I never used to care about squashed-dead possums on the road. Sometimes I would think “Ick” or “Ohhh, I hope the car clears it,” but most of the time the squashed-dead possum didn’t even register. I drove right on by. But that was before Scratch.
Scratch, the baby possum Jake rescued from it’s squashed-dead mom. The baby possum we fed a bottle to, then cat food, then berries. The baby possum that would climb up to sit on top of the boys’ heads. The baby possum Tom took to church in his pocket.
Scratch was a good possum.
When the day came to release Scratch into the wild it was bittersweet. We all had lumps in our throats and threatening tears as Tom showed Scratch the blackberry bushes. We eventually left Scratch in the Big Woods behind grandma’s house and hoped Scratch would adapt to the wild!
Scratch was a good possum.
Now, when I see a squashed-dead possum, I notice! I think things like “Ohhhh Noooo!”, “That is NOT Scratch!” and “Poor little possum!”
I guess you have to know a possum to love a possum. To know the ugly. The unlovable.
The story of the birth of Jesus is a shocking one. An unexplained miracle. The book Desire of Ages (pg 49) points out that Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by 4,000 years of sin. (We were pretty ugly by that time!) It goes on to say that the Father “permitted Jesus to meet life’s peril in common with every human soul, to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal life.”
Takes one to know one.
Oh, I’m not saying that Jesus never cared about us, squashed-dead sinners. And I realize that His coming as a baby was needed, so He could grow to be our Savior and Redeemer.
Yet, he gave us a beautiful example to follow as he lived among the common people, the “least of these people,” even the self-righteous people. In other words, as He lived among us.
He loved us. He was comfortable with us. He walked with us and talked with us. He hung out with us. He healed our diseases. He healed our hearts. That example is ours every day to follow!
I am thankful that in His eyes we are not just squashed-dead possums! To Him, we are Scratch!
We are loved. We are valuable. We are special. It is an amazing grace for sure! “Herein is love. Wonder, O heavens! And be astonished, O earth!” (Desire of Ages pg 49)