I don't like March. Why? Because March represents the inconvenience of an in-[BETWEEN]-time. And I don't like in-between-times. Winter is great and spring is great but March is an in-between-time. There is no consistency in the weather pattern or for that matter much else in March except 31 days.

For example, Monday’s temperature was 25-degrees and the ground was covered with 7-inches of freshly fallen snow. Now don't get me wrong, I love snow and winter, the problem is that today’s temperature is forecasted to be Sunny and 70-degrees and therein lies the stuff of in-between-times. One day cold, the next warm…one hour rain the next hour sun, how do you plan i.e. wardrobe, outings, sports, etc in the month of March—the in-between-time of winter and spring?

Truth is, I just don't much like in-between-times period. In-between-times are constricting, stressful, inconvenient, and stifling. I like to be in the know...I like to plan...I like to do what I want, when I want, and how I want…(does that make sense?). I like to be in control and in-between-times steal away my control. I wanted to go to work on Monday. I had things to do, people to see and appointments to keep. So I just pretended that the weatherman was wrong again and that this March was not going to be an in-between-time...wrong! It snowed hard and made my commute a pain and my appointments couldn’t show anyway. That’s the frustration of in-between-times.

I'm a fast paced, a-type personality, ESTJ who likes to be on the go...in the car...moving and shaking fast. But, in-between-times slow me down...make me wait...cause to stop long enough to think and reflect and I'm not in control when I slow down. The good news is I don't get much input in how in-between-times happen. Reality is that I need (we need) in-between-times that help us to slow down, ease-up and focus.

I believe God allows in-between-times to interrupt our lives in order to prepare us for what's next. They slow us down so that we can reflect, relax and renew. The journey of faith is full of in-between-times. In Advent we experience the in-between-time—the wait for the arrival of the Messiah—the Christ. In the biblical narrative of faith we see the desert as the in-between-time of Egypt’s slavery and a promised land of freedom. As much as I hate them, in-between-times are necessary preparation for the next step in the journey of faith.

The Lenten season—the season between Ash Wednesday and Easter is an in-between-time. Lent is the rest in a musical score before the big finish. During Lent we prepare ourselves for the passion of Christ—his betrayal, trial, scourging, execution, death and yes his resurrection. It’s a time to slow down to remember a-new what Jesus did for us on the cross. I’ve chosen to focus on some spiritual disciplines (like fasting, Sabbath, prayer, meditation, solitude, scripture memorization, and celebration), during the in-between-time of Lent. I believe they will help me focus and see with fresh eyes what coming around the corner. I guess in-between-times aren’t so bad after all…if you make the most of the opportunity. I STILL DON”T LIKE IN-[BETWEEN]-TIMES…but I don’t usually like many things that are good for me...can you say lima beans? -jfhey2