The OODA Loop
I normally have a prepared speech on how to address people when they first answer, but I suddenly found myself standing in their doorway completely speechless as I tried to process what was going on.
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The OODA Loop (by Justin Vance of Calvary Baptist Church)
Have you ever been working on a task and suddenly had something unexpected happen that stunned you and left you speechless? Years ago, I was following up on a routine call while working patrol. There was nothing special about this call for service and was something I had done many times before.
I arrived at this residence and went to knock on the front door. It was dark out, and there was no light on in front of the house. As the front door opened, I heard a fluttering sound, and suddenly, one of the ladies inside started screaming hysterically! Then, one of the kids started screaming in the background.
“What was happening?” I thought.
I normally have a prepared speech on how to address people when they first answer, but I suddenly found myself standing in their doorway completely speechless as I tried to process what was going on. Here, the second the front door opened, a bird flew right into the house and was now buzzing around.
Normally in times like these, you revert to your training. Yet, I don’t remember them covering this scenario in the academy. Something so small and minor as a bird completely threw me out of my train of thought. My “OODA loop”, was disrupted. OODA, stands for observe, orient, decide, and act. It is a decision-making process that we all go through when responding to situations.
Many times in our Christian walk we experience an event that disrupts our train of thought. A flat tire on the way to church or a surprise medical issue that affects your ministry. Our job is not to figure everything out, but to stay focused on God. When we are locked in on Jesus, these surprises in life become much easier to navigate. Don’t let life disrupt your OODA loop.
Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
