Just As I Am
Ms Charlotte Elliott was born in Brighton, England, as an invalid in 1789. Despite being born into a loving Christian family, she harbored deep feelings of inadequacy as to her ability to be useful in her life – she saw herself as having no purpose. With broken health and broken, painful body, she saw her whole existence as broken and useless. Charlotte harbored a deep resentment against God for making her that way. “How could He love me, if he made me this way?”
On May 8, 1822, a minister from Switzerland named Dr Cesar Malan (NOT the current dog-whisperer!) came to visit the Elliott’s home. As the minister began to talk about faith, Charlotte, in a fit of temper, violently railed against God. Embarrassed, the family left the room – leaving her alone with the minister.
Dr Malan allowed her to calm down, then quietly asked her, “You’re tired of yourself, aren’t you? You are holding on to your hate and anger because you have nothing else in the world to cling to. Because of that, you have become sour, bitter, and resentful.” “What is your cure?” Charlotte asked. He replied, “The very faith you are trying to despise.”
As they spoke, Charlotte’s heart finally softened. She asked, “If I wanted to become a Christian, what would I do?” Dr Malan replied, “Give yourself to God just as you are now, with your fightings and fears, hates and loves, pride and shame.”
Charlotte replied, “I can come to God just as I am? Is that right?” She received Christ that evening, and it changed her life. She still struggled from time to time with feelings of uselessness, but an ongoing friendship with Dr Malan helped her to place those feelings in the proper context. She learned to pour out her feelings and her life experience into verse, eventually writing over 150 hymns and publishing her own hymnal called “The Invalid’s Hymn Book.”
Years later, her brother, a reverend, was hosting an event to raise money for the education of the children of poor pastors in their area. She had, at the time, another spell of doubting her usefulness, when her brother asked her to write a poem for the flyer of this event. In trying to come up with verse, she thought back to that day she met Dr Malan and his words “…just as you are now…” and poured out her heart:
Just as I am – without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
– O Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am – and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
– O Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am – though toss’d about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings within, and fears without,
– O Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am – poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need, in Thee to find,
– O Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am – Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
– O Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am – Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
– O Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am – of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
– O Lamb of God, I come!
This hymn has touched many lives over the years, being a favorite at altar calls in small churches and great crusades alike. Billy Graham used the title of this song as the title of his autobiography.
Charlotte Elliott lived to be 82 years old, never enjoying good health. When she passed away, her loved ones found over a thousand letters she had saved from people who had written to express their appreciation for how this particular hymn had touched their lives.
Then Sings My Soul, Robert J. Morgan, 2003.
https://www.challies.com/articles/hymn-stories-just-as-i-am/
Showing posts with label Billy Graham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Billy Graham. Show all posts
Sunday, October 14, 2018
It Is No Secret
It is No Secret
Stuart Hamblen was one of the original singing radio cowboys. He gained fame for his radio broadcast in the 1930s through the 1950s, and also had movie credits with Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and John Wayne. He had a personal reputation as a hard drinker and a brawler.
In 1949, a young evangelist named Billy Graham came to Los Angeles for three weeks of revival meetings. As Billy was not yet a big name, he was disappointed when the newspapers of Los Angeles all refused to publicize the meetings. He did, however, get an invitation to the home of Bible teacher Henrietta Mears to meet a number of Hollywood personalities, including Stuart Hamblen. Stuart and Billy became quick friends at that meeting and Stuart offered his radio show to Billy to promote his crusades. Billy accepted and at the end of the radio interview, Stuart said on the air to “make sure you all come, ‘cause I’ll be there too!”
Stuart was given front-and-center seating through the meetings and, despite Billy’s prayers, did not seem to be responding to the message. As the three-week campaign was nearing the end, the local organizers asked Billy to extend the meetings. Billy had never done this before and prayed, asking God for a sign. At about 4:30 the next morning, the hotel phone rang. Billy answered and it was Stuart, under deep conviction. Billy invited him over right away, and Stuart gave his life to Christ that morning.
That incident was the ‘sign’ Billy needed to consent to extend his meetings.
Stuart went on his radio show, excitedly telling his listeners about his conversion, and the local media picked up the story, giving the Billy Graham revival its first major boost of publicity and launching him into the fame he enjoyed the rest of his life. The Los Angeles revival ended up lasting a full eight weeks.
Not long after Stuart met with his friend John Wayne who asked him, “What’s this I hear about you Stuart?” Stuart related the story to him, ending by saying, “John, it’s no secret what God can do.” The Duke replied to him by saying, “That sounds like a song!” Stuart went home and penned the words and music to “It’s No Secret.”
It is no secret, what God can do.
What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you.
With arms open wide, He’ll pardon you,
It is no secret, what God can do.
Then Sings My Soul, Morgan, Robert J., Nelson Publishers, 2003.
http://www.hamblenmusic.com/home/stuart-hamblen/pages
Stuart Hamblen was one of the original singing radio cowboys. He gained fame for his radio broadcast in the 1930s through the 1950s, and also had movie credits with Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and John Wayne. He had a personal reputation as a hard drinker and a brawler.
In 1949, a young evangelist named Billy Graham came to Los Angeles for three weeks of revival meetings. As Billy was not yet a big name, he was disappointed when the newspapers of Los Angeles all refused to publicize the meetings. He did, however, get an invitation to the home of Bible teacher Henrietta Mears to meet a number of Hollywood personalities, including Stuart Hamblen. Stuart and Billy became quick friends at that meeting and Stuart offered his radio show to Billy to promote his crusades. Billy accepted and at the end of the radio interview, Stuart said on the air to “make sure you all come, ‘cause I’ll be there too!”
Stuart was given front-and-center seating through the meetings and, despite Billy’s prayers, did not seem to be responding to the message. As the three-week campaign was nearing the end, the local organizers asked Billy to extend the meetings. Billy had never done this before and prayed, asking God for a sign. At about 4:30 the next morning, the hotel phone rang. Billy answered and it was Stuart, under deep conviction. Billy invited him over right away, and Stuart gave his life to Christ that morning.
That incident was the ‘sign’ Billy needed to consent to extend his meetings.
Stuart went on his radio show, excitedly telling his listeners about his conversion, and the local media picked up the story, giving the Billy Graham revival its first major boost of publicity and launching him into the fame he enjoyed the rest of his life. The Los Angeles revival ended up lasting a full eight weeks.
Not long after Stuart met with his friend John Wayne who asked him, “What’s this I hear about you Stuart?” Stuart related the story to him, ending by saying, “John, it’s no secret what God can do.” The Duke replied to him by saying, “That sounds like a song!” Stuart went home and penned the words and music to “It’s No Secret.”
It is no secret, what God can do.
What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you.
With arms open wide, He’ll pardon you,
It is no secret, what God can do.
Then Sings My Soul, Morgan, Robert J., Nelson Publishers, 2003.
http://www.hamblenmusic.com/home/stuart-hamblen/pages
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