Go to www.sharihouse.com to read more "Her Story Silhouettes"
Hey there, I'm Shari. One of my favorite things to do is read about or study the lives of ordinary women who have done extraordinary things for the Lord.
Their stories challenge me, encourage me, and teach me. My hope is that these "silhouettes" or glimpses of their lives will do the same for you.
Each silhouette contains a small synopsis of a lady’s service to the Lord, a particular story from her everyday life that resonated with my own, and a short Bible study about a truth that I learned from it. I hope that as you read these posts you might be challenged to find out more about these great ladies, that you might find something that speaks to your heart or helps you in your own ministry, and that ultimately you will be encouraged to remain faithful to your calling.
So grab a cup of tea, sit back and enjoy, and let me tell you about her story.
Silhouette:
Emma Revell was born in London, England on July 5, 1843*.
In 1849 at the age of six* her family emigrated to America and settled in
Chicago. She was raised in the Baptist church and began teaching Sunday school
at the age of 15. She was quite well-educated and of a serious nature, but she
had a heart that loved people, and at the age of 17 she became a teacher in the
public school. Emma first met her future husband, Dwight L. Moody, when at the
age of 15 she decided to take a class at a mission school where he was working.
She was drawn to this magnetic individual, and although a young man himself,
Dwight was already an outstanding businessman who was well-known in the community.
She began volunteering in his Congregational evangelical organization, and they
eventually started dating. They shared a deep passion for showing God’s love
and kindness to others. When she was 17, she agreed to Dwight’s proposal of
marriage although he had made the life-altering decision to leave the business
world behind and focus on lost souls and the cause for Christ. Emma’s strong
faith aided her decision to submit to a life of unsalaried missionary work as her
future husband had determined to refuse all offers of salary, and instead they
chose to live by faith.
They were married in 1862 when Emma was 19 years old and
Dwight was 25 years old. After they were married, they set up house in Chicago
where their ministry had great success. Their daughter, Emma, was born in 1864
and their first son, William, was born in 1869. By the early 1870’s Dwight had
become a popular evangelist and was in quite high demand. Emma accompanied him for
the most part and his speaking engagements took them throughout the country and
overseas. She was a tremendous help to her husband and was willing to not have
a permanent home for many years. They happened to be at their house the night
of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. They lost everything as they watched their
house, their church, and their city burn to the ground. Emma was separated from
her two children who had been whisked away in a neighbor’s carriage in hopes of
fleeing the fire. The events of the night and the harrowing experience of not
knowing for 24 hours if her children had made it out safely caused her hair to
turn white never to regain its color.
Although her husband kept a watchful eye on the
rebuilding of the ministry in Chicago, their family never lived there again.
Instead they returned to Northfield, Massachusetts which was Dwight’s
birthplace. They began a ministry there and it grew quickly. Emma loved
teaching in the schools they established - the first one called Northfield
School* for girls and the second one called Mount Hermon School for boys. Their
third child, Paul, was born in 1879. During the next 20 years, they established
the Northfield Summer Conferences, a publishing house, and the Colportage
Library. In Chicago, they established the Chicago Evangelization Society, Moody
Church, Moody Press, and Moody Bible Institute.
It has been estimated that Dwight L. Moody traveled more
than one million miles in his evangelistic endeavors, and he addressed more
than 100 million people during his lifetime. In all that he accomplished, his
wife faithfully assisted him, mostly behind the scenes. Her poise and reserved
nature complemented his flamboyant, and at times in his early ministry, brash
manner making them a powerful force that the Lord used greatly. She was his
solid rock and Dwight relied heavily on Emma’s good judgment, knowledge of the
Scriptures, and deep devotion to the Lord for strength and guidance for this
great cause to which God had called them.
Dwight received letters daily from around the world that revealed
tragedies, had confessions of guilt, or dealt with other various problems that
called for spiritual counsel, compassion, and sometimes admonition. Dwight entrusted
Emma with the great task of answering most all of his correspondence. She also handled
all of the family finances, the running of the household, and the hosting of
the hundreds of guests that made their way through the seemingly revolving door
at the Moody household,
Throughout their entire ministry Dwight and Emma were
both devoted to their children and worked hard at keeping their children’s
hearts. All three answered God’s call to the ministry. They were devoted to
each other as well, and it is said of them that there was never such a happy
couple. Emma died on October 10, 1903, at the age of 61, four short years after
her husband’s death. Dwight often acknowledged that he could not have
accomplished his ministry without the quiet strength of his beloved wife. A
family member testified, “No man ever paid greater homage to his wife than Mr.
Moody. In every way he deferred to her.” Mr. Ira Sankey said of Emma, “One of
the greatest influences of his [D.L. Moody] life came from his wife. She has
been the break upon an impetuous nature, and she more than any other living
person is responsible for his success.” She was truly a woman of whom it could
be said, “She hath done what she could”!
Her Story/My Story:
During their 37 years of marriage and ministry, their
home was open to anyone. The great Northfield Conferences that represented
thousands of people from every nation on earth and sixty-two summers of
meetings began in Emma’s front parlor. She received all who came to her
doorstep. A prisoner just released from jail was as welcome and an earnest
Christian friend. Emma entertained neighbors, travelers from afar, college
students, poor street urchins, soldiers, earls, dukes, and Governor Generals
alike. She took care of meals for whoever was there whether it be one guest or
a couple dozen and whether they were staying for just an hour or for several
nights. She welcomed all with open arms and used the opportunity the Lord gave
her to make a difference in each person’s life.
In the months before her death she had been gravely ill
and unable to host as in times past. She was determined to resume her monthly Sunday
school class in the fall of 1903. The girls met for their September class in
her home to make it easier for her. It thrilled her to have them in her home
and have the opportunity to influence their lives. She died before their next
class in October, but she left behind her outline of notes that she had
prepared to teach on. Her last point was “He has sanctified childhood,
motherhood, and the home.” Emma used her home to
serve her Lord.
As a missionary between deputation and furlough, you can
imagine I have many stories I could tell about being the guest in someone’s
home. I remember once being given an entire wing of a house to myself that
included my own private bathroom, pool, exercise room, and TV lounge area that
was stocked with goodies. I didn’t sleep much that night because I just wanted
to take full advantage of everything. I also remember another night I didn’t get
much sleep. It was at a home I stayed in where I was asked to sleep in a
makeshift bed that was set up in the narrow hallway where the family, including
the husband, had to crawl across the bed to get to the kitchen and living
room. Needless to say, I slept with one
eye opened that night, and my pajamas stayed in the suitcase.
Bible Study: Company's Coming!
Do the words “company’s coming!” fill you with
delight or fright? Are you the first to volunteer when visitors need a place to
eat or stay or do you run away?
The Bible teaches us in . . .
- Hebrews 13:1-2 “Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
- I Peter 4:9 “Use hospitality one to another without grudging.”
- Titus 1 lists “lover of hospitality” as one of the attributes of a bishop
- Romans 12:13 says every Christian should be “. . .given to hospitality.”
There are many
examples in the Bible of people showing hospitality to others:
- Martha, Mary, and Lazarus welcomed Jesus and His disciples into their home to rest and rejuvenate
- The jailer took Paul and Silas to his home to dress their wounds.
- Lydia gave Paul, Silas, and Luke a place to stay for a time while they were doing missionary work in her town.
- Abraham and Sarah who entertained three strangers.
- Gaius opened his home up to the “whole church” in perilous times.
- The Shunamite woman used her home to minister to Elisha’s needs.
We can learn 6
things about being hospitable from 2 Kings 4 and the Shunamite woman, who the
Lord calls a “great woman.”
(vs. 8) - And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great
woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he
passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.
1. She was persuasive – the Bible uses the word “constrained.” She
invited Elisha into her home for the purpose of meeting his needs that day
which was giving him something to eat. It doesn’t say she killed the fatted
calf or prepared for him a feast. She served him a simple meal.
2. She was welcoming - Every time Elisha
passed by their house, he was welcome to come and take a meal.
(vs. 9) - And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy
man of God, which passeth by us continually.
3. She was perceptive – She perceived
that Elisha was a holy man. She was kind to Elisha before she knew he was a
person of importance.
(vs. 10) - Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for
him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be,
when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
4. She was discerning – She took note of
Elisha’s situation and considered what she could do to be a help to him.
5. She was thoughtful – She prepared a
room with the things she thought he needed – a bed, table, stool, and
candlestick.
(vs. 13) - And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.
6. She was unexpecting – She did not do
all of this for her guest in order to receive something in return.
Consider using
your home today to serve the Lord. Here are some possibilities:
- Invite some friends over for a time of prayer and fellowship.
- Invite a visitor or new church family to your house for a meal after a service.
- Invite a travelling missionary or speaker to stay in your guest room when they are travelling through town.
- Offer to babysit your pastor’s children so they can have a date night.
- Offer to host a youth activity.
Your home doesn’t have to be a palace to be used by the Lord, it just has
to have a hostess whose heart is open to accepting people into it for the
purpose of showing them God’s love.
3 Practical
tips for unexpected guests
1. Try to keep the main
bathroom and living/entertaining area of your home tidy at all times, but if a
guest should find your house a little otherwise, don’t apologize profusely for
it. Making a big deal of it will only make your unexpected guest feel like they
are bothering you and they should leave.
2. If your guests end up
staying for a meal, don’t worry if you don’t have the food on hand to make a
lavish meal. A simple meal served with love has a much more lasting effect than
a 4-course meal designed to impress.
3. Keep something on hand in
the cupboard you can mix up quickly for a sweet treat
like a box of brownies or a frozen roll of cookie dough. Another idea would be
to make a variety of muffins up ahead of time and freeze them. When someone
comes unexpectedly, just pull a few out and pop them in the microwave.
10 Elements
of a great guest room - If at all possible give your guest their own
room.
1. Clean and tidy room
2. Clean towels, sheets, and
blankets
3. At least 2 pillows so the
extra one can be used for reading in bed. (I have a set of thick pillows and
thin pillows I use to accommodate those who have different preferences)
4. A small or dim light near
the bed
5. A mirror (full length if
possible)
6. A box of tissues
7. A trash can
8. An electrical outlet near
the bed for charging electronic devices and one near the mirror for getting
ready. (If an outlet isn’t available in either of these places, provide an
extension cord.)
9. A clock
10. Space in the closet/place
to hang clothes and extra hangers
10 Extra
things to really make a guest feel comfortable
1. A chair that can be used
for reading, studying, getting dressed, etc.
2. A small gift bag of goodies
and snacks to tide them over between meals
3. A small vase of flowers
4. A private bathroom stocked
with toiletries
5. An information card with Wi-Fi
code, alarm code, instructions for using the washer/dryer, local emergency
numbers, etc.
6. Some good reading books or
magazines
7. A place to hang towels
8. A basket for dirty laundry
9. Travel & info tips
about local attractions
10. Candle with
lighter/matches or flashlight in case of power outage
_________________________________________________________
* Some accounts list her birth year as 1842.
* Some accounts list her age as 7 instead of 6 for when
the family emigrated depending on which birth year they use.
* Northfield School for Girls and Mount Hermon school for
Boys is now one school called Northfield Mount Hermon or NMH.
Resources/Book List:
A Heavenly Destiny: The Life Story of Mrs. D.L. Moody,
Emma Moody Powell, Moody Press, 1943
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*Disclaimer:
I have chosen to highlight the life of these ladies because of what they have accomplished for the Lord not because I agree with their doctrinal beliefs. As with all study of man, our focus should be on the character traits they bestowed in their lives that allowed the Lord to use them, how the Lord used them, the methods of ministry they incorporated that allowed them to be effective, etc. We do not study man to get our doctrine. Our doctrinal beliefs should only come from the Bible. To that end you may find you don’t agree with the doctrine of a particular person that I write about, but I believe there is still much wisdom we can gain from studying their lives.
