Capacity and Trust

For close to six years, my church's ability to produce ice at a rate over and above what we would ever need was never questioned. Once for a very big event, I knew that we had to "stock pile" ice in bags to make sure we would have enough.

But last week, an outside group our church hosted helped themselves to some ice from our main ice maker. They took every cube of ice in the maker unaware of the ice requirements of our organization. An ice machine panic set in the likes of which we had never seen. The day camps- too of them would need ice. There was a dinner of twenty or so guest that day which would require ice. There suddenly seemed to be ice needs coming from everywhere. Now that one of our four ice machines was emptied, we most likely would never have enough ice. The efficiency of a couple of the other ice machines were questioned. Who knew how long it would take for the ice machine to recoup it's inventory.

I almost expected to turn on CNN and see ICE SIEGE DAY 1 on a screen crawl.

I realize all rational thought about our actual ice needs and our capacity and how to best provide the ice required by our church and other groups would not quell the wide spread panic of the threat to our ice supply.

Trust had been violated.

If they had only asked.

If they hadn't taken every single ice cube.

Or maybe if they explained what they needed the ice for. That it was for the same thing we used the ice for just in a different manifestation. Tell us before you scoop out every last cube about the positive life change that the ice is going to lead to.

If they had just asked how much ice we had versus what our capacity for producing ice was and then determined how their need for ice fit into our ice demand level and production capacity. Perhaps we could have directed them to good suppliers for outsourcing their ice needs to.

But the trust thing.

Often when ministries and groups argue and squabble over resources we point to low expectations for the ministry combined with a lack of boundaries established for operating as an organization.

But it also points to not understanding one another.

And it's not just about ice. It's about facility space, pulpit support, bulletin font size, budget, and general interest by the staff and leadership.

If we don't understand each other and what we do and why, all these things become a zero sum game. And we are doomed to panic, fear, and animosity for one another.

But with clear understanding of one another's needs, desires, motivations, and willingness to produce; our capacity for ministry, positive life change, and yes, ice approaches infinity.

Just when you think there is no way to give everyone even a little bit, there will be more than enough to satisfy everyone with plenty leftover.

But it's up to us to help them find it.

Trust me.