Mother Leafy Anderson: I Will Guide Thee With Mine Eye

Leafy Anderson experienced a life changing vision of her spirit guide, Black Hawk, while she was living in Chicago; she dedicated the rest of her life to spirituality and uplifting her community. According to accounts from her students, her life motto became "Helping One Another." 

She became known as Mother Leafy Anderson, and acted as a Spiritualist minister, teacher, and medium. She named her Church the Eternal Life Christian Spiritualist Church, and founded several congregations through out the country from Chicago, to Texas, Florida, and finally New Orleans where she spent the rest of her life. 

In an era of legal segregation and extreme prejudice, her Church services were fully interracial; she broke with tradition of either using only acapella singing, or traditional Church instruments such as the piano, to included full jazz bands. Her services included the reading of the scriptures, prayer, and would end with spiritual phenomena, such as trance mediumship and healing. 

 She believed in a direct access to God through ministering angels and spirit guides, and according to a disciple of Anderson, "She wanted to make the world know what God was doing for her.” She had numerous Spirit Guides, including the biblical Queen Esther and the Virgin Mary, but she put her faith particularly in Black Hawk, the famous Sauk Leader of American history. She encouraged her followers to put their trust in him, as he was sent to them by God. A disciple of hers recalled her saying, "Go to him for anything you want. He’ll never disappoint you"

We live in uncertain times, just like Mother Anderson, but I believe that makes her teachings more relevant than ever. We should always keep in mind the duty of "Helping One Another," the ministry of angels and spirit guides are still with us, Black Hawk will always be "Our Watchman on the Wall" and we can call to these good spirits for strength and fortitude at all times. 

According to tradition, Mother Leafy Anderson's favorite hymn that she would sing was I Will Guide Thee

Precious promise God hath given 

To the weary passer-by, 

All the way from earth to Heaven; 

I will guide thee with mine eye. 

I will guide thee, I will guide thee, 

I will guide thee with mine eye; 

All the way from earth to Heaven, 

I will guide thee with mine eye. 

When temptations almost win thee, 

And thy trusted watchers fly, 

Let this promise ring within thee: 

I will guide thee with mine eye. 

When thy secret hopes have perished 

In the grave of years gone by, 

Let this promise still be cherished: 

I will guide thee with mine eye. 

When the shades of life are falling, 

And the hour has come to die, 

Hear thy trusted leader calling: 

I will guide thee with mine eye.