Disabled Hymn Writers

Welcome to Joni and Friends. This is Joni Eareckson Tada with an interesting story about this hymn.

All the way my Saviour leads me; What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt his tender mercy Who through life has been my Guide?
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know what-e’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.
For I know what-e’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.

You know people often ask me why I love to sing this old hymn and, of course, it’s for the same reason many people love hymns—the beauty of the words, the biblical doctrine in each line, the tunes that are so lovely. But there is another reason I love hymns and it has to do with my wheelchair, because so many of the old hymns were written by people who struggled with disabilities.

Like this hymn I just sang. The composer, Fanny Crosby, was totally blind. And I have to believe that her visual impairment added to the richness and depth of those words she wrote. In fact, this woman who was blind, wrote over 6,000 hymns including “Tell Me the Story of Jesus” and (my real favorite) “To God Be the Glory.”

But she’s not alone. Several other blind people wrote some of the most remarkable hymns of our Christian heritage. George Matheson he was blind and he composed, “O Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go” and, one of our best-loved hymns of the church, “Sweet Hour of Prayer,” was written by William Walford and he was also blind.

And there were other people with other disabilities who became famous hymn writers. Charlotte Elliot had a severe illness early on in life which left her in great pain and often bedridden. As a young girl, she often became frustrated with her disability, and she would lament that her physical problems left her so out of sorts and irritable. When a visiting preacher shared the Gospel with her, she replied, “Oh, that’s not for me; I'm not worthy; I'm not a very pleasant person.” But the preacher told her, “Oh, Charlotte you should come just as you are.” “Just as I am?” she asked, amazed, which is why, after she opened her heart to Christ, one of the first hymns she wrote was, “Just as I Am.”

Catherine Hankey who was confined to bed to recover from a serious illness, wrote “Tell Me the Old, Old Story” (I remember learning that one in Sunday School). Eliza Hewitt had a severe spinal condition, and it was out of her pain that she wrote “When We All Get to Heaven”. Eliza, dealing with chronic pain, I’m sure she looked forward to heaven with such joy, joy enough to write hymns about that glorious Day. Disability, illness, frail health … all of these things marked the great hymn writers of the faith. Even William Cowper suffered from severe mental illness and he wrote, “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood.” And who can forget the story of Horatio Spafford who composed “It Is Well with My Soul” after he lost four daughters in a terrible shipwreck.

Hey, I’d like to send you today three booklets that I’ve written on the subject of God’s hand in our hardships. The insights will truly bless you and you can get your copies by visiting my radio page today at joniandfriends.org.

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