Is This Batty or What?

I set off early to explore the pasture before storms came through the area. The past week has consisted of almost daily rains, overcast skies, and humid nights perfect for bringing out the first mushrooms of the year.

As I walked, it began to drizzle. Resigned to getting wet, I continued on. There were many mushrooms growing, although they weren’t exactly what I hoped to find. After bidding adieu to the cows, headed back to the car. I noticed bluebirds dotted along the barbed wire that surrounds the land, and I was drawn to sit and watch them.

As a young boy, one of my favorite things was identifying birds, so I took my time walking along the fence line. Once I came to a bend, I looked down to see a little brown thing, dangling off it.

At first, I thought one of the cows had gotten too close to the barbed wire and left some fur… until I took a closer look. It was a tiny shivering bat that with one of its wings impaled on the fence. It must have been there for hours.

Much like other creatures I’ve helped, it was terrified and nipped at my fingertips. I gently wrapped it in my shirt and got to work. Once I freed it, two things happened: the little bat flew off into the wood line, and I heard a loud clap of thunder as it began to pour.

There is something much more powerful than us that uses our presence like pawn pieces on the chessboard of life to help serve Its purpose and goodness. As humans, we are often put into the right place and given opportunities to be helpful when we least expect it for reasons that we may never be able to understand.