Fanny Crosby

Fanny Crosby

Heroes are a group of people who use their existence to enhance the lives of others.

My hero, Frances, “Fanny,” Jane Crosby was born on March 24, 1820, in Putnam County, New York. When she was only six weeks old, her eyes became infected, and a man, posing as a doctor, gave her the incorrect treatment, causing Fanny to lose her eyesight completely. Even though Fanny never saw her own image in a mirror, she felt no resentment towards the man who caused the loss of her sight. All of her life, she considered her blindness to be a blessing. In fact, when she was eight years old, she wrote this poem: "O what a happy soul am I! / 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!"

While Fanny was a young girl, her grandmother taught her about Jesus Christ and read scriptures to her. It is said that before she was 10 years old, Fanny could recite from memory the Pentateuch, the book of Ruth, many of the Psalms and Proverbs, and much of the New Testament. Fanny was not satisfied, though; she wanted to have an education like other children.

When Fanny was 15, she was able to attend The Institution for the Blind in New York City, where she met her future husband. During this time, she wrote and published many poems. But it was not until 1849 when a severe cholera epidemic broke out and Fanny had to flee to the country that she came to the realization that she needed a savior.

At the age of 31, Fanny responded to an altar call during a revival meeting in New York. Looking back on the event, she said, “My very soul was flooded with celestial light.” From then on, Fanny began to publish hymns, of which she was to write more than 8,000 during her lifetime. Some of these include “Blessed Assurance,” “All the Way My Savior Leads Me,” “Safe in the Arms of Jesus” and “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior.”

Fanny Crosby is my hero because she loved the Lord and used her work to glorify His name. Her gratefulness and servitude toward her Heavenly Father are evident through her hymns. Another reason that Fanny is my hero is that she always had a cheerful attitude. Once, when a minister conveyed his sympathy concerning her blindness, she told him that if she had her sight from birth and could have had one wish, it would have been to be blind, because the first thing she would ever see was the face of her Savior.

The final reason Fanny Crosby is my hero is that she left behind a wonderful light that reflected that of Jesus Christ’s. The testimony that she has left through her lasting hymns gives us a wonderful picture of the love that our Heavenly Father has for all of His children.