It’s Not Too Late This Thanksgiving

Story by Seán K. Robinson

Thanksgiving is the holiday of gratitude to God for the blessings He has bestowed upon us. Our families, relationships, employment, wealth, even successes, all belong to Him. God is the Creator, and He determined that all should live as stewards of His assets.

One of the meaningful gifts God has given is the gift of children, and their spiritual, emotional and physical welfare depends on parents. If you are a parent, think about this question: In the unlikely event of your passing, whom would you choose as the guardian of your children? Where would they live? Who will ensure they attend Adventist schools or even places of worship? Beyond verbalizing the answers to these questions, do you have all of this in writing yet?

The simple answer is to create an Estate Plan. This means you make these critical decisions in advance of any tragedy. Your forethought ensures your Christian wishes for your children and family will be followed. Your Estate Plan is one of the greatest acts of stewardship. The alternative, if you pass away intestate—without a will or other estate plan—the governmental system exe- cutes estate and familial choices as they decide.

At the beginning of the year, you may have initiated New Year’s resolutions. Some of your resolutions remain in existence, while others lie broken. If one decision was to create or update your Estate Plan, it is not too late to fulfill that goal. This Thanksgiving, as you remember how God has blessed you, why not remember Him and your responsibilities—especially to your family—through your Estate Plan.

Our Planned Giving & Trust Services Department at the Chesapeake Conference is designed to assist people who are preparing estate plans and planning to leave a portion of their estate to the Lord’s work. There is no charge for the service, nor for most of the services that are provided through attorneys or other service providers. To contact us, call (410) 995-1910.