Just as I Am
At the age of 32, Charlotte Ellliott suffered a serious illness that left her a semi-invalid for the rest of her life. Within a year she went through a spiritual crisis and confessed to the Swiss evangelist Henri A. Cesar Malan that she did not know how to come to Christ. He answered, “Come to him just as you are.” Thinking back on that experience twelve years later, in 1834, she wrote “Just as I Am” as a statement of her faith.
”Just as I Am” has been my favourite Communion hymn since I was very young. It was recently one of our Sunday morning Holy Communion hymns and as I sang, I reflected on the lyrics. God really does accept me as I come before Him, just as I am, a sinner and imperfect, with personal conflicts and with doubts. I feel so blessed that He finds a way to use me to serve Him and LWMLC and Praise and thanks be to God that He does.
Karen Hildebrandt, LWMLC VP Communication
Serving in His Strength” is a blog
published by the Member Development Committee of
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League–Canada, Inc.
Lutheranwomen.ca
2026