The Great Possum Caper

One day my husband fixed a leak under the commode in my bathroom.  Being the handynan he is, he cut a small hole in the floor to make it easier to reach the pipe.  Fine--no problem--leak fixed.  Now he will fix the hole and life goes on-right?  Wrong!  He decided to leave the hole for a few days to make sure the leak has been permanently fixed.  Now that few days has turned into  months.  Although it is a small hole, I have tried my best to conceal it but there is just so much I can do to make a hole in the floor attractive..

Now fast forward about six montbs.  The hole is still there even though I have done all I can to conceal/decorate it.  But it is still there.

One night I stumble into bed exhausted after transporting four kids to four different activities as well as the usual daily struggles of running a household with four kids.  Around 2:00 in the morning my little dog woke me up with frantic barking and yelping.  I forced one eye open to see him jumping up and down on the floor by my bed.  He looked at me as if to say, "I'm trying to protect you, now come on and do your part."  When I did manage to stumble into the bathroom I was instantly awake.  There between the commode and the waste can was a  possum.  Pugsley, my dog had him trapped.  I could not move because I was totally in shock until Pugsley barked again as if to say,"See I told you.  Now get rid of it.  I'm tired and want to go to sleep."

Frantically, I woke my husband and screamed, "THERE'S A POSSUM IN MY BATHROOM!  GET UP AND KILL IT!"  He looked at me as though he thought I had totally lost my mind.

"Ok, get me something to use to kill it," he calmly said.  I ran to my grandson's room and came back with a ball bat.  I gave the bat to hubby and jumped on my bed and covered my eyes.  I could hear the battle raging on in the bathroom. "Hiss!"  "Pow!" "Ka Pow!" "Boom!"  Finally all was silent so I opened my eyes.  There on the floor lay the lifeless body of the intruder.  I carefully picked it up by the tail and placed it into a plastic bag and ran to throw it into the outside garbage can.

I was finally able to fall back to sleep but the bathroom light was left on for the rest of the night.

I bet you thought this was the end of the story.  WRONG!  While going about my daily chores the next morning, my grandkids came running to me with excitement written all over their faces.  "Nanny, Nanny, Nanny  (all three were talking at once.  There is a possum in our garbage can and he is alive!" I went out to see what what was happening and sure enough when I raised the lid of the can, I could see two beady little eyes staring up at me.   I don't know what eventually happened to this wayward creature.  The kids think he escaped and is now living happily ever after with his family.  I hope so.  But at least he is not living his life with my family.

The next morning when I sat down for my morning visit with God, I asked Him, as I always do "What do you want to talk about today Father?"  His answer came as a total surprise to me.  "I want to talk about the possum."

"What about the possum?" I asked in astonishment.

"That was a small hole in your floor wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was a very small hole." I answered, not sure where this conversation was going but definitely intrigued by it.

"Well that possum was able to come into your house through that small hole, wasn't he?"

"Yeah,"  I slowly answered.

"Just like that possum squeezing though such a small opening in your floor that was unguarded, the enemy can enter your heart through a small unguarded hole in your heart.  Just as that intruding animal filled you with dread, the enemy can fill your heart with fears and worries.  When he does that you do not fully trust me to care for you."

Suddenly, I understood what He was telling me.  We must always guard our hearts against the enemy that roams around trying to find who he can devour.  Satan doesn't need a door with a welcome sign, he enters through a hole he finds unguarded.  Don't make it easy for him to enter your heart.  Fill your heart with joy and love and trust in a heavenly Father who loves you unconditionally and will never leave you unprotected.

Oh, by the way--the hole in my floor has been fixed!