When I think of the word strategy, I think about making plans.   I was a teacher for thirteen years.  As a matter of fact, I teach CCD (Catholic for Sunday School) every other Saturday.  I had a plan for every minute of my time from the moment I walked into the school building.  That didn’t mean no down time.  Part of my plan was to pour myself a cup of coffee and drink it while I sorted my mail and chatted with teacher friends before school.  But I came in early to make sure I had that time.

I planned every field trip I took my students on, all the way to the point of color coding their groups for the chaperones, and giving each chaperone a student list which had been color coded.  If an emergency were to happen and I were somehow incapacitated , I wanted whichever chaperone was a “born leader” to have the means to be able to take over.

I planned every lesson in the scheduled time.  That took some creativity the week of the Christmas show.  Sometimes I had to do a Science of Social Studies lesson which incorporated Math or English so that I knew every subject had the alloted time for the day, even if the lesson was doing “double duty”.

Hello.  My name is Helen at Random Musings, and I am a planner.

Planning and strategy are good.  While most parents on my field trips thought I over did the roster, there was always the nervous or over protective parent who would approach me, see my color coded day (including all children with mailing labels with the schools address and phone number on their chests.  I told the kids it was so if they got lost, whoever found them could mail them back to school…), smile with relief and walk away.

But my own planning and strategy were never enough to totally rely on.   There was always the heartfelt question from a child, unannounced assembly by the principal, or chaperone who wasn’t where they were told to meet the group.  At those times, my only strategy was to say aloud, or in my heart “Oh Holy Spirit, help!”.   Not the most eloquent of prayers, but the Holy Spirit never let me down.

Every field trip during my teaching career ended with every child and chaperone on the bus, and the bus arrived before dismissal.  ( I planned lightly for the return time after a field trip, knowing that most chaperones will request that their child be dismissed early so that they don’t have to come back in an hour or ninety minutes.  My answer was always that these things must be handled in the office, which usually replied “okey dokey”.)

Every lesson got taught eventually, even if I had to stop and answer a “Holy Spirit Question”.  What’s a “Holy Spirit Question”?   That’s a question a child asks that is important yet delicate and inspires me to utter “Holy Spirit, help!”

My favorite is the wide eyed child asking if the world will ever end.  I remember thinking this topic was not small child appropriate and asking the Holy Spirit for help.   The next thing I knew, I was asking the child if he loves Jesus.   This sweet child was surprised by this question.  Who wouldn’t love Jesus?  After he responded yes, I heard myself say something along the lines of “Then the end of the world is a happy day for you, because Jesus is coming back that day to rescue those of us who love Him from all the sin, pain, and hardship here.   You will be SO happy to see Him!”.   The child then asked why the movies make the end of the world seem so scary, and again, I heard my voice say “What do you think it will be like for those who love don’t love Jesus?”  The child’s eyes widened.  ”That’s why it seems scary to some.  They don’t understand that Jesus loves them, and they can come to Him and learn to love Him before He returns, and change that day from a fearsome one to a joyful one.   But YOU love Him (I then pointed to various students and said “and you, and you, and you, right?”).   So for you, it will be a happy day.  Don’t be afraid.”    Those words were not part of my plans or strategy.  I know they didn’t come from me, because they poured out immediately after my prayer.  I don’t even remember having TIME to think.

I think planning and strategy are good.  But one can’t depend on it.  When the best laid plans are somehow interfered with,  the Holy Spirit is faithful and can be relied upon.  (I know.  Years ago when I was taking care of my mom, I should have done more depending on Him and less planning.  Or at least not freaked out when plans failed.   So I guess this is still an area with much room for growth in my personal life…)

This post is part of Peter Pollock’s One Word Blog Carnival.  Today’s word is strategy.