Drip…Drip…Drip…

Proverbs 27:15-16

“A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.”

“A quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping on a rainy day. Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the wind or trying to hold something with greased hands.” – NLT

Water Torture

Chinese water torture is a process where a person is strapped down and forced to endure a steady, continuous dripping of water on one’s forehead. I have never experienced it, but I’ve read that it’s pretty horrible.

mythbusters.jpg (Photo credit: LVCHEN)

As a matter of fact, a popular television program decided to put water torture to the test. MythBusters (seen on The Discovery Channel) convinced a couple of their people to allow themselves to be subjected to Chinese water torture, and the following is from their official website.

“The MythBusters racked and restrained Kari, then turned on a leaky faucet, while Adam endured the drip sitting upright and unrestrained. Throughout the process, both took psychological assessments to track their mental states.

After nearly two hours, Kari started to seriously crack and experienced claustrophobia and shoulder spasms. Adam sat through more than three hours of water torture, and while he wasn’t as shaken as Kari, the procedure proved uncomfortable.

In fact, the preliminary torture trials rattled the MythBusters enough that they called the experiment quits early. Even in a safe environment, the myth of Chinese water torture was deemed too plausible to risk complete confirmation.” *

It would seem, then, that a continual dropping would not be an easy thing to endure.

A Contentious Wife

I can only imagine the inestimable horror that Solomon must have endured. This man, despite his wisdom, took care of nearly 1,000 women (wives and concubines). Out of that number, there had to have been a few who would not stop nagging. He must have had to endure a lot of “rainy days.”

The problem with a contentious, quarrelsome, nagging wife is that she gradually, over time, wears a man down. And no matter what he does to try to console her, every effort is as worthless as grabbing something with greased hands.

All women, including my precious wife, have a unique, God-given ability with words. They know they have this power, too, and often use it to their advantage, especially when they are angry.

But the woman in this proverb is one who never gives her man a break; she’s always on his back about something. Sadly, the results are never what the woman wants. Usually, if the husband doesn’t simply lock himself away in the garage or out on the lake, he will end up leaving her for a woman who flatters his wounded ego.

Drip, Drip, Drip

I have never experienced Chinese water torture or a contentious, quarreling wife. However, I know how annoying a leaky faucet can be, especially when one’s trying to sleep. Drip…drip…drip…drip…drip…

Women, the best advice I can offer is to speak your peace, let your husband know your feelings, then turn it over to God. Then, men, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church, and give yourself for your wife. Mutual respect can go a long way toward avoiding the torture of a long, rainy day.

Source: http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/mythbusters-database/is-chinese-water-torture-effective.htm

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