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By Jan Penton-Miller

I awakened in the darkness and puttered to the kitchen while the household slept. Tiptoeing so as not to awaken the family I reached into the cupboard for my favorite coffee, put it on to brew and slipped outside onto the porch. As I sat there with my morning thoughts I talked to God about the day ahead, and lifted people up who were on my heart. I asked for direction and felt His peace cover me like a warm blanket on a chilly morning.

It amazes me that I still at times rush into my day without this special time with the Lord. In these moments old hymns often come to mind, and I am often drawn to research the authors and find out something about their lives. This morning I read from God’s Word and was filled with encouragement and hope. His love for all His children is so very real, and His mercy and grace are free for anyone who seeks Him.

This morning the old hymn “I Am Thine Oh Lord” came to mind, and I whispered it softly in the darkness. Then I wondered about who had written this beautiful hymn; when I looked it up my heart leapt in my chest. It was the magnificent Fanny Crosby who lived from 1820 until 1915.

Ms. Crosby was born in Putnam County, New York, and lost her sight when she was only six weeks old. She began attending the New York institute for the Blind when she was 15, and completed her education there at the age of 23. Fanny began teaching at the school in 1847.

She met and married another teacher from the school who was also blind. By age 60 Fanny’s marriage started failing. In 1880 she and her husband, Alexander Van Alstyne separated and remained apart from then on. Around this time Crosby became interested in mission work, and devoted herself to working with some of the poorest of the poor in New York City.

A prolific writer, Ms. Crosby wrote poems for civic occasions and newspapers and penned more than 8000 hymns. Among her most notable hymns are “Rescue the Perishing”, To God Be the Glory”,” I Am Thine O Lord”, “Blessed Assurance” (co-written with Phoebe Knapp), and “Safe In the Arms of Jesus”.  Her book “The Blind Girl and Other Poems” was published in 1844.

According to Proverbs 18:16 “A man’s gift maketh room for him, And bringeth him before great men”. This was the case for Fanny Crosby, a blind woman with a failed marriage in the 1800’s.  She was acquainted with several U.S. presidents, and became the first woman to speak formally to the U.S. Senate when she shared one of her poems there.

According to “BU School of Theology History of Missiology”, Fanny’s hymns are a part of the musical Christian heritage of many churches including the Methodist Episcopal Church, Baptist, and Presbyterian. I learned these hymns as a child, and as you can see they still touch my heart and bring joy in the morning.