A Giant in the Faith

Lately, I've been reading a book called 50 People Every Christian Should Know by Warren W. Wiersbe. It's basically 50 mini-biographies of some of the great "spiritual giants" such as Charles Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, A. W. Tozer and Oswald Chambers.

I have been amazed at some of the stories I've been reading, so I had to share at least one.

Have you ever heard of Fanny Crosby? She lived from 1820-1915 and wrote.....get ready for this......8,000 hymns. EIGHT THOUSAND!! Many of them have long been forgotten, but many of them are still being sung today, including "Blessed Assurance," "Jesus, Keep My Near the Cross," and "All the Way My Savior Leads Me".

I was particularly moved by her story, although I had heard part of it before. When she was only six weeks old, she had a minor eye inflammation and as a result of the doctor's careless treatment, she was left blind. Here is what she said of that "unfortunate" circumstance: "It seemed intended by the blessed Providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank Him for the dispensation."

About the doctor, she said, "If I could meet him now, I would say, 'Thank you, thank you'--over and over again, for making me blind."

Here is the reason, as the book goes on to say,

"In fact, she claimed that if she could have her sight restored, she would not attempt it. She felt that her blindness was God's gift to her so that she could write songs for His glory. 'I could not have written thousands of hymns,' she said, 'if I had been hindered by the distractions of seeing all the interesting and beautiful objects that would have been presented to my notice.'

She wrote her first poem when she was eight years old.

Here it is.

Oh, what a happy child 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!

So weep or sigh because I'm blind,

I cannot, or I won't!"

How convicting that is! Reading about these ordinary people who had extraordinary faith has been such an encouragement to me to keep the faith and seek God all the more.