Key Bible Verse: So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27). Bonus Reading: Genesis 2:21-24

When your wife wants to talk about 14 things as soon as you come through the door after work, she isn't trying to hassle you. She really does have 14 files of thoughts and feelings open and running at once in the busy computer of her thought life. Unwanted pop-ups from last night, last month, or ten years ago are intruding all the time, and she can't easily dismiss them.

Now that you're aware of this difference between the sexes, realize that you might not be the issue. Instead of concluding, Uh-oh, she thinks I did something wrong again, ask, "Sweetheart, did I do something wrong, or are you upset about something else?"

Because it's harder for her to just push something out of her mind, there's a risk that she'll be living in a marginally unhappy state for hours or days if something is wrong. So help her process the traffic streaming through her consciousness. Give her a listening ear, a hug, or the reassurance she needs to resolve an issue in her mind. Encourage her to take some action to close an open window. Even better, take some action yourself. Help her clear those distracting or painful windows so they don't keep coming back.

—Jeff Feldhahn in For Men Only

My Response: An old wound I could help my mate process, resolve, and let go of is …

Thought to Apply: The goal in marriage is not to think alike, but to think together.—ROBERT DODDS (counselor)

Adapted from For Men Only (Multnomah, 2006) by permission.

Prayer for the Week

Lord, You designed male and female to complement each other. Help me mesh with Your design.

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