Father, Whate'er of Earthly Bliss

The Lord never wastes suffering in the lives of His children; He always blesses their sacrifices.
That's the lesson of this once-widely-sung, now-seldom-heard hymn.
Anne Steele was born in Broughton, England, in 1716, the oldest daughter of a timber merchant. She faced her first tragedy at age three when her mother died. Her father, however, raised her for the Lord. Growing affluent in his business, he was able to pastor Broughton's Baptist church without salary, serving 40 years. Anne joined the church at age 14, and became her dad's co-worker.
When she was 19, a severe hip injury left her an invalid. She nontheless fell in love with one Robert Elscurot, who proposed to her. But he drowned the day before their wedding.
Out of her suffering, Anne began writing devotional material, and her ministry along-side her dad to the people of Broughton blossomed. In her mid-forties, Anne submitted her Poems on Subjects Chiefly Devotional for publication. Her father wrote in his diary, "This day Annie sent part of her composition to London to be printed. I entreat a gracious God, who enabled and stirred her up to such a work, to direct in it and to bless it for the good of many....I pray God to make it useful and keep her humble."
So many of these poems were coverted to hymns that Anne is remembered as one of the foremost women hymnists of the eighteenth century. Her best-known hymn, "Desiring Resignation and Thankfulness," was written as a personal prayer.

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Father, whate'er of earthly bliss, Thy sovereign will denies,

Accepted at Thy throne, let this, my humble prayer, arise:

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Give me a calm and thankful heart, from every murmur free;

The blessing of thy grace impart, and make me live to thee.

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Let the sweet hope that Thou art mine, my life and death attend,

Thy presence through my journey shine, and crown my journey's end.

The prayer of the final stanza was answered on November 11th, 1778, the day of her death. As her weeping friends gathered around, she closed her eyes and whispered her last words: "I know that my redeemer liveth."

~Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan