Welcome to Susanna’s Apron! I hope this site encourages you on
the parenting journey.
Susanna Wesley (1669-1742) was the mother of nineteen children. Like most of us, she struggled with her own flaws, the perils of her day, and great personal tragedy. Nine of her children died in infancy. She homeschooled her remaining children successfully through many trials, including persecution, a marital separation, her husband's imprisonment, sickness, and poverty.
Susanna’s Apron is not specifically a Methodist site,
nor a tribute to Susanna Wesley, although certainly Methodists are wonderful
people, and Susanna deserved as many tributes as people are willing to
give her. I named the site
after her simply because she is an example of a mother who relied on God and
found him faithful.
Susanna Wesley (1669-1742) was the mother of nineteen children. Like most of us, she struggled with her own flaws, the perils of her day, and great personal tragedy. Nine of her children died in infancy. She homeschooled her remaining children successfully through many trials, including persecution, a marital separation, her husband's imprisonment, sickness, and poverty.
Among her surviving children were John and Charles Wesley, founders of the Methodist movement. Both men were hugely and positively influential in the spiritual life of England and beyond. John preached more than 40,000 sermons, encouraging everyday people to experience a personal relationship with God. He spoke against slavery and reached out to the orphaned, sick, and poor. Charles’ main influence consisted in his more than 6,000 hymns, many of which are still sung in churches today.
Raising children today is challenging. We must explain
issues we wish they never had to face. Our world is threatened by terrorism and
economic uncertainty. Some of us may have to guide our children through divorce,
poverty, or even the death of a parent or loved one. Unhealthy influences from
the media or peers beckon our children, pressuring them to engage in unsafe
activities. Disease is on the rise, too. Our fears for our children are grimly
realistic, while the world around us only presents more frightening questions,
with no answers.
However, raising children has always been difficult. Each
generation has borne its own set of thorny problems, many of them terrifying.
That’s why looking back can offer us real hope. Mothers throughout history have
demonstrated that through it all God is faithful, and we can trust him with our
children.
Susanna recognized her daily dependence on God,
and prioritized her relationship with him. When she needed time with him, she
simply pulled her apron over her head to pray. That was the children's signal
to leave her alone!
Susanna Wesley recognized and fulfilled the
high calling of motherhood. Her secret was an apron, and the God who is available to mothers
everywhere.
