I love this rendition of the classic 'come to Jesus' hymn, popularized by the Billy Graham crusades. It was written by Charlotte Elliott of Brighton, England in 1836. As with so many hymns, this one was borne of the personal experience of the writer: A broken woman, embittered by her circumstances, experiences the joy of acceptance and love flowing from the One who bids us "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."
The story goes that Charlotte was an invalid whose disability was brought on by a serious illness in her younger years. She was beset by an ailing body that did not function as it should, and often caused her pain, resulting in a somewhat irritable nature. She is said to have muttered, "If God loved me, he would not have treated me this way."
Charlotte grew up in a family of believers, and her father often entertained ministers and others doing gospel work. It was at one of these visits that a Swiss minister, Dr. Cesar Malan, was having dinner with the family when he witnessed an ugly outburst from Charlotte, in which she assailed faith and family after losing her temper. Once the dust had cleared, Dr. Malan began a quiet and serious conversation with Charlotte. He gently asked her if she was tired of herself, because she herself was all that she was holding onto in this world, and it was making her bitter; full of anger and resentment. When she asked him what the cure was, he answered that it was "the faith you are trying to despise". The minister talked with her for some time, and her countenance softened as they spoke. She told him that she wanted to know God, but did not know how she could come to Him in such a miserable state. He is said to have answered her, "Why not just come as you are?". He told her that she could give herself to God with all of her "fightings and fears, hates and loves, pride and shame". He was able to explain to her that great truth of the gospel: it is not what WE have done, can do or will do, but what HE has done for us by virtue of His shed blood on the cross, that makes us acceptable in His eyes. Charlotte did indeed come just as she was, and on that day she was transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His light and life. Her entire world shifted from one of self-centered alienation from the things of God, to a holy adoption into His very family, a brand new creation for whom the promises of God are both sure and manifold.
Charlotte later found a special personal meaning in a verse she read in John's gospel: "The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." Later when she wrote "Just As I Am", her first among many hymns, that scripture reference was noted in the anonymously-penned leaflet that comprised its first publication. It is said that years later, when Charlotte was ill and bedridden, her physician brought a copy of this hymn with him when he came to visit. He had previously received it from a woman who found it greatly comforting, and who had taken to copying and distributing the words to anyone whom she felt might benefit from its simple message. Charlotte's doctor put it into his feeble patient's hands, telling her that he hoped that she would find it as comforting as he did. There is no doubt of the mutual joy they shared in discussing not only the content of that hymn, but the author!
