(Fe)Male Pattern Baldness

Hebrews 12:2
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Okay, so we're posting again. It's therapeutic for us to write, and many people have said they're blessed by it. So when something comes to mind, we post it.

You've seen the pictures. You know Tammy shaved her head when her hair started falling out. It hasn't grown out at all, but until late last week, it didn't appear to be falling out too much. But it finally started to happen. Now she has nothing resembling hair on top, while the back still has some black dots. I was trying to be gentle as I told her how it looked. One of our favorite nurses was in the room, and she said, "No, honey, you just have male pattern baldness." Tammy just laughed at her.

Tammy is not worried about her appearance. I tell her she's beautiful several times a day. She's the most beautiful person I know. She appreciates me telling her that. But she knows that true beauty is on the inside. She is a much more beautiful person when you consider how she lives her life. She has chosen to follow the verse above to guide her through life. It's hard for me to not fix my eyes on her, because I love her so much. But we are supposed to focus on Christ.

Life throws distractions at us daily. In this circumstance, our distraction is the disease and Tammy's recovery. It is an ongoing, minute-by-minute struggle. We are encouraged by the good news we have received recently, but we know there are a lot of hurdles still to clear. It will be several months, maybe a year, before life returns to normal. In fact, life may never return to the way it was before. Tammy will have to be careful about exposure to the sun. She'll have to watch for symptoms to come back. It would be real easy to focus on her recovery and health maintenance. But this life is only a short-term stay. We have an eternal future ahead. That is why we focus on Christ.

What is your distraction? Should that be plural? What keeps your attention diverted away from Christ? Don't let it win. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter (completer) of your faith.