blind as a bat

Are bats really blind? Well it depends on what we mean by blind. Some bats prefer to use their eyesight rather than use their inherited echolocation system. Why is that? When a bat is hunting a specific insect such as a flock of gnats, then the echolocation system is used to locate and devour the delicate delights of nature. However, if the bat is in need of a different nourishment then the bat can depend on its visual receptors (eyesight) to identify colors and ultraviolet light. Flowers reflect ultra violet light; thereby, allowing the bats to detect drops of nectar producing flowers for food.

What does this have to do with gift discovery or serving others? A lot actually. Bats use two separate inherited systems to respond to natures provisional sources of food. One being the echolocation system and the other being visual receptors. If nature provides gnats, then the echolocation system is used. If nature provides nectar, the visual receptors are being used. The bat recognizes the natural stimulus in its environment and responds with the appropriate food detection system.

Our natural inherited gifts are always surveying our life’s environment patiently waiting for stimulus so that it can respond and meet need at hand. Example: When our babies were babies, my wife’s body would respond when they cried. I call this echo-lactation. Smile, this is a safe place. The gift of motherhood was responding to meet the need at hand.

There is a part of us all that desires to meet a need of another. It is who we are as a family and community. Somewhere along the way we have abandoned our gifts for fear of social or peer persecution. But lets begin to survey our life’s environment and seek to find a need and meet that need.

We are on our way to discovering our gifts together.