Tactics

The current task at hand is daunting.  I am responsible, as part of a team of course, for launching a new company.  There are certain parts of the business which I do not need to worry about, but the room of responsibility, error, and question is wide open!  The simple questions which tag along behind me every day includes the following – what did I forget?  What have I missed?  What needs to be done, right now? 
 
In your life and mine the question is more problematic than we might think.  There is far too much going on.  Pressures, demands, and commitments flood our judgment and create midst in our visions.  If one adds the chaos of living in any community, a changing landscape, and the ebb and flow of our relationships – everything seems to be a form of juggling.
 
Candidly, I am not a very good juggler.  I can work on multiple tasks, analyze rapidly changing situations, and deal with unexpected surprises.  Yet, even though this may sound like a form of juggling, I need a plan.  Tactics are important because then I can respond with the assurance of a predefined compass. 
 
Ironically the guidance I seek is there if I am willing to listen.  Some think tactics need to be detailed and precise.  My life doesn’t allow for that type of planning.  What works in my life is an approach with principles and broad instructions.  So when someone tells me to “run up a flag on an open hill.  Yell loud.  Get their attention.  Wave them into formation.  Direct them to the nerve center of power.” (Isaiah 13.2)  I know what they mean.  I understand the assignment.  I can creatively approach my tactical decisions knowing I fit within a plan.
 
Today’s dawn is bright and full of hope.  Silently the wind is whipping and shaping everything, almost beyond the ability to manage and control.  In the midst of this I understand the tactics for today.  Live – full of love, mercy, and compassion.  Call – cry from the rooftops if needed, others to this cause.  Be Hope.