Years ago for a quick minute, ESPN had a commercial campaign entitled, “It could happen, so you’d better watch.” They would show great, unsuspected moments in sports where if you weren’t watching, you wouldn’t have seen something amazing. The campaign lasted just a few weeks but it stuck with me for years. When I would see something happen in sports (even live) that was crazy, I would say, “It could happen, so you’d better watch.”
A perfect example of this was the other night. Dodger pitcher Rich Hill was pitching a perfect game against the Pirates. There was an error in the bottom of the ninth but with the score still tied at 0-0 in went into extra innings with the no-hitter intact. After the Dodgers didn’t score in the top of the 10th, the Josh Harrison came to the plate. He hit the first pitch for a homerun thus ending the no-hitter and, in fact, winning the game for the Pirates. It could happen…
I was in the kitchen (where you can find me most of the time when I’m home) listening to it on the radio while having it on in the living room (no open concept here). I ran into the living room and saw the bat flying. No, not Josh Harrison’s, a REAL BAT!!! Back and forth across the living room and into my doorless office. I yelled to tell Rachel to not come down as their was a flying rodent in our house. I went downstairs to get a wiffle ball bat. I then heard Rachel screaming as she had come down the steps to see (no shocker there, either that she didn’t listen to me or that she was screaming). I then took my stance at the bottom of the steps facing the living room. It could happen…
Well, many things could happen. I could swat this thing out of the air. I could get buzzed by it flying by my head. I could get bit and endure countless rabies shots. I could smash apart the living room with the bat…trying to hit the bat. I stood in samurai fashion with my right foot forward, bat raised high. I immediately hit the ceiling with my first swing as it dodged swiftly across the living room. He came at me a second time and I swung, hitting it hard. The floor that is. I hit the floor really hard with the bat, yelled “You bitch (sorry everyone)” and started laughing. Mind you, I’m inwardly aware that bats have sonar and my chances of hitting it are really, really slim. Rachel tells me to open the front door so that it might fly out. I can only imagine squirrels, raccoons, dogs, and cats all coming in at this time. He (or she, no offense) flies into our (again doorless) office. I tell Rachel to go get some plastic from the basement. We have no plastic. I tell her to get a dropcloth tarp from the shed. Well, that’s outside, dark, and scary. She grabs a tablecloth and we quickly seal up the office (with a lot of tape, lots).
Joe is worried, to a degree, about going to sleep. Rachel tells him that the bat is probably finding a cozy place to sleep and won’t bother us for the night. Joe retorts with the fact that bats are nocturnal. Stinking smart kids. We all fall asleep and prepare to spend money getting it out tomorrow. Many people told us how to get it out but one person told us about their husband being bit. I was good hiring a pro. The first quote was for $289 to show up and another $89 IF they get it. Fortunately, I stumbled across Scott Earley of A All Animal Control. He was there in a couple of hours and only charged $200 flat. What a great guy and a great pro. I now no more about bats and critters in general than ever before. We had a great time, fist he and I but then Joe joined us, looking for that bat. We searched for an hour and half…to no avail. We went through that office as it we were flipping it on a drug investigation (sorry Rachel). We then put the tablecloth back up and he told us to see if it bangs around at night again. He’s on call 24/7 and would come right back out (told you he was a good dude). Of course, it did not, last night at least. He only charged me the fee for a “house proofing quote” and would only charge me the balance of the initial fee if he comes back out.
So, how long to leave the tablecloth up? How much will we miss that room? What impact will this have on our sense of security? Who knows? I do know one thing though. It could happen.
Whatever IT is, it very well may happen. You may be on a bus on your way to a YoungLife, intending to flirt with a leader from another area but then meeting a leader from yet another area and ending up marrying her. You may go from selling wine to YoungLife staff to being a Pastor. You may have three kids and then watch one die from cancer. You my be 46 years old and drive a key scratched Kia and have no problem with it. It could happen.
The nice, if not blessed, part of it is this. It doesn’t really matter in the long run. We/I are ok. The bats in living room moments add to the spice of life. That YoungLife leader turned wife of mine is my partner in life. My career changes are the refinement of the calling on my life. Experiencing Trey and his disease brings out both the darkness and yet incredibly warm depth of life. The Kia, well, I’ve learned how to be humble.
So wherever you are remember to keep you eyes open because…