Bat Guano and Gifts to the Church

God, guano, and goals

School tuition? Bat guano.

Family vacation? Bat guano.

PGA golfer? Bat guano.

NBA All Star contest? Bat guano.

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My husband and I recently attended a presentation at our parish about an upcoming capital campaign.

Knowing the true needs of our parish would not be flashy or all that “fun,” my husband and I joked about the wild things it might be funny to hear from our pastor.

Alas, neon lights and glow in the dark vestments did not make the list.

Our pastor provided an overview of the identified needs to ensure the long-term health and safety of our church building and the people in it.

Among many needs brought to light, the bat guano clean-up has made a lasting impact in our household because:

1. Bats in the church prompted questions from our kids.
2. The word “guano” prompted questions and giggles from our kids.
3. Our pastor named a specific cost for that clean-up.

In the days following our pastor’s presentation, my husband and I have chatted about how to prayerfully and responsibly explore our own pledge to the capital campaign.

• What impact can our contribution have on the bat guano?
• What percentage of bat guano can we help eliminate?

It is nice to have a goal.

We will run all the numbers and consider how to sacrifice.

After we have run the numbers, we will bring it to prayer.

• What impact can our contribution have on the bat guano?
• What percentage of bat guano can we help eliminate?

How can we be obedient?

In the meantime, we will continue to consider questions of import and thoughtful reflection like:

• What if Scottie Scheffler were in our parish? He would probably support tackling that bat guano.
• The NBA All-Star weekend had a half-court contest with a cash prize. That prize could tackle a good percentage of the bat guano.

It all comes back to bat guano (and God).