Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Melody (08/24/06)
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TITLE: Tears of joy | Previous Challenge Entry
By Helen Murray
08/28/06 -
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On a warm summer’s night at the Royal Agricultural Showground arena sat Elaine, remembering parades of cattle wearing their brilliant blue and red prize-winner’s ribbons, horses undergirding elegant riders, dogs rounding up sheep to the whistles of their farmer-masters, tent-pegging police racing their greys (horses) to pick off corks with their sharp spears, and ace speed drivers winding in and out of one anothers’ pathways at high speed, so that she had wondered, while biting her lips, how they didn’t crash a hundred times.
To sit in the middle of such an arena felt daring, as the cool breezes teased her skin, On this night, close to her eighteenth birthday, she had no idea what to expect. Someone speaking, they had said. There was a stage set up in mid-arena, with microphones and a piano. The songs were profound. Elaine was used to singing hymns at school, but these were new to her. The speaker made sense, and at the end there were many people going forward to give their lives to Jesus. She had never experienced such an event before, and sat for some time considering whether she also would go. Her mother and her friend were not moving, but Elaine’s friends were already helping out the front. There was a desire to go, but she sat frozen, lacking the confidence. What if she didn’t go? She couldn’t let this chance to make peace with God pass her by. What would her mother say? She had always dictated her every move. Elaine’s beating heart knew she would say “No”. It was no use asking her. What to do? The music was playing. People had all gone to the front and it was nearly over. It was now or never. Her heart was tugging, tugging.
Then the music changed. The words of the new lyric were crystal clear. “Deep calls to deep!” says the scripture, and Elaine felt a powerful comfort in her soul. Instantaneously she reviewed the years of struggling with having to give the right impression, look good even if one felt lousy, and being a totally background person. The words of this new hymn flooded her spirit with a deep joy. She was acceptable. If she went, Jesus would accept her. The gentle melody assured her that she could go and be received like the others.
Decisively she initiated her move without permission!. Leaping up, she ran before anything could be said to her. They would just have to wait for her return. With the greatest of joy Elaine received Jesus that night and experienced a strong and passionate vision of the love which He bears to all men and with which they can love one another. This was joy beyond measure. Identity crisis was history. A powerful vision for her life was in that moment delineated - to live from a platform of love! How magnificent!
The hymn, written by Miss Charlotte Elliot to commemorate her own night of salvation, and which enabled this frozen young woman to scramble up onto her feet and go out to Jesus in a wave of miraculous emancipation, was:
“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, 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, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, 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, 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, I come.
Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, 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, I come!”
It’s melody, to this very day, brings floods of wonderful tears to the eyes of an elderly champion of Jesus Christ by the name of Elaine.
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