| Vampire Bats - article by Joel Hempel Yep! Look it up. They’re real. Well, you might not want to. They are ugly and scary looking. Many years ago, after Marcia, the boys, and I lived in the inner city of Cincinnati for twelve years, we bought our first house four blocks from our church. It was a hundred years old, two stories, seven large rooms, two bathrooms, and a full basement with a tiny yard. We paid 18 K for it. For that price, you can imagine what shape it was in. But it was ours! The house’s first floor needed to be fully gutted and renovated one room at a time. So, we lived in part of the house while the rest was being worked on. One night while sleeping in our second-floor bedroom, we were awakened by the most soul-piercing scream. Marcia and I simultaneously jumped out of bed. What was that? It was the inner city, after all. We were used to all kinds of sounds: Sirens, gunshots, loud arguing voices, and an occasional, “Hey, Pasta Joe, you up there?” But this was different! Scary different! After searching everywhere, finding nothing, and ensuring our boys were okay, we returned to bed. Screech! There it was again. This time, after carefully and defensively searching every corner and closet, I decided that if this thing were somewhere in the walls or under the floorboards, we would keep it locked away. Thank God for duct tape! For the next couple of hours, Marcia and I taped every – and I mean every – crack and hole where a scary creature could live. The tape did not keep the thing quiet, but it stopped – I made myself believe – the thing (whatever it was) from attacking us overnight. The following day, Marcia made me call the exterminator. Two hours later, Fred showed up. What’s going on? Fred inquired with authority. Just listen! I directed. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the screeching sound penetrated the house. Fred’s eyes became as big as saucers. What is that? I demanded. It’s a vampire bat! What? Is that a real thing?
Without responding, Fred walked a few feet away and called his boss. John, listen to this. Is it what I think it is? Holding up the phone, the squealing sound cried out again. Yea, I was afraid of that! A vampire bat!
Fred turned toward us and declared they would have to exterminate the place. We scheduled Fred’s return; then, we had to go on with our lives. Marcia went to work, and I went out in the neighborhood to make a few house visits.
As I was walking the streets, I ran into Olga, a street-savvy member of our congregation. Olga! You can’t imagine what happened at our house last night! I then proceeded to tell her the story I just told you. At the end, she asked, Did the creature make a sound like this? Olga perfectly and loudly squealed out the exact blood-curdling sound. That’s it. I confirmed. That’s your smoke alarm. It needs a new battery.
I told you that story to get to this:
Sometimes our worst fears are not as scary as we think they are. And at other times, when there is good reason to be afraid, there is a way into and through the fear. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for YOU are with me” (Psalm 23:4).
Whatever the reason for the fear – real or imagined – the Spirit of Christ is with us to give us courage. | 
