Lessons from baldness

Scripture Verse that Caught my attention today: Leviticus 13:40 If anyone loses the hair from his head, he is bald but he is clean.

Observation: Just the verse I needed today.

Application: Let’s be honest, some parts of the Bible are a tough read. Most of chapter 13 of Leviticus deals with how Moses and/or the other priests were supposed to deal with various skin ailments, pronouncing some clean and others unclean and prescribing various treatments or times in seclusion. I’ve read it before and today could only bring myself to skim through it—partially because, for unrelated reasons, I’m totally exhausted. So the humor of this verse (at least from the perspective of one bald but still clean person) was a welcome nugget of diversion.

Sometimes we need such things. Yesterday I listened to segment by the former president of USC who described what he calls “Free Thinking.” For him this is like brainstorming on steroids, considering things that are completely outlandish and far, far, far, outside the box simply because, in his experience, the exercise frees the mind in such a way that some good can come out of it. He told the story, from his time as an Engineering graduate assistant at Purdue, when he was struggling to come up with a new way of controlling dishwashers. He actually laid on the floor and considered how a lady-bug might control a dishwasher and went on to consider how a host of other critters might do so as well. In the end such free thinking ultimately enabled him to come up with an idea that led to a patent that was used on something like 500 different kitchen appliances.

I’m not sure if recognizing my cleanliness as a bald man will ever lead me to such insights, but on this day when I’m feeling abnormally spent, this little diversion at least brought me to a smile.

Prayer: Lord, thanks for your gracious provision always. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(lessons today were: Leviticus 13-14 and Acts 17)