Loss Of Big Picture (Strategic Thinking) [Fawcett #17] ( Numbers 14:39-45)

At Gettysburg minutia won,
Both sides sucked into vortex – done
From ignorance of real scene,
And the sounds of guns with little seen.

Both sides picked out their better ground,
Then skirmishes created sound,
To which they called their armies out
To fight on ground of greater doubt.

Oh sure, they found their smaller hills,
Protection from assault that kills,
But “bait and switch” as better way
Was not picked up by Lee first day.

The Union troops were seen to dig
Their trenches – strong defenses rig –
So Lee could see, “It’s time to leave;
Swing wide and sack the enemy”.

He must have known the rail must be
Westminster’s line – supplies indeed;
“Don’t swing around a hill or two,
But thirty miles – take longer view.

“Bait enemy” (fortuitous
To Lee, who could not see the fuss
At Gettysburg was minor tiff) –
He failed to switch – and forces lift.

Leave just enough to hold the bait,
While sweeping out the southern gate,
To shift the fight to weaker foe
With huge supplies, then onward go –

To Washington – let Yanks head back
Through battle-lines, enforced attack;
But that’s in hindsight – great the view
For us to see what not to do.

For fighting on the other’s turf,
Where loyalty is boost to nerve,
Must factor in – they will not flee
Aggressive move of Robert Lee.

So “Don’t stay here” screamed loud and clear;
“A better way” was somewhat near;
Who knows what other end result
There might have been, mixed in that doubt.

To me that was Gethsemane,
And Jesus’ blood-sweat agony –
“I do not wish to error make,
By staying here and cross then take –

He crossed the Kedron, could have kept
On walking past where He had slept
In Bethany, gone north again,
And skipped out on Passover pain.

It’s not so much He did not see
Big picture which to Him might be;
But staying there was larger plan
For saving each and every man.

For evil took the bait that day,
And thought they’d swept the Christ away;
But no – for death is not the end –
He stayed to die, arise – ascend –

To heaven where we are raised with Him
To gain perspective, life begin;
Eternal, yes, but starting now,
Back here on earth – assigned somehow –

To do the “this and that’s” for Him,
To give Him room that He can win
Some other folks, so they’ll have life;
Not bait and switch, but life and light.

“So keep the long view”, Jonah said;
Though present fix you think you’ve read
Correctly – God has larger view –
So stay within His life in you.

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