After Caroline Townsend died, her daughter Abigail looked back at her as a glorious example of true spirituality. Once, while Abigail was visiting her friend Edith, Frances Ridley Havergal entered the room. Edith introduced the two. “This is my friend, Abbie Townsend. I was so lonely without her–she taught me to know Jesus soon after my accident. We have read and prayed together, and she often recites poems about Jesus to me. I do not get so tired when she is with me.”
A few days into the visit, Miss Havergal noticed how often Abbie mentioned her mother. Fearing this was a snare to the young girl, Miss Havergal said, “Abbie, I would like to have a talk with you. Have you ever given your life in consecration to God?” Abigail didn’t understand. “What I mean is this–the Lord Jesus should have the first place in your heart. I notice you often speak of doing something ‘for mother’s sake.’ Edith tells me you wrote a little poem about your mother. May I see it?” Abbie hated to let anyone read her writing. Her father had told her it was nothing but “doggerel.” But at last Abbie went for the treasured paper on which she had written her mother’s requests and advice concerning her Christian life. To each one Abbie had written, “I will do this for dear mother’s sake.” Miss Havergal read the paper through and said, “This isn’t so badly put together, dear; however, I see in this what I feared. It is by the blood of Jesus Christ you have been saved, and it is for His sake you should do everything through life. These lines would lead one to think that everything was done for your mother’s sake. What you need to do is to erase your mother’s name.”
This shocked Abbie. She exclaimed, “Oh, I’ll never, never do it.”
Putting an arm around Abbie’s neck, Miss Havergal responded, “Remember, dear, what I fear for you is that loving your mother as you do, you are putting her in the place of Jesus Christ. Let us pray that God will show you now what true consecration means. When you are ready to have a pencil drawn through your mother’s name, I shall feel the time has come for your consecration.”
“I do not think it will ever come, Miss Havergal.”
Without answering, she prayed, “Father, here is a little child of Thine who wants to follow Jesus wholly, but loves the memory of her mother better. Show her that Jesus comes first. Cause her to put everything on the altar now, even as Abraham did his son Isaac; let her, like Abraham, believe that God is able.” Before rising from their knees, Miss Havergal, in a sweet, low voice, sang, “My all is on the altar, I’m waiting for the fire; Waiting, waiting, waiting, I’m waiting for the fire.”
“Are you ready, dear? Are you waiting for the fire to burn all earthly ties so that Jesus alone shall rule your life? Listen, dear, be careful how you answer. This means everything, even to your mother’s name. See, I have a pencil. Shall I put it through that name? Are you ready?”
Silent, Abbie shook her head. Miss Havergal, continuing to pray and sing the same words: “My all is on the altar, I’m waiting for the fire.”
An intense struggle was taking place in the heart of this young girl between her own will and the will of Him who said, “He that loveth father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me.” Then Abbie joyfully cried out, “‘Lord Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine. For Thee all the pleasures of sin I resign.’ You will make everything else right.”
Miss Havergal drew her pencil through the words, “For my dear mother’s sake,” writing underneath, “I do these things for my dear Saviour’s sake, and because my precious mother taught me.” This struggle brought a flood of tears, but recovering herself, Abigail waved the paper in the air, saying, “Oh, mother, mother, see what I have gained! Jesus is more to me than
He ever was before, and I love you more too, my precious, precious mother.”
Looking back, Sister Abigail wrote, “Every time I think of that crucial moment in my life, it seems that Miss Havergal must have known what it was ‘to travail in birth’ till Christ was formed in me.”