Sunday, March 16, 2008

• Male vs Female -- The Box Issue!!

  The "box" issue created quite a discussion at Sunday dinner following our Palm Sunday drama.

  The whole "box" conversation came from considering the difference between male and female brains. You see, the conversation at the table was lively between our two grandchildren, one male and female.  Both are great talkers. But neither of them relent in their desire to be the 'focus' of all our interests~!  Typical 9 and 6 year olds. They are darling and wonderful, but given to differing perspectives on life. 

  Grandpa sided with our 9 year old, of course.  The gender is the same. At nine, you don't know that the male brain is made up of 'boxes' and there is one box for each of the many categories of interests in a man's life.  Also, there is the most important box of all . . .the one which has nothing in it. Nada! Zip!  Zero! (A big fat O. . .nothing at all!)  Yet when a man is in that Nothing Box, we all know it -- the women and girls, that is.  We are clearly shut out of the world where a guy is at the time.

  In order to get into that world of totally internal focus (the Nothing Box) we women enjoy asking leading questions: "What are you thinking about?" "What do you think about this or that?" 

   

  When we get "DUH?" or total silence in response to our question, we are clearly seeing the intensity of focus by the buy who is in his Nothing Box!

   

  Believe me, I am very experienced with this whole "Box" idea.  It was a recent introduction to a pastor who is traveling the country giving instructions to the people in churches about the difference between the male and female brain.  You see, I didn't realize the full truth about the male Box, therefore I was expending much energy trying to entice my precious husband into taking a leap out of the box into the world of my thoughts and interests, only to see, repeatedly, the futility of that effort at certain times.

  It was Mark Gungor who cleared up the dilemma for me. 

  http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1059025/tale_of_two_brains/

  He explained the difference between my brain and my husband's.  Mine is hot-wired for every possible connection and link in the communication of interests and ideas which pass through the air in every moment of time. There are thoughts and ideas and creationary agendas which cover the entire spectrum of human interest and life experience.  The maze of wiring which are interconnected and crossed over are more than any individual could possibly trace and track through my thinking. . . but those thoughts are clearly interwoven in a pattern, system and plan of expression just waiting to interact with my best friend, my husband. 

   

  My only problem is to figure out how to keep him out of his Nothing Box.  He much prefers that box to anything of interest on any level at times.  Of course, there are ways and means of getting his attention. . . but having to resort to those methods becomes old hat after a while.  You really do prefer that once in a while the march out of the box will come about with a gusto  -- ready for interaction on any level of interest I may want to introduce at the moment.

   

  There are questions I store up, just waiting for the moment to instigate a great discussion on a serious topic of concern to our society right now.  However, the Box is preferred to any possible engagement on any serious topic of anything other than the proper way to watch Tiger's latest golf exploit as he is playing the Arnold Palmer most recent tournament. An old classic golf tournament is much preferred to getting out of the box, so to speak. 

   

  It is possible to click away through 350+ TV channels without ever coming out of the box!  Of course, there is the perfunctory answer to my question, " Would you like a diet coke with ice or in a can?"  I don't need to ask. I know the answer.  "Honey, thank you, a can will be just fine."  And back into the box!

   

  Something about this must have some deeply spiritual significance, and it really does.  For at the very root of our relationship is this fact: Our marriage is to be a picture to the watching world of the relationship of Jesus Christ and His love for His Church. My love for my husband is to be a picture of submission to Christ by His followers who are His Church, His Body in this world today. 

  This whole "box" idea seems silly in comparison to the serious nature of the Ephesians passage of scripture about marriage representing the relationship of Christ and His Church.

  Yet, it is the very core of the matter. 

  None of us realized when we married that we were going to be dealing with Nothing Boxes in our relationship.

  Just now, this explanation about male Vs. female brains makes me realize how much God knew we would need to die to ourselves. . .giving us Christ's example to follow. 

   

  Have you ever tried to pry a Nothing Box off the head of a contented husband?  You can really do a lot of damage to a lot of his body. . . particularily his ears.  Seems like every time I try to do that, he loses his hearing.  ~~

  (Certainly NOT THE END!)

  • 3:35 PM
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