Appreciating the Differences Between Men and Women
Greetings sisters!
I pray your day is joyous in the Lord:-)
Brother Jim and I were talking about some of the differences between men and women and how oftentimes these differences can cause stress and tension in a marriage. These issues are little things in life and should remain that way if we take a biblical approach to dealing with them.
What brought about this discussion was something that happened the other day and I'll call it:
*Fluffy Fillers and Caulk
Our van can get cold at night because we don't heat it while we sleep so I bought us each a fluffy small blanket that we can lay lengthwise down the edge of the bed to help keep drafts out and it's soft and warm to the touch as opposed to ice cold sheets. The other day, after using it for a while, brother Jim said to me "Thanks for getting that blanket, I appreciated it last night. It's like caulk, I can poke it in the holes and it keeps out the cold."
I laughed and said 'That's a funny difference between men and women. I call mine a fluffy filler and you call it caulk!" That started us on a venture to think about other ways that men and women see things differently.
I realize that not every man or woman is like this and the examples are to the extreme simply to make a point. Hopefully it brings you some smiles.
Another example is:
* Cluttered vs Organized
Brother Jim tosses a few things up on his side of the dash and teases me saying that soon it will look like his desk in the office we used to have when we lived in a house. (Or more like some of the homeless vehicles we see:-)
* Food
Brother Jim said one difference is bites vs nibbles. Most men like to eat heartily with big plates full and go right at it whereas most women like to make smaller plates, take their time and enjoy it.
* Washing Clothes
Brother Jim said that most men like to jam all their clothes in one load to get it done whereas women sort them and wash according to the material. Then men will shove them into the basket when they're dry and just pull out what they need when they need it whereas women will fold and put them all away.
* Portion Size
Brother Jim said 'Men count handfuls and women count calories.
* Dishes
Brother Jim said women will wash dishes when they're dirty but men will wash only when they need them.
* Packages
Women will cut open a package neatly, men will do whatever it takes.
* Smells
Sometimes what men think smells good smells bad to a woman. I don't cook hamburger much but when I do brother Jim will get in the van and say 'That smells good!' And although it does, I'm already thinking about how to air it out when I'm done. I wonder if men have come up with a burger smelling air spray:-)
I pray your day is joyous in the Lord:-)
Brother Jim and I were talking about some of the differences between men and women and how oftentimes these differences can cause stress and tension in a marriage. These issues are little things in life and should remain that way if we take a biblical approach to dealing with them.
What brought about this discussion was something that happened the other day and I'll call it:
*Fluffy Fillers and Caulk
Our van can get cold at night because we don't heat it while we sleep so I bought us each a fluffy small blanket that we can lay lengthwise down the edge of the bed to help keep drafts out and it's soft and warm to the touch as opposed to ice cold sheets. The other day, after using it for a while, brother Jim said to me "Thanks for getting that blanket, I appreciated it last night. It's like caulk, I can poke it in the holes and it keeps out the cold."
I laughed and said 'That's a funny difference between men and women. I call mine a fluffy filler and you call it caulk!" That started us on a venture to think about other ways that men and women see things differently.
I realize that not every man or woman is like this and the examples are to the extreme simply to make a point. Hopefully it brings you some smiles.
Another example is:
* Cluttered vs Organized
Brother Jim tosses a few things up on his side of the dash and teases me saying that soon it will look like his desk in the office we used to have when we lived in a house. (Or more like some of the homeless vehicles we see:-)
* Food
Brother Jim said one difference is bites vs nibbles. Most men like to eat heartily with big plates full and go right at it whereas most women like to make smaller plates, take their time and enjoy it.
* Washing Clothes
Brother Jim said that most men like to jam all their clothes in one load to get it done whereas women sort them and wash according to the material. Then men will shove them into the basket when they're dry and just pull out what they need when they need it whereas women will fold and put them all away.
* Appearance vs Function
Most men could care less what things look like as long as they do what they are supposed to do but women would rather something look good as well as be functional. One example brother Jim brought up was cake. Men could care less what cake looks like nor do they care if they cut it straight...just give them a big piece! Women like it to look nice and cut them neatly:-)
* Portion Size
Brother Jim said 'Men count handfuls and women count calories.
Brother Jim said women will wash dishes when they're dirty but men will wash only when they need them.
* Packages
Women will cut open a package neatly, men will do whatever it takes.
* Smells
Sometimes what men think smells good smells bad to a woman. I don't cook hamburger much but when I do brother Jim will get in the van and say 'That smells good!' And although it does, I'm already thinking about how to air it out when I'm done. I wonder if men have come up with a burger smelling air spray:-)
* Words
Men have a tendency to use less words and women are more expressive.
* Troubles
Seems to be that when troubles arise in relationships men will give up and go to sleep whereas women will be awake all night wanting to resolve it.
* Protection
Most men want to protect their home and lives and are careful who they let in. Women are more hospitable and welcome people in.
* Cleanliness
Many men have a tendency to not worry about dirt and oftentimes just wipe it off wherever they can (shirt, pants, clean white towel:-) Women are always cleaning and washing.
Those are just a few of the common issues that can cause troubles in a marriage but as I mentioned before, if we take a biblical approach to them, they won't be as big. How do we do that? We, as wives will learn to mold to our husbands, submitting to him (Ephesians 5) and preferring him over ourselves (Romans 12:10). That doesn't mean we have to become like them but we should examine ourselves and see if we are being too extreme in these areas to the point of causing him frustration. Brother Jim and I have learned how to kill our flesh and find a medium ground between the two of us and how that has happened is by me not nagging and being a drippy wife (Proverbs 27:15) but by simply being a servant and helper, killing our flesh and not sweating the small things. Over time and maturity we have come to a common ground (sort of:-) to where these are not mountains like they used to be but instead mole hills that you just squash when you come across them.
May the love of Christ overcome such issues.
Love to you sisters,
Sister Deb
The biblical gospel...