IN A FEW DAYS we will honor motherhood once again. Susannah Wesley, wife of a pastor and mother of 19 children, has gone down in history as an ideal mother. In spite of poverty, sickness, and disappointment, she managed her household well. Perhaps we can learn from her in today’s permissive society. She made time each week to take each of those boys and girls aside and counsel with them, speaking to them about the love of Jesus. Is it any wonder that one boy in that family became the greatest preacher of his generation, and another son became the greatest hymn writer in the English-speaking world? With a mother like that, we can understand why Charles Wesley wrote these lines, ardent with devotion to Christ: O for a thousand tongues to sing My great Redeemer's praise, The glories of my God and King, The triumphs of His grace! Jesus! the name that charms our fears, That bids our sorrows cease; 'Tis music in the sinner's ears; 'Tis life, and healthy, and peace.

Susannah’s rules for raising children were as follows:
1. Subdue self-will in a child and thus work together with God to save his soul.
2. Teach him to pray as soon as he can speak.
3. Give him nothing he cries for and only what is good for him if he asks for it politely.
4. To prevent lying, punish no fault which is freely confessed, but never allow a rebellious, sinful act to go unnoticed.
5. Commend and reward good behavior.
6. Strictly observe all promises you have make to your child.

She never allowed her temper to show through. Scolding was not practiced. She would always explain and explain.

Her influence over her children extended well into their adult years. When John Wesley was in college, he wrote asking his mother what books to read. And her recommendation influenced his life.

The influence of a mother can never be overestimated, be it good or evil. I recently came across a poem that expresses this truth.

A Mother's Influence
I took a piece of plastic clay
And idly fashioned it one day;
And as my fingers pressed it still
It moved and yielded at my will.
I came again when days were past,
The form I gave it still it bore,
And as my fingers pressed it still,
I could change that form no more.
I took a piece of living clay,
And gently formed it day by day,
And molded with my power and art,
A young child's soft and yielding heart.
I came again when days were gone;
It was a man I looked upon,
He still that early impress bore,
And I could change it never more.
- Source Unknown.

“WHAT’S THE HURRY?” That’s what I have often found myself saying to myself as I am somewhere in traffic. I watch with disbelief as drivers cut in and out of traffic, on their way to work. One wrong move and they could cause an accident that might well result in the loss of life—not just theirs, but others as well. Why don’t they start out a little earlier and enjoy the commute? They may shave off a few seconds from the trip and end up shaving off their life!

Come on, now. Have you ever had some guy pass you when there was little room. He rushes ahead at break-neck speed and has to stop for a traffic light. A few seconds later, you pull up right behind him. The light changes and off he goes again. Doesn’t he realize that he is driving a two or three thousand pound vehicle that could easily become a weapon!

All of this reminds me of a man who prided himself on being exceedingly punctual. He followed a very precise routine every morning. His alarm went off at 6:30 A.M. He rose briskly, shaved, showered, ate his breakfast, brushed his teeth, picked up his briefcase, got into his car, drove to the nearby ferry landing, parked his car, rode the ferry across to the downtown business area, got off the ferry, walked smartly to his building, marched to the elevator, rode to the seventeenth floor, hung up his coat, opened his briefcase, spread his papers out on his desk, and sat down in his chair at precisely 8:00. Not 8:01, not even 7:59. Always at 8:00. He followed this same routine without variation for eight years.

Then one morning his alarm did not go off and he slept 15 minutes late. When he finally awoke, he was panic-stricken. He rushed through his shower, nicked himself shaving, gulped down his breakfast, grabbed his briefcase, jumped into his car, drove like crazy to the ferry landing, jumped out of his car, and looked for the ferry. There it was, out in the water a few feet from the dock. He said to himself, “I think I can make it.” And he ran down the dock toward the ferry at full speed. Reaching the edge of the pier he gave an enormous leap out over the water and miraculously landed with a loud thud on the deck of the ferry. The captain rushed down to make sure he was all right and said, “Man, that was some leap, but if you would have just waited another minute, we would have reached the dock and you could have walked on.”

Haste makes waste—waste of energy, time, and possibly even life itself! Why do we rush through life? Let’s slow down and enjoy the trip.

“Do not be a fool-- why die before your time?” (Ecclesiastes 7:17)

LEARNED ANOTHER LESSON THE OTHER DAY. Don’t be too hasty to rid yourself of things; you might regret it sooner than you think. Let me share an incident with you that occurred at a funeral that I was officiating at.

As I was approaching the church where the service was to be held, I glanced at my small notebook that contained the order of service, along with other vital information. I noticed that I had forgotten to remove data from a previous memorial service, so I took them out, handed them to my wife, and asked her to please dispose of them on her way to the restroom. You see, I was afraid I might get them mixed up with the current funeral service.

The beginning of the service was about to commence. I took a few moments to review my remarks. As I turned in the notebook, to my horror I discovered that a section was missing! It was then that I realized that I had given them to my wife for destruction. I was about to panic. I collected myself and went immediately to where my wife was seated and asked her to please retrieve them, if possible.

She reappeared in a few moments with the missing material in hand! Fortunately she had simply deposited them in a waste basket, without tearing them up. Needless to say, I breathed a sigh of relief and made my way to the lobby so that I could be in place for the entrance into the sanctuary. I owe her a dinner and some flowers!

I must admit that I am one of those people that tends to throw things away too quickly. But after this incident, I think I will probably weigh the consequences of such action. My father used to tell me to hang on to things for a while because you never know when you might need them. He grew up in the Great Depression and never threw anything away! From now on I’ll hang on to material for a while. I could save me some embarrassment later on.

Proverbs 13:16: “Wise people think before they act.” Ouch!