This was one of the songs that Jason and I had sung during our wedding ceremony.
It's so full of truth, hope, and promises--something that a beginning marriage definitely needs. The particular version that we had was Chris Tomlin's (it's so beautiful!) I looked up the history of this hymn in my "Then Sings My Soul" book which has 150 of the world's greatest hymn stories. Miss Crosby has written some well known hymns (Blessed Assurance--another favorite of mine), poems, and other writings but this one in particular strikes a cord with me--not to mention it may have some sentimental value to us now.
"ALL THE WAY MY SAVIOR LEADS ME"
Fanny J. Crosby {1875}
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.
All the way my Savior leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread,
Gives me grace for every 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.
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.
"...that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." Colossians 1:9
When Fanny Crosby wrote, "All the way my Savior leads me, /What have I to ask beside?" she was expressing her own testimony of God's guidance. Even her blindness, she realized, was part of His plan.
When Fanny was about six weeks old, her parents had realized with alarm that something was wrong with her eyes. The local doctor was away, but the Crosby's found a man--no one afterward recalled his name--who claimed to be a physician. He put hot poultice on the baby's inflamed eyes, insisting it would draw out the infection. The infection didn't clear up, but white scars appeared, and in the months that followed the baby registered no response to objects held before her. As it turned out, Fanny was not totally blind. Even in old age she could discern day from night. But, her vision was gone.
Yet, this stimulated other gifts, such as her phenomenal memory. As a child, Fanny memorized whole sections of the Bible, including most of the Pentateuch, the four Gospels, all of Proverbs, and vast portions of other books. Whenever she wanted to "read" a passage, she just turned there in her mental "Bible" and read it, verbatim. "This Holy Book," she said when eighty-five, "has nurtured my entire life."
Years later, Fanny viewed her blindness as a special gift from God, believing He had given her a particular "soul vision" which equipped her for a special work. "It was the best thing that could have happened to me," she declared. "How in the world could I have lived such a helpful life had I not been blind?"
"Don't blame the doctor," Fanny said on another occasion. "He is probably dead by this time. But if I could meet him, I would tell him that he unwittingly did me the greatest favor in the world."
Though this hymn expressed Fanny Crosby's lifelong testimony, it was prompted by a specific incident in 1874. One day she didn't have enough money to pay her rent. Just as she committed the matter to God in prayer, a stranger appeared at her door and pressed a ten-dollar bill in her hand before disappearing. It was the very amount needed. That night, she wrote the words to "All the Way My Savior Leads Me."
As I've mentioned before--a previous youth director of mine once said that most all hymns end with verses on heaven--either literally or metaphorically. I love the last verse of this song "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." What a testament and reflection of the hope we have as we trudge through this side of life. Thank God that we have Him to lead us, guide us, comfort us, and remind us that we've won! We win and we have this never ending hope and promise that's coming to us one day soon! Praise be to my God that loves me enough to bring me to Him, to lead me!
