Oh, 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.
– Fanny Crosby
American mission worker, poet, lyricist, and composer, Fanny Crosby was born on this day in 1820. She died on February 12, 1915 at the age of 94.
Despite being blind from shortly after her birth, Crosby wrote more than 8,000 hymns, many of them still beloved by Christian churches around the world.
So, what’s my excuse?
I’m not writing hymns. But the reality is the only thing standing in my way of writing is me.
Not my brother, not my sister, but it’s me, Oh Lord…
I don’t think Crosby wrote that.
Hymn publishers were hesitant to print so many hymns under Crosby’s names, so she used over 200 pseudonyms during her career.
Ironically when I went searching for stories about Crosby I found this post I wrote a few years ago when I was still writing for Examiner.com. 10 of Fanny Crosby’s Best Loved Hymns.
I no longer right religiously for Examiner.com…so to speak. I explained a while back why I dropped them. It just wasn’t profitable. It has to be a very rare occasion or opportunity for me to choose to write for you for free.
I recently got another offer to write for free. I snarked about it on Facebook. It was an offer to write for an education journal at a local university. They also had seen an article on Examiner.com.
“Although this would not be a paid position, it would give you an opportunity to spread your voice to a new audience.”
Unfortunately, most folks missed the point of my Facebook snark and congratulated me on the new gig. While I am indeed flattered that an educational journal would like me to write for them, that’s just too much like work. And I ain’t doin’ that without getting paid.
See? Bad grammar. I can’t write for you anyway.
When I read words written by someone with the challenges Crosby faced, I find little tolerance for my own whining about physical therapy or other ailments. Especially since a lot of mine are self-induced.
Ouch. I went there. Let’s get back to Fanny.
Or perhaps I should get off of mine.
Ouch. I went there, too.
When there are 8,000 of Crosby’s hymns to choose from, it’s hard to pick a favorite. This is one of them.
To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.
Refrain
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.
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