#64 Fanny Crosby

In blog number 47 (link) I talked about three inspiring blind people. I have another inspiring person to talk about in this blog – Fanny Crosby. Do you know who she is?

Fanny Crosby wrote hymns. How many? More than 8,000 including Blessed Assurance, Safe in the Arms of Jesus, and To God be the Glory. That makes her the most important writer of gospel hymns in American history. Besides hymns, she also wrote more than 1,000 secular poems and had four books of poetry published, as well as two best-selling autobiographies.

Born in 1820, Fanny Crosby, or officially Frances Jane van Alstyne (married name), was blind for all ninety-five years of her life. “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I was born blind?” said the poet, who had been able to see only for her first six weeks of life. “Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.”

She wrote the following at age eight and that attitude of contentment stayed with her.

Oh, what a happy soul 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,
 To weep and sigh because I'm blind
 I cannot, and I won't.

What an extraordinary woman and so prolific – even though blind. An inspiration to all of us whether we have sight or not.  

Readers: Are you inspired to follow your passions? Reading about Fanny Crosby can ignite our passions – if she can do it, so can I. Right? If blind, do you have the same kind of contentment that she had? If not, why not?

As always, you are invited to share comments below.