Hebrews 10: 22: Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.....
All over the world, in churches or while standing at a sink doing dishes, driving a car or planting a garden, thousands of people are singing words written by a little blind lady.
Frances Jane Crosby was born in New York on March 24, 1820. She was left blind at the age of six weeks by illness. Such a thing never stopped her. By the time of her death on February 11, 1915, she left us with the words of more than 9,000 hymns. We all know her as Fanny Crosby.
She was a remarkable woman. She taught English and history at the New York Institution for the Blind. She eventually left to serve the poor, supporting herself by writing her hymns. She wrote books of poetry, which were eventually published. She walked with presidents and served with evangelists. When asked by Dwight L. Moody to give her personal testimony she quoted an unpublished hymn of hers that she referred to as her "soul's poem": "The Silver Cord". It's a favorite of mine.
She was once asked if she were able to see did she feel that it would inspire her to write even more beautiful hymns. She replied that if she were able to see it might, in fact, cause her to concentrate on other things and lose the gift she had. And, she pointed out, someday the first thing she would finally see would be her Savior's face.
She died at the age of 95. On her tombstone were written the words "Aunt Fanny" and the first two lines of her beloved hymn "Blessed Assurance".
In 1873, she was visiting a friend of hers, Phoebe P. Knapp. Mrs. Knapp sat at her piano, played a melody she had composed and asked Aunt Fanny what it sounded like to her. Aunt Fanny replied that it sounded like "blessed assurance, Jesus is mine". So our hymn came into existance.
Isaiah 42:16: I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them: I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.
A great site to visit to learn more about this most remarkable woman is
Once again go to http://www.youtube.com/ , type in "Blessed Assurance". The videos I personally like are those of the Issacs, Sandi Patti and Randy Travis.
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