Aunt Fanny

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
‘Tis all that I can do.
— Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

We never know how deeply our actions affect the lives of others. This last verse from the hymn, Alas, And Did My Savior Bleed? by Isaac Watts has certainly touched the hearts of millions through the centuries. After drawing the stark contrasts between the sacrificial death of the mighty Maker and the unworthiness of the sinful creature, he concludes with the consecration, “Here, Lord, I give myself away—’Tis all that I can do.”

A thirty-year-old blind woman heard a revival choir sing this simple hymn. Stanza after stanza stirred her heart, but when the choir came to the final line, “Here, Lord, I give myself away,” she gave herself away to the Lord as well. That blind woman was Fanny Crosby, who went on to become the greatest writer of gospel songs in the 20th century. We never know how deeply our lives will touch the lives of others.*

For those of you who may have never heard of Fanny Crosby, here are a few of her most popular hymns that I imagine you have sung many times:

Redeemed
Blessed Assurance
To God Be The Glory
Praise Him! Praise Him!

This was written on her tombstone when she died in 1915 in Bridgeport, CT:

“Aunt Fanny – She Hath Done What She Could”

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise. — Proverbs 31:30-32