Skinny White Woman

I was sitting in the hall awaiting test results when the office manager called me into her office. “I can check you out now,” she said, motioning me forward. 

“The nurse told me to wait here until she gave me the results of my bone density test,” I explained.

 “Oh, you don’t have to wait,” she said with a confident air, “I can tell you what they are. You have early osteoporosis.” 

“Reallly?!” I said, taken aback, “how do you know that?” 

“I can tell by looking at you,” she said. “You’re a skinny white woman.” 

Turns out this office manager-turned-prophet was right—I did have early osteoporosis. And the condition is most common in, you guessed it, skinny white women. The people most likely to develop osteoporosis are Caucasian women with small bone frames. These three factors genetically predispose me to this condition. 

Like osteoporosis, I have another genetic predisposition directly related to my gender-- 

The propensity to usurp my husband’s authority. My great- great-great-great- great-great-grandmother Eve was the first to exhibit this tendency, and the gene has replicated itself faithfully since the beginning to time. Just like my mother’s Portuguese/Italian ancestors passed on their dark hair and inability to speak without moving their hands, Eve has shared one of her most troublesome tendencies with me and the rest of our fair sex. 

This willful condition manifests itself in many ways. Here are a few: 

Our tendency to question our husbands’ knowledge or experience. 

Our tendency to assume that our way/perspective/insight is automatically correct. 


Our tendency to disregard their input and do what we want anyway. 

The good news is that recognizing our problem brings us one giant step closer to a solution. Or at least a plan of action. 

When I found out I had osteoporosis, I didn’t sell my bike, buy a padded suit, and subscribe to Wheelchair Monthly. Instead of resigning myself to “the inevitable,” I got busy. I did some research and discovered what I could do to either slow, stop, or reverse the condition. I immediately added calcium-rich foods and a supplement to my diet, made daily, weight-bearing exercise a non-negotiable, and reduced or removed calcium-stealing drinks from my favorite beverage list. 

I can employ the same active approach to my predisposition to willfully disregard my husband’s leadership. Instead of saying, “Oh well, that’s just how I am. . . . ,” I can take conscious steps to change. 

I can commit to: 

Ask for my husband’s advice and input instead of assuming I know what’s best. 

Believe my husband is looking out for my best interests. 

Acknowledge that while his perspective is often different from mine, it, too, is valuable and worth considering. 

Listen fully to his thoughts and ideas, not just long enough to know which direction he’s heading and formulate an argument against it. 

When I went back to the doctor two years after my initial diagnosis, my bone density numbers had not only stopped decreasing, but had actually risen. By taking active, positive steps, my prospect for long-term health improved dramatically. I wish my prescription against the disease of willful independence worked as quickly. I suspect, like my tendency to talk with my hands, it is something I’ll have to work on for the rest of my life. 

Thankfully, “he who began a good work in (me) will be faithful to complete it” (Philippians 1:6). I can trust that as I yield my will to God, he’ll continue to enable me to be a wise, respectful wife who honors her Savior as I honor my husband. 



“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21). 

What are some ways you honor and respect your husband? In what areas do you still struggle? Leave a comment below and join in the conversation. If you’re reading by email, click here to comment. 

 If you liked this post, you might enjoy "Chickens and Human Nature."


 

 

This devotion is an excerpt from Lori’s new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women.

You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.

You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:

• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? 
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me? 
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? 

Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you. 

 

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.



Delivered by FeedBurner

Hungry for God is on Facebook! Will you take a moment and LIKE my page? CLICK HERE to help HFG share 5-minute devotions.