“For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:17)
I heard President Obama the other night speaking after meeting with the victims and victim families from the Batman movie shooting in Colorado. He began his press conference remarks by quoting a Bible verse: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes,” he stated.
When I heard that quote, I remembered having used that verse in a column I once wrote about one of my favorite hymn writers. If you’re not a student of songwriters, you might not recognize Fanny Crosby by name, but you have surely heard one of her songs.
Fanny Crosby wrote over 8,000 hymns during her lifetime, many of which still appear in today’s hymnals. Hymns like Blessed Assurance, All the Way My Savior Leads Me, To God Be the Glory, Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior, Safe in the Arms of Jesus, He Hideth My Soul, and Praise Him, Praise Him continue to draw souls to God for both salvation and comfort.
No hymn writer has ever had a clearer vision of Jesus than Fanny Crosby even though she never saw life as it passed right before her own eyes. Fanny Crosby was blinded by an eye infection when she was only six-weeks old. Yet she never allowed her disability to become a handicap. In fact, when she was only eight-years old, she wrote:
Oh, what a happy child I am,
Although I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be!
How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don’t!
So weep or sigh because I’m blind
I cannot and I won’t.
I once had a boss who told me that the only difference between an opportunity and a problem is perspective. Fanny Crosby’s story brings life to those words.
The Bible teaches us that “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose..” (Romans 8:28) But somehow when handicaps and disabilities, even tragedies come our way, we view them as problems instead of opportunities.
Jesus taught his disciples that a disability doesn’t have to become a handicap. In fact, the Bible records that Jesus once met a man who was also blind from birth. Jesus’ disciples were puzzled about why infirmities come our way questioned the Master as to why this particular man went blind. Listen to Jesus’ answer: “This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” (John 9:3)
Fanny Crosby’s life reminds all of us who allow sickness, disability or some other weakness to get us down that hope is never lost for the Christian who is willing to reach out in faith and trust Christ. She may have never seen a sunrise or a rainbow, but she knew the one who made it all happen. And her faith reassured her that the day would come when He would restore her sight. That’s why she wrote:
When my life is ended and I cross the swelling tide,
When the bright and glorious morning I shall see,
I shall know my Redeemer when I reach the other side,
And His smile will be the first to welcome me.
4 Comments
Oh, to be fully connected to my Savior as Fanny was, to see through His eyes without the distractions of human vision.
Keep the Faith!
An acquaintence here just told my article sort of went with yours.. just read yours, I guess it does. It always amazes me how the Spirit works..places much of the same things on all of our minds. God bless you, thanks for the post. The article in reference is here on my site http://lynleahz.com/2012/08/10/are-you-a-lefty/
Have a blessed weekend, by the way! I hope my last comment did not go to spam since i put the link to my article in it! LOL
Greetings from Wordwise Hymns. I posted an article on Fanny Crosby’s gospel song “He Hideth My Soul” this morning, and your post caught my eye. Thanks for sharing a bit about this wonderfully gifted woman.