“I had to learn how to live with joy even when my kids were making difficult decisions that I may not have approved of or liked.” Today Stacy welcomes author and speaker, Mary DeMuth, who shares wisdom and hope for parents of adult children. Loving, praying, and listening is key to navigating this relationship. In prayer, instead of prescribing to God the way we want Him to work in our kids’ lives, we can relinquish control and watch with anticipation and joy how He will creatively give us sign posts along the way.
Scriptures
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6 NKJV
Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.” Luke 15:13-18 NIV
Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’” Luke 15:3-6 NIV
Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 CSB
Book
Love, Pray, Listen: Parenting Your Wayward Adult Kids with Joy
Links
Marydemuth.com/lpl – 52 prayers for your adult children
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About our Guest
Mary DeMuth is an international speaker, podcaster, and author of over forty books, including her latest, Love, Pray, Listen: Parenting Your Wayward Adult Kids with Joy. Through God’s healing, Mary has overcome a difficult past to become an authentic example of what it means to live a brand-new story. She loves to help others “re-story” their lives through the books she writes. Mary lives in Texas with her husband, Patrick, of 33 years and is mom to three adult children. In her spare time, she loves to cook, run, garden, decorate, paint, and do interior design. Connect with Mary at marydemuth.com.
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