How did this happen? That March arrived so soon? When the Christmas tree was just up yesterday? Or at least it seemed.

I’m bracing myself for March Madness. There are no brackets involved (though our family’s Google calendar with it’s different color for every member looks as complicated as any bracket out there), no bets, no over unders, no trips to Vegas to watch multiple screens at once. It’s a month where I begin bracing myself for the madness that is Spring that is arriving at our home.

March is the changing of the tides around here, but not a changing of the guard. Let me explain my mixed metaphors. I think of our family life in two seasons: soccer season and the rest of the year. The winter months we get a bit of a break with snow on the ground and Colorado’s cultural permission to go skiing. Since we don’t really ski (a little cost prohibitive for this family of six) we simply take the break and hang out on Saturdays. Sleeping in, staying in jammies until noon, asking What are we going to do today? with no real answer waiting on the schedule.

Back to the mixed metaphors. We are moving into soccer season and I’m still the guard in charge. Of getting everyone where they need to be. Of getting dinner made and served despite driving to 5 practices and 2 games a week between my two players.

I promise I’m not an over scheduler. I know it doesn’t sound like it. But of my four girls, two currently play soccer. That’s it. No piano lessons. No acting class or clown school. Just two girls who are each on a soccer team. And when you add up their two schedules of one sport each, it equals soccer six days a week. What?!

March madness also means Spring Break. Of which I have just realized we have NO plans. No flying to Mexico for this family of six, though that sounds delightful, no trip to Disneyland (doesn’t sound as delightful I confess), not even a round of bowling in the works. So I need to get on it. (I’m thinking the best staycation ever! Thoughts on this would be appreciated because if I wait until the week of and find all four children staring at me complaining we don’t have anything to do, I truly will go mad. I’m not a planner (obviously from the current lack of plan) but I need to kick my butt in gear and become one.)

And March is Lent. A time of preparing our hearts for the celebration we call Easter. There are many ways to observe this time in the church calendar, of which right now I’m doing none. I’m not proud of this, nor am I making a statement. Lent simply, like the month of March, crept up on me.

But here’s the good thing, as with all things having to do with Jesus, it’s not too late. I am deciding today to stop the madness. I’m not planning to give up coffee or beer to remember Jesus’ sacrifice. Again not trying to make a statement, just not going to. I still have to get everyone where they need to go and dinner on the table. But I’m going to try to keep the big picture in mind. For the remainder of Lent I am going to focus on what’s right in front of me, savor it and know that whatever doesn’t get done will be okay. I guess what I’m saying is I’m giving up trying to do it ALL.

Because Lent is the time of changing of the tides, but not changing of the guard. We remember the sacrifice so we can celebrate the glory on Easter morning. And Father, Son and Holy Ghost are still in charge.