The Godly Influence of Mothers
Yesterday, I watched a brave, young mother marshal her three youngsters into the worship center before the start of our morning service. Dad had stopped to talk with someone along the way and mom walked on to chose a pew and settle her brood in. As I watched her wipe a nose, hand out pencils and paper, and dispense hard candy, I thanked God for the wonderful way that He put moms together. He made them gentle, wise, and capable. I am thankful for my own mom (who has been with the Lord now for over 12 years) and want to pay tribute to all moms by telling you the story of one remarkable mother.
Susanna Wesley experienced much hardship in her life. During the first nineteen years of her married life, she gave birth to nineteen children. Eight of those children died of natural causes due to sickness. Another child was accidentally smothered by someone who had come to help her. Another child was a paralytic.
Her husband was a minister who was victim to bouts of depression. He would often disappear from the home leaving Susanna with alone with the children. On one occasion, he disappeared for a whole year. They were extremely poor and mired in debt.
But none of that stopped Susanna from impacting her children for the cause of Christ and instilling her deep faith into them. Two of her children turned out to be giants of the Christian faith. John Wesley founded the Methodist church. Charles Wesley wrote more then 9000 hymns and poems in his life time. Many of his hymns are still favorites sung in churches around the world.
When Susanna Wesley died, her poet son, Charles, wrote this for her tombstone: "A Christian here her flesh laid down a cross exchanging for a crown."
Her children rise up and call her blessed. (Proverbs 31:28 (ESV)
