March Madness

I love this time of year. I lay caution to the wind and forecast winners in brackets of a sport I do not watch and have no real evidence to support.

Crazy time, March is. Gets a bad rap I think. "Beware of the ides of March..." and all. And now "March madness." What's so different about March anyway? At least here in the nation's capitol, it's one of the best months. Weather gets warmer, cherry blossoms sprout. We can see ahead to a wonderful spring.

Yet, March is a time of change. Change is difficult. Some - those with a pension for the status quo - think change can be "crazy". Why risk it? The month of transition from Winter to Spring brings ups and downs. We are just as likely to have cold and rain as we are to have heat and sunny skies. Sometimes it can feel like we have turned a corner and then bam! we take three steps back and we are back in winter. God set out for us an example of how transformation occurs: difficult, messy, drippy, disjointed, with patches of sun. All change is like this. Pretending it is not is counterproductive. Just ask Obama.

The question becomes how do we lead people through this mess? How do we keep the ray of sunshine in the eyes and not the raindrops? How do we prepare people for the rocky road filled with potholes? How do we ensure they see the beautiful flowers that lie just beyond the bend?

The NCAA tournament is a prime example of the excitement of change. Things are so up in the air, it is the most invigorating time to be a sports fan. Change can be fun. Seize the opportunity.