Matthew 12:46 makes me grin. Jesus was a grown man and Mary still wanted to mother him.

Mary probably had heard reports of her son’s actions and words. The scripture doesn’t tell us their private conversation but I think it might have gone something like this.

“Son, you need to be more careful about what you say and how you say it.”

“Mom – ”

“Your words are offending important people. Who chose that tunic for you? Didn’t I tell you that’s not your best color?”

“Mom – ”

“Being arrested won’t look good on your resume and did you ever send your Aunt Betsy a thank you letter for your birthday gift?”

“Mom – ”

“And think about who your friends are. Are you eating enough? If you’d come home more…”

(grin)

Being a mom, she still worried, still tried to advise, still thought of him as a child.

Until my children were young adults, I thought Mary was being a worry-wart. (That’s Southern for overly concerned.) Now I understand.

I want to advise and counsel (Meddle is such an unpleasant word.), my adult children in both small decisions and life decisions. Even when children are grown and gone, a mother’s nurturing instincts stay activated and occasionally spin out of control.

Pray for guidance as to when, how, and to what extent you continue to speak into your child’s life. (If this is a struggle for you, thanks to a wide selection of fashion forward duct tape, you can seal your lips and color co-ordinate it with your clothes.)

Pray they will learn to listen and follow His voice. Not yours.