Monday, July 6, 2009

No title, just read.

I've learned something recently: the minds of men and those of women are drastically different in every way. I was reading a book this morning, and man, this guy can draw relationships like a map. Check it out.

A man can focus like a laser on one thing and forget the rest of the world. While this can benefit him in that one arena, it can make him overlook other things that need his attention. A woman, on the other hand, is more multi-conscious, able to maintain an amazing awareness of many factors at once. She can talk on the phone, cook, know where the kids are in the house, and be planning for tomorrow...all simultaneously. Adding to this, a woman also thinks relationally. When she works on something, she is cognizant of all the people who are somehow connected to it.

Both of these tendencies are examples of how God designed women to complete their men. As God said at creation, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him" (Genesis 2:18). But these differences also create opportunities for misunderstanding.

Men, for example, tend to think in headlines and say exactly what they mean. Not much is needed to understand the message. His words are more literal and shouldn't be over-analyzed. But women think and speak between the lines. They tend to hint. A man often has to listen for what is implied if he wants to get the full meaning.

If a couple doesn't understand this about each other, the fallout can result in endless disagreements. He's frustrated wondering why she speaks in riddles and doesn't just come out and say things, or says "I told you so" when she never actually told him so. And she's frustrated wondering why he's so inconsiderate and doesn't add two and two together and just figure it out.

Here's the solution: the man needs to realize that his woman deeply longs for her husband to be thoughtful. It is a key to helping her feel loved. When she speaks, a wise man will listen like a detective to discover the unspoken needs and desires her words imply. If, however, she always has to put the pieces together for him, it steals the opportunity for him to demonstrate that he loves her. And that's what romance is all about.

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