Sarah Edwards

I recently read an excellent book about Sarah Edwards, the wife of Jonathan Edwards. The book helps to give a picture of the home life of the Edwards and what kind of people they were. My wife and I identified very well with their situation and personalities as we reflected on our own personalites and traits. But she said that I still could not dismiss myself from the dinner table to go read when guests were present even though Jonathan did so!

But the main point I got from the book was not one that was intended (a little reader response criticism here). While the Edwards did not lose any infants, they did lose several of their children before they died. And Edwards himself died just after starting his new job at Princeton (imagine what he might have done had he lived a few more years!). The last chapter was about the descendents of the Edwards and showed a picture of a family reunion in 1870 (or so), with several hundred people in attendence, all directly from Jonathan and Sarah. But the obvious truth hit more to me: all of these people are now dead. Usually this doesn't have great force for me (I read about people who are dead all the time), but for some reason it really reminded me that I cannot forget what is important. As I go to Wheaton and study for  PhD and hopefully begin my career, that is not the ultimate importance of my life. Even my family, as I watch my little girl grow up, is not the central theme. My relationship with God must be what is foundational. There might be a day when I lose the ability to think. There might be a time when I lose my family. But my foundation for life needs to be built on relationship with God.  

Of course, maybe this is all just coming to mind because I am almost 30! 

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