Yes, groundhogs can be pests. On our 25+ acres at church, groundhog burrows
have tripped up the tractor. A few years
ago, one persistent groundhog kept breaking into the church office and setting
off the alarm. Once, I stepped onto the
back porch behind the office, inadvertently getting between a groundhog and its
nest. We both scared each other, and we
each dashed to safety.
This morning, a baby groundhog was alone by the church. One of our members grabbed a shovel and hoe,
ready to dispatch it to the great groundhog burrow up above. And then I came along. There was something about that little
groundhog, quivering in the shade of the church building that touched my
heart. “Not today,” I thought to
myself. I pretty much threw myself
between the groundhog and the well-intentioned person as I started singing “All
God’s critters got a place in the choir.” The baby groundhog skittered off to
safety (probably driven by my singing voice), and I imagine that he's right now learning from
his parents how to make more holes in our field and dig into our basement.
I’m not this sentimental about nuisance creatures all the
time. If it had been a cockroach or a rat, my response would have been
different. And there are some sparrows that are terrorizing our martin house at
home that need to wing their way to heaven by whatever means possible. Today, though, the sun was shining, and the little
groundhog looked so scared as it cowered against the church building. And so a
little groundhog grace was extended.
After all, none of us knows when we’ll find grace from an
unexpected place.
