The Rebel's Guide to Joy in Suffering: Charlotte Elliott

This week, as part of our Best of Mars Hill Sermons mini-series, we're putting out "Joy in Suffering," from the fall of 2007's Rebel's Guide to Joy series, on the podcasts. At the end of each sermon in this series, was a short video about the life of one disciple in the midst of a hellish trial. For this sermon, we looked at the life of Charlotte Elliott, who wrote the hymn "Just As I Am," which was later used as the altar call song for Billy Graham crusades, as well as the title of his autobiography.

"Carefree Charlotte," was how Charlotte Elliott was known for the first 30 years of her life; she even made part of her living as a comedy writer. But shortly after her 30th birthday, it all changed forever. What Charlotte didn't know at the time, was she would spend the next 50 years of her life bedridden with constant pain and exhaustion. She hated God and cursed him for making her a prisoner to her own bed. When her father invited a pastor over, she lashed out at him for talking to her about this God at whom she was so angry. But he immediately saw right through her. Hear Mahalia Jackson sing "Just As I Am" here. The hymn was also covered by Johnny Cash for his album of the same name.