Blind But Not Handicapped

Blind But Not Handicapped

Did you know that the author of many of your favorite hymns was blind?

FANNY CROSBY was born in 1820 in Putnam County, New York. When she was just six weeks old, she caught a cold that caused inflammation in her eyes. When her parents called their family doctor, he was not at home and someone else came in his place. This stranger recommended that hot poultices be placed on her eyes, which tragically resulted in the loss of her eyesight. As news spread about her blindness, the man quickly left town and was never heard of again. Misfortune continued to follow the family as death claimed Fanny’s father when she was but one year old.

When her grandmother first heard of Fanny’s blindness, she said, “Then I will be her eyes.” She became an important part of Fanny’s life, spending hours describing flowers, birds, and beautiful sunsets to the little girl. Another important person entered Fanny’s life when she was nine years old—a Mrs. Hawley, who schooled her in poetry and the Bible. Fanny spent much time memorizing both. By the age of ten she had memorized whole books of the Bible.

When Fanny was fifteen, she entered the Institution for the Blind in New York City. She studied there for seven years and then returned to teach at the school for eleven years. While a student there she developed her talent for writing verse. She was never proficient in Braille but rather depended upon her phenomenal memory. She composed and edited poems in her head.

In the fall of 1850 revival meetings were being held at the Thirtieth Street Methodist Church in New York City. Fanny and some of her friends went every night. Twice she went forward at the altar call but could not find the peace and joy she craved. On November 20, 1850, Fanny went forward for a third time, all by herself. The congregation was singing the old Isaac Watts hymn “Alas and Did My Savior Bleed.” When they reached the last line of the last verse, “Here, Lord, I give myself away,” Fanny was filled with joy and shouted, “Hallelujah!” She had given herself to her Savior.

She fell in love with Alexander Van Alstyne, a blind musician she met at the school for the blind. They married when she was thirty-eight and had one child, who died in infancy. Fanny kept her maiden name, which was unusual for the times, and was referred to as “Mrs. Crosby” for the rest of her life.

Fanny did not start writing hymns until eleven years after her conversion but then became one of the most prolific hymn writers in history. She wrote nearly nine thousand hymns before her death in 1915. Her well-known hymns include “Blessed Assurance,” “Rescue the Perishing,” “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross,” “Pass Me Not,” “Praise Him, Praise Him,” “Saved by Grace,” and “To God Be the Glory.” Approximately sixty of her hymns are still in common use.

In addition to her hymn writing, Fanny Crosby was a popular speaker and traveled throughout the world. She went to the White House as guest of Presidents John Quincy Adams, John Tyler, Andrew Johnson, and Grover Cleveland. Her friends included many famous people, such as Horace Greeley, Henry Clay, and Jenny Lind. In spite of her fame, Fanny never missed an opportunity to present the gospel message to anyone who would listen.

Fanny Crosby never wanted sympathy because of her blindness. When a minister once expressed regret that God had not given her the gift of sight, her startling reply was, “If I had been given a choice at birth, I would have asked to be blind . . . for when I get to heaven, the first face I will see will be the One who died for me.”

Reflection

Is there something about your appearance or your abilities that you would like to change? Fanny Crosby accepted herself just as she was, and God was able to use her mightily. What we see as limitations in our lives aren’t limitations to God.

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Teacher,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind?” . . . Jesus answered, “He was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him.”

John 9:1-3