“I had a bad day today.” Those were the words my husband spoke after returning home from work.
Wanting to be supportive, I asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I just did,” he replied.
And truly, that was all he needed to say. I, on the other hand, wanted to know what happened hour by hour, resulting in the overall sense of a bad day. Thankfully, God had already been teaching me the differences in our personalities and make up so that I was able to give him some space, rather than increase his frustration.
I marvel at the intentional differences in God’s creation of men and women. Not just physically, but how we each process, our use of language, what we store as memories, how we each approach tasks, or problem solve, just to name a few.
Sometimes my marveling takes the form of, what were you thinking God ? and other times it is more along the lines of, grateful for our different perspectives on this matter.
On the days when I rail against the way my husband does or doesn’t function, I try to remember that I am taking issue with the Creator who said his creation of man and woman is very good. Jerry and I imagine God saying, “this will be fun to watch!” and then enjoying a belly laugh as he watches us grow into one.
I think God is on to something. I’ve tried the arguing, the questioning, and the objections. Those options get me more frustrated. The snickering at and embracing of our differences results in less stress, more enjoyment and a quicker acceptance on my part. We may still need to talk the situation through, but it is easier to do so after the tension is released.
Image by Elisa Riva from Pixabay
Try it the next time you and your husband or wife encounter one of those classic male/female differences. I’d love to hear how it works for you.