We Can Take nothing with Us

Suddenly, out in the hall, I heard an infant scream, followed by a quick “shhh!” presumably from its mother. The Rev heard it too.

”Now that child,”he said, “reminds me of something your sages taught. When a baby comes into the world, its hands are clenched, right? Like this?”

He made a fist.

“Why? Because a baby, not knowing any better, wants to grab everything, to say, “The whole world is mine.”

“But when an old person dies, how does he do so? With his hands open. Why? Because he has learned the lesson.”

What lesson, I asked.

He stretched open his empty hands.

“We can take nothing with us.”

This excerpt is from Have a Little Faith (Hyperion Books 2009) by Mitch Albom. You may remember this author from The Five People You Meet in Heaven and For One More Day - both bestsellers.

That little anecdote is a conversation between a rabbi and a writer he asked to do his eulogy – eight years before he died. The publisher says it is a book about a life’s purpose; about losing belief and finding it again; about the divine within us all. I commend the book for your reading.

But, it was that last line which stood out for me – “We take nothing with us.” It reminds me of the words of St. Francis whom I have quoted often before:

Remember that when you leave this earth,

you can take with you nothing that you have received –

only what you have given: a full heart enriched by honest

service, love, sacrifice and courage.

Perhaps this packs an important message for all of us. We should keep this in mind as you look at your estate plan (no matter how big or small) and reflect on the role of the Church in your lives and how much it needs your continuing support – long after you are gone. A planned gift is one way to deal with this dilemma and I encourage to consider this possibility. After all, you can’t take it with you! Please feel free to contact me for more information.

Kevin Smith is a gift planning consultant with the Anglican Church of Canada. He can be contacted at (709) 739-5667 or by email at k_smith@nf.sympatico.ca.