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Just As I Am She was born in Clapham, England on March 18, 1798. Her family was members of the Church of England, many of them ministers. In her youth she showed artistic and literary talent when she painted portraits and wrote humorous poems. By the age of 32, Charlotte Elliott’s carefree life turned to sadness as her health failed and she was a permanently bedridden invalid. In 1822 Charlotte met the Swiss preacher, Dr. Caesar Malan. Her life was transformed from feelings of despondency and despair to Christian service. Charlotte corresponded with Dr. Malan for forty years, celebrating the date of their meeting as her soul’s birthday. After his urging her to follow Christ, in resentment she responded, “But I do not know how to find Christ.” Dr. Malan responded, “Come to Him just as you are.” Some years later when Charlotte was approximately forty-five her brother, the Rev, H. V. Elliott, was raising funds to help start a college for the daughters of poor clergymen. A bazaar for this purpose was held at St. Mary’s Hall, Brighton, and the Elliott family was busy working for it. As an invalid Charlotte didn’t know how she could help. Awake, most of the night worrying, she lay on her couch feeling useless while the rest of the family was busy at the church. Charlotte thought of the words spoken to her by Dr. Malan years earlier “come as you are,” which inspired the words of this universally well known hymn. “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, I come Just as I am, though tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt, fightings and fears within, without, Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; sight, riches, healing of the mind, yea, all I need in thee to find, Just as I am, thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; because thy promise I believe, Just as I am, thy love unknown hath broken every barrier down; now, to be thine, yea thine alone,” Open your Bible to Matthew 13: 24-30, Jesus’ parable of the weed and the wheat and let us remember that a parable is a true story with one or two points to draw from. Another parable Jesus put before the great crowd that was present, saying, “the Kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ “ As we have read this parable let us remember God is the sower, the seed is the kingdom and the soil is one’s heart. The headlines read, USA TODAY Thursday July 3, 2008: “Chance at greatness repels his demons. All-star nod will affirm Hamilton’s flight from drugs.” Josh Hamilton says the drug demons try to nudge him awake when he sleeps. They pester him when he’s alone, waiting for that moment of weakness. They are the ones that did everything imaginable to ruin his baseball career. Then, he says, they tried to kill him. “I’ve had so many dreams, so many nightmares that made me so scared,” says the Texas Rangers center fielder, “but there was always one that kept me going…. gave me hope. “It was making the All-Star Game, and being at the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium, and having the platform to tell my story.” Three years ago, Hamilton was in the depth of drug addiction, strung out on everything from crack cocaine to pills to booze. Hamilton’s parents, who had given up their jobs to travel with him in the minor leagues, gave up on him. Hamilton was ready to give up on himself,” Hamilton says. The Rangers will be in Baltimore to play the Orioles when the All-Star roster is announced, and Hamilton says he will do everything in his power not to cry. The rest of the family, all scheduled to travel with there to share the good news-his wife (Katie), two daughters (Julia, 7, and Sierra, 2; another daughter is due Aug. 210, parents, brothers and in-laws-won’t take that pledge. Neither will Roy Silver nor Randy Holland, who housed Hamilton at their Christian-based academy in Clearwater Florida, in 2006 during his comeback, having him mow the grass and scrub toilets to earn his keep. “I don’t know about anyone else, says Mary Holt, “but I’ll be crying like a baby.” Holt is Hamilton’s grandmother who took him in the night of Oct 5, 2005, when he showed up at her doorstep looking for food. Hamilton, who had lost forty pounds, vowed to her that he would never use drugs again. He has not broken that promise and will celebrate 33 months, three months short of six years, of sobriety Saturday July 5, 2008. The headlines read: SPORTS HOME RUN DERBY Springfield News-Sun Tuesday July `5, 2008, “JOSH HAMILTON SETS RECORD”. Josh Hamilton hit a record 28 homers in the first round of the All-Star Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium. The Texas Ranger and former Cincinnati Reds slugger, back from drug and alcohol addiction that derailed his career, broke Bobby Abreu’s mark for one round with a dazzling display of power Monday night. Does Hamilton expect people will expect him to fail? Yes. But he is determined to not give them what they want, as he never gave up on his dream or his faith in God. As Hamilton stated, “If you put God first in your life you can accomplish anything.” Life is like baseball, you may get four chances to walk, or three strikes and you’re out. Who’s on first? What’s on second? I don’t know is on third! And the day before yesterday is the pitcher. But where are you in the lineup of life? …In left field, struggling with the weeds that the devil plants in our lives? You see Josh Hamilton struggles daily with that which the devil planted in his life, the temptation of addiction that haunts him 24/7, even though he has given that temptation up to God for his strength. “To make a difference, you often must be different. It takes courage and confidence to go against the grain that which the devil plants, the grain of negativity that surrounds you, and such courage can bring great rewards,” irrelevant of whom you are. “When others see only doom and gloom, look for the bright glimmer of opportunity. For it is most certainly there.” Life is an adventure to make the most of or to waste irrelevant of our age. Listen, I think you’ll recognize the tune: Jesus loves me this I know even though my hair is white as snow. Though my sight is growing dim, Still He bids me trust in Him. YES JESUS LOVES ME. YES JESUS LOVES ME. YES JESUS LOVES ME THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO. Though my steps are oh, so slow, with my hand in His I’ll go. On through life, let come what may, he’ll be there to lead the way. YES JESUS LOVES ME. YES JESUS LOVES ME. YES JESUS LOVES ME THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO. Even though I have done wrong and sit incarcerated I am not alone for Jesus loves me this I know. When the nights are dark and long, in my heart Jesus puts a song. Telling me words so clear, ‘Have no fear for I am near.’ YES JESUS LOVES ME. YES JESUS LOVES ME. YES JESUS LOVES ME THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO. When my work on earth is done and life’s victories have been won. He will take me home above, and then I’ll understand His love. YES JESUS LOVES ME. YES JESUS LOVES ME. YES JESUS LOVES ME THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO. I love Jesus, does He know? Have I ever told Him so? Jesus loves to hear me say, that I love Him every day. Where are you today in your life? Matthew 13:36-43 Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. And Jesus’ disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” Jesus answered, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and evildoers, and throw them into the furnace of fire; their men will weep and gnash their teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He, who has ears, let him hear. Charlotte Elliott wrote approximately 150 hymns, Just As I Am, being her first. After her death in 1871, at the age of 82, over 1,000 letters were discovered among her papers describing how much the hymn had helped their writers. Yes, Josh Hamilton has beaten the odds for now. But every second of every day, Josh Hamilton is tempted by the devil and Josh watches his every step while thanking God for another day, another chance. The opportunity to be a witness to others of the miracle of God in His life, a miracle that can only happen when one makes the choice to walk in God’s footsteps and not be caught up in that of this world. Yes, there are going to be weeds in our lives. Yes, they can be challenging. The question is not “Who’s on first?” The question is “Who’s in charge of your life?” As my father asked me when I was a teenager, “if your buddy jumps off a bridge does that mean you will too?” In the wisdom and words of Dr. Malan who advised Charlotte (when in defiance she stated to him, “But I do not know how to find Christ”)… “Come just as you are.” “Come just as you are.” For where you are at this very moment in your life is good enough for God. It is we who judge others, we who judge the weed among the wheat. It is we who judge another by age, race, mentality, education, and actions. It is God who says, “Come just as you are. You are good enough and I love you.” Let us pray, “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, I come. Just as I am, though tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt, fighting’s and fears within, without, Just as I am, thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; because thy promise I believe. Just as I am, thy love unknown hath broken every barrier down, not, to be thine, yea thine alone. O Lamb of God, I come, I come. Thank you Father God for accepting me “Just As I Am.” May I remember it is my responsibility to pull away from the weeds in the world and to believe in You and the miracles that You have done, can do in my life. When the world may look at me and say I’m not good enough, I’m a crook, I’m too old, I’m useless, thank you Father God for believing in me and accepting me Just As I Am. Amen |
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