The other day, I posted the lyrics of an old song, “He Giveth More Grace.” Though I had been singing it throughout the morning, I wanted to make sure I had the words right before adding it on my blog post. The site where I found the lyrics also contained a story about their author, Annie Johnson Flint, and I was drawn into reading it.
I have a new “friend” as a result.
No, I never met her. No, I had never heard of her before that time. Yes, she is deceased. But still, I now count her as a friend. She impacted my life and pointed it heavenward as her words crossed my path. I won’t tell the entire story, but here is the extremely-abbreviated version:
Born in 1866, Annie was the first child born to Eldon and Jean Johnson. Only three years after her birth, Annie’s mother died during the delivery of Annie’s younger sister. Knowing he could not properly care for the little girls, Eldon took them to the home of a widow of a Civil War soldier. They were only in that home for two years.
The widow’s neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Flint, took the two Johnson girls into their home at that time, and not only loved them and gave them their name, but introduced them to Christ! Annie grew in her love for the things of the Lord and in her love of poetry. Her optimistic nature was clearly seen in her writings.
Skip ahead to her post high school years. Annie found out as a very young woman (barely out of high school) that she had arthritis. It was extreme and debilitating and rendered her as a crippled invalid in very little time. Her resources were minimal, but God allowed her to use the skills He had given her to begin creating greeting cards – not for her own sake, but to be an encouragement to others.
Her journals contain very little regarding the pains and sorrows caused by her illness, but tell of what God allowed her to do for others and how He provided for her every need! She took the comfort she received from the Lord, and used it to be a comfort to those around her – and beyond, to 2012! [II Corinthians 1:3-4]
“…she always stated that her poems were born of the need of others and not from her own need; but one knows full well that she never could have written as she did for the comfort and help of thousands of others if she had not had the background of facing those very crises in her own life.”
I am personally thankful for this dear servant of God whose life has left its imprint on my heart.
“Her life was lived, as someone has said, from hand to mouth, but as she liked to have it expressed, the mouth was hers, and the hand was God’s and His hand was never empty.”
Click here to read more about the life of Annie Johnson Flint.
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Thank you for taking time to read “My Friend Annie.” Please fee free to leave a comment or question.