INEVITABLE - incapable of being avoided or evaded
The above definition says it all. You can’t avoid something inevitable. Period.
I remember being told that the two things you could not avoid were death and taxes. These were inevitable. We all will die (unless the Lord comes back before your natural death), and you will pay taxes. Though you may not pay income tax, you will pay tax if you buy gas, food, merchandise, etc.
But What Else Is Inevitable?
The above got me thinking: What are some of the things in life that are also inevitable? Below are a few that came to my mind. (And bear with me, I am getting to my point.)
- Conflicts: I don’t believe there is anyone immune to conflict.
- Getting Older/Aging: This is a fact. I know I will age in the number of years on this earth, but I will do all I can to avoid becoming old.
- Failing: We all will fail at something. If you don’t believe me, watch a toddler try to walk for the first time.
- Change: We can resist all we like and fight it with all our might, but change is inevitable.
One More: Inevitable Capital Renewal
There are dozens more that we could list. However, being a Facility Steward, there are other inevitabilities. The biggest of these is related to the inevitable capital renewal.
- You will replace every roof on your building.
- Every HVAC unit will eventually need replacing.
- You will replace all of your floor coverings.
- Parking surfaces will only stay smooth and intact for a while.
These are not “if” questions. These are inevitable, which flips the script from if to when — and how much. Just like taxes, it is not if you will pay them, but rather when and how much you owe. Same for change. It is inevitable that things will change, but when will they change, and how much change?
Given the inevitability of capital renewals, prudent people plan for when and how much by establishing capital reserves to address these inevitable costs. It is irresponsible to know you are going to die one day and not make preparation for that event.
Personal Reflection
I recall our first few years of marriage when I was selling real estate. If you understand that business, you know that agents are self-employed, 1099 agents. That means that when I sold some real estate, I would get paid a check for the gross amount of the commission. No taxes were withheld.
I was in my mid-20s and utterly ignorant of how 1099 versus W-2 structures impacted my need to withhold my own taxes. Guess what happened? Yep, I spent all the gross checks and saved nothing for taxes. The filling dates came around, and I was shocked to find out the taxes I owed, and I had no money/reserves to pay those taxes. So I borrowed the money to pay the taxes. The next year I took the money I should have saved for the inevitable taxes and paid down the debt from the previous year's taxes. And the cycle continued.
Do you think the IRS forgave my tax bill because of my ignorance of the tax law? You know the answer to that. Just because we want to claim ignorance does not mean the inevitable will not occur.
Conclusion: Life Cycle Calculator Can Help
That was foolish of me. If you want to know how that story ends, please contact me directly. It was painful, and it did not need to be. I hope you see that not planning for the inevitable costs of capital renews will put your church on a crazy cycle.
There is a better way.
The Life Cycle Calculator that our eSPACE team has developed is a great way to get off the hamster wheel of craziness and deal with the inevitable.
Time for action! Ignorance is not a defensible excuse.
