From the Pastor's Pen

Dear friends,

Last night we had a bat join us in the house.  We were in the middle of dinner when he swooped into the kitchen, flew around briefly, and headed back into the living room/dining room.  Theo (our basset hound) was thrilled.  He immediately began following the bat through the house!  Mike and I immediately got to our feet to follow into the big room and then just as quickly hit the deck as he swooped over us.  Several minutes of chaos followed as we tried to determine what was to be done while avoiding the swooping bat with Theo running back and forth through the house chasing the bat.  (Fortunately he was too short actually come close to the bat!)  I finally determined the bat was attracted to the light and began shutting down all the lights while Mike opened the door hoping the bat would just leave!  Instead he swooped into the enclosed front porch, our piano room, and we closed the French doors behind him.  He was trapped.

Mike and I breathed a sigh of relief and sat down to regroup.  (Theo just gazed in confusion at the ceiling wondering where the bat had gone.)  I said to Mike, who do we know who might know something about bats?  We racked our brains.  Finally I texted Matt Kennedy. He had captured raccoons in our church.  Maybe he knew something about bats.  Matt texted back with some memories of what his father had done to catch a bat – things having to do with blankets and brooms.  Hmmm… “Tennis racket?” he suggested.  Now I knew he was being funny.  We joked back and forth while exploring bat removal on the internet.  Finally we settled on setting a trash can over the bat which was now hanging from our ceiling and slipping a piece of cardboard under it to force the bat into the can.  At my insistence Mike covered every inch of his exposed skin and set off into the piano room to capture the bat.  I snapped a picture first to send to Matt who was still texting back and forth with me.  Mike went in with his trash can and pizza box lid and captured the bat, no problem.  He squealed and squawked as Mike carried him through the house and out the front door.  He set him down by a tree.  That bat looked at Mike in disgust and he flew off in seconds.  “Success!” I texted to Matt.  “Awesome!” he replied.  I thanked him for his companionship and we said good night.

I think I’m just one of those people who needs a companion in a moment of trouble.  I am grateful for Matt today, mostly because he made me laugh in a tense moment.  I hope you will take a moment to think of a friend today for whom you are grateful.  Maybe give your friend a call and tell them you appreciate them.  The writer of Ecclesiastes wisely wrote:

Though one may be overpowered,

    two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

God created us to live in community and in these days of significant challenge, I am glad to be in community with all of you.

May you have a batless day,

Pr. Sally