“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.”
— I have always made sure that each of my children memorize this poem and keep it fresh in their minds! It was written by Fanny Crosby (1820-1915) when she was only eight years old. Due to a misdiagnosis by a quack doctor (the family doctor was out of town), she lost her eyesight just six weeks after being born. When asked how she felt about such a regretful event, here comments were:
“It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.”
“Unlike other sighted people, the privilege I will enjoy is that when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.”
From a young age she gained much fame for her poems. Many of those poems were put to music and . Upon surrendering her life to Christ, Fanny used her talent solely for writing hymns. By the time she died at age 95, she had written over 8,000 hymns! Some of her most popular songs are “Blessed Assurance”, “Draw Me Nearer”, “To God Be The Glory”, and “He Hideth My Soul in the Cleft of the Rock”.
