“All the way my Savior leads me, What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who through life has been my Guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort, Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well;”
Fanny Crosby (italics mine)
Fanny Crosby was the famous hymn writer who was blind since infancy. Fanny did not have an easy life. First of all, she was blind and her blindness was attributed to a mistake made by her doctor. The thought was that he had unknowingly mistreated her and caused her blindness. Today historians question that and wonder if her blindness would have happened no matter what, but back then it was believed her blindness came about because of a mistake. Fanny’s father died when she was quite young. Her marriage was not an easy one and she and her husband (who was also blind) ended up separating early on in their marriage and although they never divorced they never lived together again. Before separating, Fanny and her husband had one child, a little girl, who died in infancy, possibly from SIDS.
Fanny could have easily turned her back on God. ‘You took my sight, my father, my husband (in one sense) and You even took my daughter. What kind of a God are you? Why would I want anything to do with You.’
But she didn’t.
Despite her physical blindness, Fanny had a spiritual sight and was able to see something many of us who can physically see often miss.
Fanny saw the goodness of God, not in spite of the pain but during the pain and in the heartache.
That hymn continues
“All the way my Savior leads me, Cheers each winding path I tread.
Gives me grace for every trial, Feeds me with the Living Bread.
Though my weary steps may falter And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before, Lo! A spring of joy I see;
(Italics mine)
Wrote the blind woman.
Fanny once declared that she was thankful she was blind because the first face she would see would be that of her Savior’s.
Believer, may you have the faith of a blind woman, able to declare the greatness and praise of your God. Even if you don’t see it, feel it, experience it, may you know your God is great and He is good.