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Give, Oh! Give

Have you ever wondered how attitude and perspective make a difference in dealing with the challenges one faces in life? Frances Jane van Alstyne Crosby, more commonly known as Fanny Crosby, focused on what she had, and not what was lacking. To her, finding ways to serve others made all of the difference.

Fanny was born on March 24, 1820 in the village of Brewster, about 50 miles north of New York City, the only child of John and Mercy Crosby. At six-weeks-old, Fanny caught a cold and developed inflammation in her eyes. Because of the advice of the physicians of the day, mustard poultices were applied to treat the discharge. According to Fanny, the procedure damaged her optic nerve, causing her to go blind. When she was six months old, her father died.

She was cared for by her mother and maternal grandmother, both women who had an abiding Christian faith. They realized that though Fanny’s eyes were damaged, there was certainly nothing wrong with her mind. They had Fanny memorize long passages from the Bible. From the age of 10, Fanny memorized five chapters of the Bible each week. By the age of 15, she had memorized the four New Testament gospels, the first five books of the Old Testament, the Book of Proverbs, and many of the Psalms.

Fanny also had a talent for composing poetry. A poem which she wrote at the age of nine shows her resolve and disposition to make the best of her life.

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.

About the age of 12, Fanny attended her first Methodist church services and was delighted by their hymns. This event would later impact her life’s work. In 1835, at the age of 15, she became a student at the New York Institution for the Blind, remaining there for eight years as a student and another two years as an instructor. During this time, she learned to play the piano, organ, harp, and guitar and became a good singer. After graduation, she took an active part in lobbying for social causes, including better educational opportunities for people who were blind. She published more than 1,000 secular poems and wrote words to over 60 popular songs.

Then, in 1849, a cholera epidemic raged through New York City. Instead of leaving the city, Fanny stayed at the New York Institute for the Blind to nurse the sick. During this time of sickness and death, Fanny turned her thoughts to the state of her spiritual life and decided something was lacking. Her focus in recent years had not been on religious pursuits and her relationship with God had been neglected.

Her life moved forward with marriage and the birth of a child, who died shortly after birth. However, her determination to make God a priority in her life continued to grow. Fanny once said, “It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow, I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.”

Fanny used her talents to create lyrics for hymns. Writing more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs, with more than 100 million printed copies, she was known as the “Queen of Gospel Song Writers” and the “Mother of Modern Congregational Singing in America”. Publishers were hesitant to have too many hymns by one person in a hymnal, so she used almost 200 different composer names in her hymns. She once said, “When I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.” “A Joyful Song,” also called “Behold! A Royal Army,” shows her love for Jesus Christ and why her music touched so many. The stirring lyrics she penned were teamed with a lively melody by fellow blind composer, Adam Geibel.

A Joyful Song

Behold! A royal army,
With banner, sword and shield,
Are marching forth to conquer,
On life’s great battlefield;
Its ranks are filled with soldiers,
United, bold and strong,
Who followed their commander,
And sing their joyful song.

Victory, victory,
Through Him that redeemed us!
Victory, victory,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Victory, victory, victory!
Through Jesus Christ our Lord!

In Fanny Crosby’s 95 years of life, she was best known as a hymn writer, but also gave her time and money as a rescue mission worker. Fanny could have had a comfortable income, but instead often gave away anything that she did not consider necessary for daily survival. She frequently donated the royalties she earned to worthy causes. During the final three decades of her life, she dedicated her time as “Aunt Fanny” to help at city rescue missions.

Fanny’s desire to “give” in the service of others and the Lord, is especially evident in a children’s hymn which she wrote – “‘Give,’ Said the Little Stream.” The lyrics to this song and the simplicity of giving of oneself in the service of others is a message we can all take to heart.

“Give,” said the little stream,
“Give, oh! Give, give, oh! give.”
“Give,” said the little stream,
As it hurried down the hill;
“I’m small, I know, but wherever I go
The fields grow greener still.”

“Give,” said the little rain,
“Give, oh! Give, give, oh! give.”
“Give,” said the little rain,
As it fell upon the flowers.
I’ll raise their drooping heads again,”
As it fell upon the flowers.

Give, then, as Jesus gives,
Give, oh! give, give, oh! give.
Give, then, as Jesus gives;
There is something all can give.
Do as the streams and blossoms do:
For God and others live.

Chorus:
Singing, singing all the day,
“Give away, oh! give away.”
Singing, singing all the day,
“Give, oh! give away.”

Fanny Crosby died in 1915 and was buried in a cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut, having given her life in the service of others and followed her belief to “give as Jesus gives.” Her family erected a very small, simple tombstone at her request, which carried the words: “Aunt Fanny: She hath done what she could.”

Sources:
https://www.thetabernaclechoir.org/articles/give-said-the-little-stream.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_Crosby
https://hymnary.org/person/Crosby_Fanny