A Mother's Influence

A Mother's Influence

May 12, 2014

Feel like you’re spinning in a circle going nowhere? Does what you do make a difference?

Consider this woman.
She was the 25^th child of 25.
She had 19 children.
Nine of her children died as infants.
Four of those infants were twins.
One was accidentally smothered by a maid.
She buried 11 of her children.
Her husband left her and the children for over a year over a minor dispute.
Her husband went to jail twice due to poor finances.
He spent all his life and the family’s finances on his book that was never remembered.
Their house burnt down twice.
One son nearly died and was rescued from second story window.
Her children were placed in different homes for two years while the house was rebuilt.

Yet, this woman resolved to speak with every one of her children alone. On Monday, Molly, on Tuesday Hetty, Wednesday with Nancy, Thursday with Jacky, Friday with Patty, Saturday with Charles…
She saw every soul under her charge as a talent committed to her under a trust.
While her children lived with others (due to fire/rebuilding of house), she was mortified that her children began to use improper speech and play more than study.
She instructed all her children.
The day after their fifth birthday, their formal education began.
After their first day (6 hours), they knew the alphabet. (All her children managed this, except two—she thought they were backward.)
They learned Latin and Greek.
Believing spiritual teachings were lacking in church, she assembled her children for Sunday afternoon services.
At one point over two hundred people attended her services while the Sunday morning service dwindled to nothing.
She knew the depravity of her human nature and the grace of God.
She wrote extended commentaries on the Apostle Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments. (All lost in a fire.)

Did her life matter? Did she make a difference?
Ask her two sons.
They applied her example, teachings and circumstances of their home life to their lives.
They were John and Charles Wesley.
The woman was known as the Mother of Methodism.
Her name...Susanna Wesley.

John Wesley is the co-founder of Methodism.
He preached to the lost.
Came from England to reach the Indians.
Instead, God reached him and saved him.

Charles Wesley taught many of his brother’s sermons in hymn form.
He wrote 8,989 hymns including “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “And Can It Be,” “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” and “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.”
He averaged ten lines of poem a day for 50 years.

Did Susanna make a difference?
You tell me.

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http://christianity.about.com/od/methodistdenomination/a/John-Wesley.htm visited website May 10, 2014
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/131christians/poets/charleswesley.html visited website May 10, 2014
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susanna_Wesley visited website May 10, 2014