Many mistakes are repairable. These two aren’t. The irony is that everyone has the luxury of avoiding these disasters, but unfortunately those who get it right are the exception.
A good friend of mine recently died suddenly, leaving his son to wade through the tangled mess he left behind. An outdated will was the least of the debacle. Doing his best just to function amid the waves of grief, his son had no clue about any of his accounts or passwords, and was overwhelmed with all the unfinished business and loose ends.
How much smoother things would have gone had he taken the time to get things organized, and then communicated with his son where he could find the information. The first big mistake we can make is to NOT get our earthly affairs in order.
In the book Goodbye for Now: Practical Help and Personal Hope for Those Who Grieve, a section is devoted to preparing for our own “goodbye.” One of the items on the list is to clean out clutter. As I was sharing this with a group, one older fellow boasted, “I’m not doing that. It’s my revenge!” Still chuckling at that, it actually will make a big difference for those who are left behind if we do all we can in advance to get things in order.
The awkwardness and unpleasantness of discussing our desires, decisions and information with our loved ones pales in comparison to how it will feel later for them if we DON’T.
A few other ideas included in the book are:
___ Collect and organize all pertinent info
___ Be sure your will or trust is legal and up-to-date.
___ Complete an advance directive.
___ Put all your important information in an obvious or agreed-upon place.
___ Pay your debts.
___ Consider being a donor, either organ and tissue or whole body.
___ Examine the options for prepaid funeral home services.
___ Write out what you want in your service.
___ Attend to any rifts with family or friends.
___ Be at peace with God.
We all have many opportunities to make our peace with God by receiving His free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ His Son. It is eternally tragic to reject God’s loving offer! The second and by far biggest mistake we can make this side of heaven is to NOT get our heavenly affairs in order.
The clamor of daily life is such a powerful distraction that we easily assume there will be ample time to take care of things “later.” But we all know that any of us could go at any time. Don’t wait until you’re sick, and don’t wait until you’re older. Why not enjoy today and everyday from now on, knowing Whose we are, and where we are going? I hope you can take the time to pause and be sure you are ready. Here are a few thoughts to help:
https://welbyo.com/2018/02/entitled-a-personal-reflection-on-life/
When both our earthly affairs and our heavenly affairs are in order, not only do WE have peace of mind and heart, but we also spare our loved ones added burdens to their grief.
The good news is that if you are reading this, you still have time to do it right!
We will send for FREE a copy of Goodbye for Now to the first 20 ministry leaders
who contact us: info@welbyo.com
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