Hymn Writers: Fanny Crosby – “Jesus Doeth All Things Well”

“It seemed intended by the blessed Providence of God, that I should be blind all my life; and I thank Him for the dispensation.”

Frances Jane Crosby was born in Putnam County New York on March 24, 1820 to parents John and Mercy Crosby. At six weeks of age, she developed an eye infection and became blind. Her family thought that mistreatment from a doctor was what caused her blindness, although some have suggested today that she may have had congenital blindness. But whether the future hymn writer became blind from a doctor’s mistreatment or she was born that way, she harbored no bitterness, but was rather thankful for her blindness!

The above quote is how Fanny Crosby started out her autobiography – Fanny Crosby’s Life-Story, 1903. She went on to say…

“Why would I not have that doctor’s mistake —if mistake it was—remedied? Well, there are many reasons: and I will tell you some of them. One is, that I know, although it may have been a blunder on the physician’s part, it was no mistake of God’s. I verily believe it was His intention that I should live my days in physical darkness, so as to be better prepared to sing His praises and incite others so to do. I could not have written thousands of hymns—many of which, if you will pardon me for repeating it, are sung all over the world if I had been hindered by the distractions of seeing all the interesting and beautiful objects that would have been presented to my notice.”

Fanny’s birth was not only surrounded by the trial of her blindness, but also the death of her father. Mr. Crosby died the same year his daughter was born, and Mrs. Crosby and her mother raised Fanny. As a blind child, Fanny Crosby did not sit in the corner helpless, but played, climbed trees and rode horses just like the other children. She mentioned in her autobiography that when people saw her playing, they were surprised when they were told of her “misfortune”.

Like most people who have lost one of their five senses, Fanny’s other senses were magnified. She had very sharp hearing. As she sat in church each Sunday, she heard distinctly every word every note of the hymns that were sung, and they strengthened her soul when she would get discouraged over her blindness.

When Fanny was about five years old her mother took her to New York City to see a specialist about having an operation done on her eyes with the hopes of restoring her vision. After a boat trip on the Hudson and being examined by the doctor, she was told that there was nothing that could be done to restore her sight. The boat trip back home was a sad one for little Fanny, but as she lay in her bunk and listened to the waves slapping up against the side of the boat, she said that they seemed to be saying to her, “Fanny, be brave! Fanny be brave! Brighter days will come yet!” She stated in her book: “And indeed they were coming: although from what direction I did not then know. But I never lost my faith in the great Father above; I knew that the river-waves were His, and that I had heard His voice.”

At age nine, Fanny and her mother moved in for a time with an old woman, Mrs. Hawley, who instructed the young blind girl in the teachings of the Bible and poetry. When Fanny was ten, she had memorized and could recite whole books of the Bible. Fanny fell in love with poetry and had the desire to write her own. She penned her very first poem at eight years of age, and it pretty much summed up her outlook on life:

“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, nor I won’t!”

Fanny did struggle with the fact that she couldn’t read for herself. At this time, the Braille lettering system was not widely accessible. Fanny hungered for knowledge, and prayed each day that God would help her to obtain it. God did answer her prayer when she was fifteen years old when she was told that arrangements had been made for her to attend a school for the blind in New York.

Fanny was enthusiastic about her schoolwork, except for arithmetic (same here! 🙋🏼‍♀️😄). Her gift for writing poetry made her quite popular with her fellow students and teachers. She began to put on an air of self-importance, which was noticed by the superintendent, Mr. Jones. He called her into his office one day and gave her a talk that was kind and fatherly, but was a bombshell to her puffed up feelings. I will quote what he said to her, because he shares some very good words of wisdom: 

“Fanny,” he said, “your—your attempts at poetry, have brought you into prominence here in the school, and a great deal of flattery has been the result. Shun a flatterer, Fanny, as you would a snake! Now, I am going to give you some clean truth, which may hurt just now, but will be of great use one of these days. As yet, you know very little about poetry, or, in fact, anything else—compared to what there is to be known. You have almost all of it yet to learn. Do not think too much about rhymes, and the praises that come for them. Store your mind with useful knowledge and think more of what you can be, than of how you can appear. The favor and laudation of the world, Fanny, is a very fragile thing upon which to depend. Try to merit the approval of God, and of yourself, as well as that of your fellow creatures. Remember that the very air you breathe— the very food you eat—all the ability or talent that you may develop—come from God. Remember that you are always in His presence: and who has any right to be vain for a moment, when standing before Owner and Creator of all things?”

After getting over the shock of such a speech, Fanny replied, “You have talked to me as my father would have talked, were he living, and I thank you for it, over and over again. You have given me a lesson that I might have had to learn through bitter experience, and I shall profit by it.” In her autobiography she says right after telling this story: “And I believe I have done so: at least I have tried, through all these eighty-three years. I have done my best to remember that not my poor insignificant self, but the great God above, was entitled to the credit for whatever I could accomplish; and to keep the monster Egotism from coming up between my duty and me.”

At age twenty-two, Fanny became a teacher at the blind school where she had been a pupil. She continued to hone her poetry writing skills, receiving instruction from a poet teacher, Mr. Hamilton Murray. While teaching at the school, Fanny had the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. to raise awareness for the blind. There she was asked to give a poetical address before the Senate and House of Representatives. That same year she became a published author, her poems being collected into a book titled: The Blind Girl and Other Poems. Her first hymn was published in this book, titled: “An Evening Hymn”.

In 1858 Fanny married a former student of hers, Alexander Van Alstyne. Her husband insisted that she keep her maiden name as her literary name, but she chose to use her married name on legal documents. They had a bit of an unusual, sad marriage, and lived apart for many years. The year after they were married, they had a daughter born to them who they named Frances, but she died in her sleep soon after birth. Fanny’s husband became reclusive after the death of their daughter, and Fanny didn’t speak of having been a mother until later in her life.

In the 1850’s and ‘60’s, Fanny wrote song lyrics that became quite popular, but she said that in 1864 she began the most important work of her life– writing hymns. She was introduced to William B. Bradbury, the famous hymn music writer. He told Fanny that he had been wanting her to write for him for a long time. She went to work writing hymns to be set to his tunes right away. For four years they worked together until Mr. Bradbury’s death. They compiled three volumes of hymns, each containing about 30-40 of Fanny’s hymns. She would write as many as six or seven hymns a day.

In her later years, Fanny was active in speaking engagements and mission work in New York City, giving most of her income to rescue missions. Fanny Crosby died on February 12, 1915 at 94 years of age after a prolonged illness and a stroke. Her husband had died thirteen years earlier in 1902.

Fanny Crosby’s Hymn Writing Process

In her autobiography, Fanny mentioned that the first thing she would do when setting about to write a hymn was to pray. “It may seem a little old-fashioned, always to begin one’s work with prayer: but I never undertake a hymn without first asking the good Lord to be my inspiration in the work that I am about to do.”

“True hymns may be said, in one sense, to make themselves; although they must be given human instruments through which to work. No one should ever attempt to write a hymn, unless the ideas flow easily and naturally.” Fanny said that at times when ideas were not flowing quite so easily or she was not in the mood to write, she would “build the mood”, once again, going to God in prayer. She would “sit alone, as I have done on many a day and night, praying God to give me the thoughts and the feelings wherewith to compose my hymn. After a time—perhaps not unmingled with struggle—the ideas would come, and I would soon be happy in my verse.”

After she would finish writing a hymn, she would let it lay on the “writing desk” of her mind for a few days, and then cut or trim or change it. After the hymn was finished and copied down by a friend, Fanny would then wait for one of her composers to put a tune to it. Some of the composers who wrote music for her hymns were: William B. Bradbury, W.H. Doane, Robert Lowery, and Ira D. Sankey. It is said that she would be working on as many as twelve hymns at a time before having them transcribed onto paper.

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In her early poem writing days, Fanny Crosby did not attempt to write hymns, although she admitted she was drawn in that direction. She was an admirer of the great hymn writers Watts, Wesley, Montgomery, and others, but it never occurred to her that she could write hymns that people would want to sing. She said that she even resisted the inclination to write hymns. But as God convicted her of this, and she started putting to words what He put on her heart. Some of her well-known hymns that have blessed so many people are ones like, “Safe in the Arms of Jesus”, “Rescue the Perishing”, “Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior”, “I Am Thine O Lord”, “Blessed Assurance”, “Jesus is Tenderly Calling You Home”, “To God Be the Glory”, “He Hideth My Soul”, “Nearer My God to Thee”. Besides “Nearer My God To Thee”, my favorite hymn of hers would have to be “All the Way My Savior Leads Me”. This hymn has a neat story behind it…

“The writing of the hymn, “All the Way My Savior Leads Me”, was the result of a bit of personal experience. One day, I wanted the modestly substantial amount of five dollars for a particular purpose, and needed it very badly. I did not know, just then, exactly how to get it: and was led in my mind to pray for it. Somehow, I knew the good Lord would give it to me if I asked him for it—though exactly how, I did not know. Not long after I had prayed for the money, a gentleman came into the house, ‘passed the time of day’, shook hands with me, and went out immediately. When I closed my hand, after the friendly salutation, I found in it a five-dollar bill, which he had left there. I have no way to account for this, except to believe that God, in answer to my prayer, put it into the heart of this good man, to bring me the money. My first thought, after finding out the pecuniary value of this little silken reminder of friendship and regard, was, ‘In what a wonderful way the Lord helps me! All the way my Savior leads me!’ I immediately wrote the hymn, and Dr. Robert Lowry, the famous clergyman-hymn- writer, set it to music. I could mention here, many and many a case, in which I have had direct answer to prayer. I have never had the least reason to doubt the practical usefulness of that promise that if we ask we shall receive. Our Savior is so willing not only to lead us, but to supply our wants, if we will only ask Him!”

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;

For I know, whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.

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All the way my Savior leads me– cheers each winding path I tread,

Gives me grace for ev’ry trial, feeds me with the living bread.

Though my weary steps may falter and my soul athirst may be,

Gushing from the rock before me, lo! a spring of joy I see;

Gushing from the rock before me, lo! A spring of joy I see.

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All the way my Savior leads me– Oh, the fullness of His love!

Perfect rest to me is promised in my Father’s house above.

When my spirit, clothed immortal, wings its flight to realms of day,

This my song through endless ages: Jesus led me all the way;

This my song through endless ages: Jesus led me all the way.

At the end of Fanny Crosby’s autobiography as she reflects over what had transpired in her eighty-three years of living, she repeats the same phrase that was sent in the very first telegram: “What hath God wrought!” Being human, I’m sure Mrs. Crosby struggled at different times in her life with her blindness and asking the “why” questions…but in talking about her blindness, it was apparent that she chose trust and gratitude over doubt or bitterness. It can be hard sometimes to understand why God allows certain things to happen and it is natural to ask the “why” questions. God doesn’t always give us the answers to those questions, but He does tell us, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). We can hold onto the promise of Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”, and can know the peace of trusting our good, kind Shepherd who knows all things, is leading us in the way we should go, and who wants what is best for His sheep. And we can say along with the blind hymn writer – “For I know whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well”!  

Interesting Facts About Fanny Crosby

• She wrote over 5,000 hymns in her lifetime.
• Some publishers were hesitant to have so many hymns by one person in their hymnals, so Crosby used nearly 200 different pen names during her career. Some of those were: “Mrs. E.A. Andrew”, “Ella Dale”, “Julia Stirling”, “Victoria Francis”, “Lyman Cuyler”, “Lizzie Edwards”, “Grace I. Francis”, “Henrietta Blain”, “James M. Black”, “Frank Gould”, “Carrie M. Wilson”, “Minnie B. Lowery”, “Mrs. Van Alstyne”…   
• “Spring Hymn” was the only hymn that she wrote both the lyrics and music to.
• She was personal friends with young Grover Cleveland, who offered her his services of writing down her poems.
• She had the habit of holding a small book in her hands when composing or reciting her poems to audiences.