What Women REALLY Want Isn't What Most Men Think We Want

I was struck recently by the recurrent themes in the "My Husband Is The Best" postings that have cropped up on the blogs of Christian wives. I am betting they are things most guys wouldn't think were impressive at all to their ladies.

Since I'm not a guy, I can only take a shot in the dark at this, but I assume most men think that things like romantic dinners, body-builder muscles, romance novel hair, sparkly expensive jewelry and a big huge salary are what impress their wives the most.

But what really impresses a wife? Well, according to the lovely lady blogs I've been reading (and I do agree with them), impressive things are good neck rubs, playing with the children, praying for us and with us, taking care of us physically when we are sick or hurting, being strong in the Lord, discussing decisions with us, being encouraging and humorous. These things may not seem like much to our guys, but they are priceless to us.

We want our men to know we love them for who they are, not for what they do in terms of a job, or what salary they make, or what model year of car they drive. Guys who aren't afraid to get a little dirty changing out a burned out dishwasher (thanks, sweetie!) or who are man enough to change a poopy diaper are what we consider to be great guys, manly men. But, girlfriends, guys can't know what we find impressive unless we tell them.

I often have wondered why God chose to make the genders so, uh... dissimilar. I have often wished to spend just one day as my dear hubby - not that I want to be a man, but I have always admired how he can handle an incredible amount of stress and just let it roll off him. It's not that he doesn't care what's going on, he just doesn't let it rule his life. This seems to be a good thing for anyone who is a pastor. I wonder if they could teach this in seminary? It might dramatically change the burn-out rate of ministers. But I digress.

I love the way my guy can fix anything. Saturday night, as we watched white smoke billow out of our dishwasher, my honey looked at me and said, "I guess I'll be buying a dishwasher on Monday!" He was a man on a mission. He didn't want me spending all my free time (moms of many are laughing now... free time with 5 kids? ha!) washing dishes by hand. So, Monday morning came, and off he went in search of a new dishwasher. He came home triumphant, only to discover that there were a few parts yet needed to make the swap complete. Back to the hardware store he went - and the part leaked. Next day, back he went again, and got the new dishwasher in. I knew it was a labor of love for him. It was his way of showing me how much I mean to him.

I love the way my guy can take a joke... and dish 'em out, too. I love that he is a man of principles, a man of integrity, not a spiritual weenie. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. I am not unusual in what I find impressive. Three cheers for real men who love God, love their wives, and play with the kids! You impress us more than you'll ever know!