad has called Fanny Crosby "the most
prolific and significant writer of Gospel songs in American history." She
wrote more than 8000 songs, most of which are now forgotten. But many continue
to minister to people: "To God Be the Glory," "Blessed
Assurance," "Praise Him, Praise Him," "Jesus keep Me
Near the Cross," "All the Way My Savior Leads Me," “Safe in the Arms of
Jesus,” “Rescue the Perishing,” “Savior, More Than Life to Me,” “Pass Me Not, O
Gentle Savior,” and
many others.
When
Fanny was only six weeks old she developed a minor eye inflammation and the
doctor's careless treatment left her blind. "It seemed to be intended by
the blessed Providence of God that I should be blind all my life,"
she wrote in her delightful autobiography Fanny Crosby's Life Story, "and
I thank Him for the dispensation." The doctor who destroyed her
sight never forgave himself and moved from the area, but Fanny held no ill-will
toward him. "If I could meet him now," she wrote, "I would say
"Thank you, thank you -- over and over again -- for making me
blind." In fact, she claimed that if she could have her sight
restored, she would not attempt it. She felt that her blindness was God's gift
to her so that she could write songs for his glory. "I could not
have written thousands of hymns," she said, "if I had been hindered
by the distractions of seeing all the interesting and beautiful objects that
would have been presented to my notice."
Fanny
was greatly influenced by her mother and grandmother (her father died when she
was very young). When the family moved to Connecticut a neighbor (Mrs. Hawley)
read to her from the Bible and taught her Bible stories. It seems
unbelievable, but by the time Fanny was ten years old, she could recite (from
memory) the first four books of the Old Testament and the four Gospels!
She could also repeat "poems without number." She sometimes
compared her mind to a writing desk, with little drawers and compartments
filled with information readily available. In 1835 (at the age of 15) her
mother took her to the famous "Institution for the Blind" in New York
City for formal education She proved an excellent student in
everything except mathematics. In rebellion against the subject she wrote
the following poem: "I loathe, abhor, it makes me sick; To hear the
word arithmetic!" Before long, she became the resident poet for the
school, and the superintendent was concerned that the growing praise
might go to her head. So he called her into his office and warned her to
beware of pride. He also urged her to use her gifts to the glory of God.
"His words were like bombshells," she would later write, "but
they did me an immense amount of good."
In
1845 (at the age of 25) Fanny, who was somewhat frail in health and had
experienced loss through the death of loved ones, became increasingly concerned
about the state of her own soul. She had been so busy learning, teaching
and nursing that she had forgotten something very important: She realized that
she did not have a true love for God in her heart. She began to attend
numerous churches of varying denominations in her quest to find what she needed
from the Lord. She attended Congregationalist, Episcopalian, Dutch
Reformed, and Methodist Episcopal churches, as well as Wesleyan camp
meetings. Her concerns intensified after an interesting dream: She dreamt
one night that a friend was on his deathbed, and he asked her quite pointedly
(in the dream) if she would meet him in heaven. She responded
"yes" in the dream, but when she awoke the next morning she felt
uneasy about the state of her soul. Five years later, in November of 1850,
she attended revival meetings at the Broadway Tabernacle Methodist Church in
New York City. She went to altar twice, yet it was not until the singing
of, "Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed? that she went forward a
third time while the words of the last verse, "Here, Lord - I give myself
away! 'Tis all that I can do" were being sung. This line took hold
in her heart and she began to shout! She had been born again, and finally
had the personal assurance she had been searching for. This, needless to
say, led to one of her most famous songs: "Blessed Assurance." "My very
soul was flooded with celestial light," she said. "For the first time
I realized that I had been trying to hold the world in one hand and the Lord in
the other." After
this experience, she boldly testified about Christ and never shied away from
praying in public.
In
1851 she published her second volume of poems, where she makes reference to
her declining health in the preface -- though she would go on to live
another 64 years! In 1858 she wrote her third volume of poems -- the same
year she married
Alexander Van Alstyne, who had also been a student at the school for the blind
and, like Fanny, had taught there upon graduating. He was a gifted musician and
a perfect partner to the poetess. The turning point in her life came in
1864 when she met William Bradbury, the famous hymn writer and publisher.
"For many years I have been wanting you to write for me," he told
here. "I wish you would begin right away!" She did begin,
and the result was her first gospel song, "Our Bright Home Above."
Little did anyone realize that God would use her to pen over eight thousand
songs in the next fifty-one years. How did Fanny write her
lyrics? "I never undertake a hymn," she explained,
"without first asking the good Lord to be my inspiration in the work I am
about to do." She would pray and meditate until she was in the right mood.
Sometimes she would quote other hymns to prime the pump. Then the ideas would
come and she would develop the song in her mind and commit it to memory.
At times, she would have as many as forty different songs stored away in
her mind. She would let each song lie still for a few days before dictating it
to a friend, who would then send it off to the publisher.
In
her day she was one of the best known women in America In fact, on the
occasion of her 85th birthday, Grover Cleveland, President of the United
States, wrote to her: "My dear friend: It is more than fifty
years ago that our acquaintance and friendship began; and ever since that
time I have watched your continuous and interested labor in uplifting
humanity, and pointing out the way to an appreciation of God’s goodness
and mercy..."
Fanny
was just a few weeks away from her 95th birthday when she was called home -- a
hope she had written about often in her songs. For the first time she could
see, and, best of all, she could see her Savior. Have you ever noticed
how often she wrote about "seeing" in her lyrics? Watch for the
references the next time you sing a Fanny Crosby song. "Saved by Grace"
is just one example, where she writes: "And I shall see Him face to face,
And tell the story -- Saved by Grace; Yes we shall see him face to face, And
tell the story -- Saved by Grace." It was said of another blind
hymn writer, George Matheson, that God made him blind so he could see clearly
in other ways and become a guide to others. The same tribute could be
applied to Fanny Crosby, who triumphed over her handicap and used it to
the glory of God."
It's
hard to summarize such a profound life of 95 years in a few simple
paragraphs without leaving out many pertinent details. Maybe the
lengthy autobiography and other biographies would fill in the holes, answering
such questions as: Were there brief times when she wished she could
see, or struggled with the limitations brought about by her blindness?
What truths of Scripture helped her remain so grateful, joyful and
positive? What would her attitude have been if she hadn't been given
parents and others who poured themselves into her in regards to her
faith? And what about the amazing gift of her near photographic memory
and immense poetic skills, since we know not all are blessed with such
awesome abilities? How did such extraordinary graces help her
when it came to accepting the doctor's blunder in causing her blindness?
Did he ever come to forgive himself? So many questions and many
surely without answers this side of eternity!
For
hymn lovers like myself, Fanny Crosby's songs have been an inspiration and
great spiritual help. My favorites are Blessed Assurance and To God
Be the Glory. They have always uplifted me, both the music and the words.
For who could say it better?
To
God be the glory great things He has done,
So
loved He the world that He gave us His son,
Who
yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And
opened the life gate that all may go in.
Praise
the Lord, praise the Lord let the earth hear His voice!
Praise
the Lord, praise the Lord let the people rejoice!
O
come to the Father through Jesus the Son,
And
give Him the glory great things He has done
O
perfect redemption the purchase of blood,
To
every believer the promise of God.
The
vilest offender who truly believes,
That
moment from Jesus a pardon receives
Great
things He has taught us great things He has done,
And
great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son.
But
purer and higher and greater will be,
Our
wonder our worship when Jesus we see.
In
His Grace, Pastor Jeff
This
week's "thought" addresses that issue: What
your heart truly yearns for. The answer I offer today
comes to you from David Downing, co-director of the Marion
E. Wade Center at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. It is taken from an
Advent Devotional book called, "The Grand Miracle."
Enjoy.
