A Mother-In-Law’s Prayer
‘Adjust yourself to [people].’ Romans 12:16 AMP
A woman who was about to become a mother-in-law wrote to columnist Abigail Van Buren: ‘My son will marry his girlfriend this summer. She’s a lovely girl…already a cherished member of our family. I remember a prayer you ran; a pep talk from a woman to herself as she approached mother-in-law status.’
… Here’s the prayer: ‘Lord, let me be glad when my son picks a mate. If he brings home a girl with two heads, let me love both of them equally. When he says, “Mum, I want to get married,” forbid that I should blurt out, “How far along is she?” Help me get through the wedding preparations without squabbling with the “other side”. Drive from my mind the belief that had my child waited, they could’ve done better. Remind me when I become a grandmother, that my kids don’t want advice on raising their children any more than I did. If you’ll help me with these things, perhaps my children will find me a joy to be around, and I won’t end up writing another letter complaining about them neglecting me.’
Just because another person doesn’t do things the way we do, doesn’t necessarily mean their way of doing things is wrong. Different people have different ways of achieving the same ends. A sign of maturity is the ability to get along with someone who thinks and acts differently—without getting offended. Paul says, ‘Adjust yourself to [people]… Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits.’ It takes humility to keep your own counsel and resist giving unsolicited advice to your adult children.