Author: Nancy Stevens
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell – and great was its fall!” Matthew 7:24-27 NRSV
Last Thursday sometime in the night Gini died. She was the picture of health. She was 68. It wasn’t Covid. It came out of nowhere. Her husband found her lifeless in the morning. They had looked forward to 20 more years together with their 3 children, and 5 grandchildren. She was my client. We had done meticulous financial planning to ensure a long, happy, financially secure retirement.
The pandemic has reminded each of us of our own mortality…but we don’t expect death to come today. We know that death will come…but not now. It’s out there somewhere; a fuzzy concept. We busy ourselves and push it out of mind.
I keep my will in a kitchen drawer. I’ve told my son where to find it. I pulled it out yesterday. Dated July 30, 2013. I thought I had updated it just a few years ago. A lot has changed in the last 7 years: my son has married, my granddaughter is almost 3, and I started a new business. I need to call my attorney and get on it.
I have been a member of First Congregational Church for almost 20 years. I joined after 9-11. I can’t believe how fast it has gone. I was young when I joined and now I’m 64. My life in the Church has ebbed and flowed like most things do. There was even a time when I took a short hiatus. It’s bedrock now. I’ve always loved the scripture about not building your house on sand; build it on rock. I know Church is not a building but I love the solidity of our place on the corner of Broadway and Pine. First Congregational will endure long after I’m gone. It will be bedrock for those who come next.
Now is the time for each of us to update our estate planning and consider a legacy gift to the Church. If you would like to consider a legacy gift to the Church, contact Louisa Young at louisa.young@colorado.edu. Louisa is an estate planning attorney, a long-time member of First Congregational and a member of the First Congregational Endowment Committee.
May we find joy in knowing that the gifts we give before we leave this life will bring comfort and sustenance to all the generations that follow us at First Congregational Church.
