SKATING WITH ZAMBONI

SKATING WITH ZAMBONI

Thursday, June 28, 2014

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” Jesus

  We had an icebox. It fascinated me. It was wood on the outside and zinc lined on the inside. The top compartment is where the iceman put the blocks of ice. He too fascinated me, but not Grandmother McGee as she feared my admiration would lead to my following in his footsteps. Also, as I remember it, once while watching the trash men collecting, throwing trash cans high in the air with helper in truck snatching, dumping, and throwing back in yard, and stomping trash as they moved on . . . I expressed great admiration with result she forbid my watching them anymore.

   Starting about age 6, with brother Jim, age 4, we were given the responsibility going for ice from the local icehouse, this needing to be done on especially hot and/or non-delivery days. (You never missed delivery as when away homes were left unlocked for icemen et al.)

  Off we went with our little red wagon, but not before ice coin was secured in my pocket. (Jim forever asking “When my turn for money?!”) The dime was knotted in a hanky and safety pinned in pocket with warning to not touch until time to put in slot; the wonderful mystical slot that produced rumbling sound followed by block of ice popping down zinc lined chute, flipping rubber door flaps up, and booming against the stop. (Jim and I always made “Gentlemen’s bet.” On exact moment block would exit.)

  After heavily wrapping in burlap to prevent excessive melting, I pulled and Jim pushed the 10-12 blocks including Evergreen Avenue hill. Arriving home an adult quickly deposited the ice in top compartment of the icebox as even Jim and I together could not life it.

  Then people began buying refrigerators and the icemen with burlap on shoulder and tongs in hand disappeared. I asked Grandmother what happened to ours. She said “Maybe he became a trashman.” which I didn’t get the deeper meaning of at the time. Fact is I remember thinking “How wonderful . . . you could do two exciting things in a lifetime.”

  My understanding has increased exponentially since those days of friendly icemen and trashmen singing harmoniously. (Though I am left with question when did trashmen stop singing?)

  What does the Zamboni family have to do with all this? Lesson wise, very much.

  When in the late 40’s the ice business quickly collapsed all over the USA, they didn’t suffer bankruptcy as many others did. They made a radical shift, building an ice-skating rink and developing the ice-leveing machine still in use today.

  What does all of this have to do with us as followers of Christ?

  Things change, sometimes drastically. I believe we are in such a historical period presently. We must again adjust to cultural changes. Using flannel graph in Sunday School just may have run its course.

  As recorded in John 14:12, Jesus promised we would accomplish as did He, and even do greater things. His statement is absolutely credible, but not without problem on Christians’ end; for facilitating His promise requires trust and action on our part. Action that may involve change that entails leaving our old familiar comfortable ways.

  Our change won’t likely be to design and invent a better ice scraper or the fascinating Bobcat breaking my neighbor’s driveway while I sit here thinking and typing. It may be so radically simple as befriending the new visitor at church, or changing the way Sunday School is done (Our church is.), or ___________.  EBB4