On an ordinary day in 1875, Fanny Crosby – one of the most prolific and beloved hymn text writers ever – desperately needed money to pay her rent. So Fanny, who had been blind since infancy, turned to the one thing she always did when she needed answers: prayer. A few minutes later a stranger appeared at her door and gave her the exact amount of money she needed. She later wrote, “I have no way of accounting for this except to believe that God put it into the heart of this good man to bring the money.” In response to the man’s good deed, that day Fanny penned the text All the Way My Savior Leads Me.
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.
Fanny often worked with William Bradbury, composer of He Leadeth Me and Jesus Loves Me, to set her hymn texts to music. But after Bradbury’s death, Fanny found another equally gifted composer to write music for her texts: Baptist minister and music editor Dr. Robert Lowry. All the Way My Savior Leads Me was their first hymn together.
Because pure, simple faith is this hymn’s message, my piano arrangement of All the Way My Savior Leads Me is delicate with uncluttered rhythms, harmonies, and structure. And to emphasize the hymn’s most important message, near the end of the work I repeated the melodic motif that accompanies the text Jesus doeth all things well – a good reminder to us all. Enjoy!