One of the ugliest animals on earth is the opossum. On the farm they popped out of boxes and cabinets when you were not expecting them. It was scary. I am not sure why they exist. There is probably some reason.
Killing them was quite a task. We learned what “playing possum” really meant.We would bash them over the head with a two-by-four repeatedly. They would be dead - for about ten minutes. Then they would get up and try to scurry away. Once we drowned one of them in a huge puddle. It was winter and we lifted a huge chunk of ice and put it on the ’possum. We were some way across the field going home when we looked back and thought we saw the ice chunk floating away. It was the opossum walking out of the water from under the ice.
I was pretty cruel to those ugly spuds, but keep in mind I was not saved at the time. Today I try to live by Proverbs 12:10a.
These opossums remind me of pride: ugly and hard to kill.
Pride makes everything it affects ugly. I have seen pride wreck marriages, families, businesses, churches, and friendships. Solomon said, “Only be pride cometh contention” (Proverbs 13:10).
And pride is almost impossible to kill. As soon as you think it’s dead, it rears its ugly head again.
We had to get rid of the possums from the farm, and we need to keep fighting down our pride. Life is more enjoyable when we are humble.
