Have you ever heard of Fanny Crosby? She was a Christian songwriter who produced more worship music than Martin Luther, Chris Tomlin, and Hillsong combined. By the time she died in 1915, Fanny had written over 8,000 hymns and gospel songs. If you’ve ever sung “Blessed Assurance” or “Take the World but Give Me Jesus” or “To God Be the Glory,” you’ve sung a Fanny Crosby hit. But the craziest part is that Fanny was blind for almost all 94 years of her life. 

You might expect her to be bitter, but she wasn’t. At age 8, Fanny wrote these faith-filled words: “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.” That’s some faith for a third grader!

The apostle Paul wants you to have the same kind of trust in God’s purposes for your pain. After rejoicing in our peace, our access to God, and the love we have in Jesus, Paul boasts, “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3,4).

Like Fanny Crosby, Paul knew that God is always working for the good of his people. What kind of good work might God be up to on your bad days?