Just As I Am

Scripture

 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

~John 6:37, NIV

Quote

“God loves us as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us as we are.”

~C.S. Lewis

Those who have known me for a while have heard me tell the story about Charlotte Elliott of Brighton, England. Charlotte’s father, Charles Elliott was a prosperous silk merchant in London and a committed Christian. Charlotte did have an uncle, Henry Venn, who was a prominent evangelical Anglican minister and her brother was also a minister. So she came from an outstanding Christian family, yet Charlotte, due to chronic illness, was an embittered young woman with a terrible attitude. She was heard to say more than once, “If God loved me, He would not have treated me this way.” Hoping to help Charlotte, a friend of the family and Swiss minister, Dr. Ceasar Malan visited the Elliott estate on May 9,1822. While the family was at the dinner table, Charlotte went on a tirade, she railed against God and even her own family. Her outburst was so embarrassing that every member of the family left the dinning room leaving only Charlotte and Dr. Malan. After some silence, he spoke gently to Charlotte, “You are tired of yourself, aren’t you? You are holding to your hate and anger because you have nothing else to cling to. Consequently, you have become sour, bitter and resentful.” After a pause, Charlotte said, “What is your cure?” Dr. Malan said, “It is the faith you are trying to despise.” As they continued the conversation, Charlotte began to soften and eventually she asked Dr. Malan, “If I wanted to become a Christian and to share the peace and joy you possess, what would I do?” Dr. Malan said, “Give yourself to God just as you are right now, with your fightings, fears, hates, loves, pride and shame.” Charlotte responded, “You mean come to Christ just as I am right now.” Charlotte did come to Christ that very night and claimed John 6:37 as her life verse, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

Years later, her brother Henry Elliott who was raising money for a school for poor clergymen’s children and Charlotte wrote a poem that was printed and sold across England. That poem is the hymn JUST AS I AM and was made world famous by Dr. Billy Graham who used it in all his crusades. Charlotte lived to be 82 and wrote more than 150 hymns. Ephesians 3:20-21 comes to mind…Now to HIM who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to HIS power that is at work within us, to HIM be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Extra

I am excited about our Wednesday night supper. We are having Tex-Mex at Six. Charles is frying fiatas on the grill, Leann is making a big pot of pintos. Hey is is all coming together. Don’t let Big Mama out do you, she is inviting prospects. Hey it is a good outreach event. I am looking forward to it. LORD willing, I will be going to Athens this evening and then on to Huntsville for Josie’s soccer game; if it doesn’t get rained out. According to our gauge, we got 1.04 yesterday and 2.3 this week. It is not bad here at 1120 but the new place does not drain and it is a mud hole. Sure can’t complain about the temperatures.

I hope you have a great day and thanks for reading the blog.