“It is not enough to have a song on your lips. You must also have a song in your heart.” —Fanny J. Crosby
At Esther Press, we empower and equip women to courageously stand strong in the truth of who God made them to be. Let us do that for you today by sharing the story of Fanny Crosby.
“This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long….” These words from the hymn “Blessed Assurance” may be new to you, or they may be a familiar refrain. For many churches all over the world, “Blessed Assurance” is a staple in worship services, as are several hymns by the same writer. Who was this writer? The woman behind the words was Fanny J. Crosby, whose life was marked by courage and praise.
“All the Way My Savior Leads Me”
Frances Jane Crosby was born on March 24, 1820, in Putnam County, New York. She came from a long line of notable people. She was related on both sides of her family to Revolutionary War spy Enoch Crosby, and she traced her heritage to Anna Brigham and Simon Crosby, who helped found Harvard College.
When Fanny was just six weeks old, she became ill, and a visiting doctor advised her parents to apply a mustard balm to her eyes. Shortly afterward, her regular doctor determined that she was blind. Whether she was born blind or the doctor’s treatment caused her to lose her sight is unknown. When she was six months old, her father passed away. Her mother and grandmother were determined that she would receive a solid Christian foundation. She memorized long portions of Scripture, including the first five books of the Old Testament, the Gospels, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and many psalms.
At nearly fifteen, Fanny enrolled at the New York Institution for the Blind (NYIB). She studied there for eight years before joining the staff, teaching history, grammar, and rhetoric. She became acquainted with many prominent people, including presidents Van Buren, Tyler, and future president Grover Cleveland. Fanny joined lobbyists supporting education for the blind, and in 1843 she recited a poem to the US Senate, becoming the first woman to speak there.
Although Fanny grew up in a Christian home and spent a tremendous amount of time memorizing Scripture, it wasn’t until she was thirty-one that she experienced true conversion. In 1849, Fanny acted as a nurse to many at the NYIB during a cholera epidemic. One night, she had a dream in which a friend appeared to be sick, and he asked her about her salvation. When she awoke she found that her friend was healthy. Shortly after, while singing a hymn with some friends, Fanny fully surrendered her life to the Lord.
“Rescue the Perishing”
Fanny J. Crosby was a prolific hymn writer, penning over 8,000 hymns, using over 200 pseudonyms. Some of her most famous hymns, which are still sung in churches today, include “Tell Me the Story of Jesus,” “He Hideth My Soul,” “Redeemed,” and “To God Be the Glory.” Yet what Fanny was most passionate about was her work with New York City’s rescue missions. She did not just work with the people cared for by the missions, she lived among them as well. Her most committed work in the missions occurred between the ages of sixty and ninety. During this time she became known as “Aunt Fanny.”
She supported missions such as the American Female Guardian Society and Home for the Friendless, the Bowery Mission, the Manhattan prison, the New York City Mission, YMCAs, and many others.
“To God Be the Glory”
Fanny J. Crosby’s work affected people both at home and abroad. Ira Sankey, who traveled with Dwight L. Moody and led the music for his meetings, brought Fanny’s music to the people of Europe. Once, in Switzerland, he heard a group singing in their own language below his hotel window and recognized the tune as being one of Fanny’s hymns. Yet even with this fame, Fanny knew to whom the glory belonged, and she trusted God’s goodness, even in her blindness.
Fanny died in February 1915, just a month before her ninety-fifth birthday. The epitaph on her small tombstone reads, “Aunt Fanny: She hath done what she could.”
“If I had a choice, I would still choose to remain blind … for when I die, the first face I will ever see will be the face of my blessed Savior.” ―Fanny Crosby
How can you use what others might see as a limitation for God’s glory? Is there anyone in your life you can encourage to do the same?
You can learn more about Fanny J. Crosby in her books:
