Sometimes our children don’t grow up to be just like us.  Many parents get upset when their children choose a different way of life than expected…

Charles Wesley grew to have three children of his own: Charles Jr, Sally Jr, and Samuel.  Charles and Samuel were musical prodigies, composing at a young age.  Charles Jr. played annually for King George III, and tutored Princess Charlotte, a fact which Charles Sr. was ambivalent about…fearing the attention of royalty might be bad for the soul.  While Charles Jr. was simply happy to play music, Samuel was much more annoyed with his parent’s strict way of life.  Music was of utmost importance to Samuel, and he joined the Catholic Church which had more lavish music than the Protestant churches.  Charles Sr. was so so distraught, he wrote things like “Farewell, my all of earthly hope,” adding, “And freely I resign / My Child for a few moments lent / (My Child no longer!) I consent / To see his face no more.”

Charles calmed down a bit over time, and changed his tune, telling Samuel that it mattered not whether he was Catholic or Protestant, so long as he was born again in his heart.

Fun fact!  October 21, 2015 is the date in the future that Marty Mcfly traveled to save his future son from bad choices in the 1989 Back to the Future 2…and it’s finally here!