Leadership Thought: What Will You Leave Behind When God Calls You Home?

Dear Friends,

Her name was Bertha Adams, and she was 71 years old. She died alone on an Easter Sunday not far from where I was living in Fort Lauderdale, while pastoring in South Florida. The coroner's report read, "Cause of death... malnutrition." She had wasted away to just 50 pounds.

"When the state authorities made their preliminary investigation of Mrs. Adam's home, they found a veritable pig pen... the biggest mess you can imagine."

"One seasoned inspector declared, 'He'd never seen a dwelling in greater disarray.'"

"The woman had begged food from neighbors back doors and gotten what clothing she had from the Salvation Army.  From all outward appearances, she was a penniless recluse, a pitiful and forgotten widow. But such was not the case."

"Amid the jumble of her unclean, disheveled belongings, the officials found two keys to safe deposit boxes at two different local banks. In the first box, were over 700 AT&T stock certificates, plus hundreds of other valuable certificates, bonds, and solid financial securities, not to mention a stack of cash amounting to nearly $ 200,000.  The second box contained $600,000. Adding. the net worth of both boxes, they found well over $1,000,000."

"Charles Osgood, reporting the story on CBS Radio, announced that the estate would probably go to a distant niece and nephew, neither of whom dreamed their aunt had a thin dime to her name." The Finishing Touch, Charles Swindoll, P. 448.

The author of Ecclesiastes writes   "A man may have 100 children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he." (Ecclesiastes 6:3)

How sad to have amassed all that money, and yet to have never shared it with others. How tragic to have riches and a long life, and yet live so wrapped up in yourself that you never think of how you might provide for the needs of others. 

Solomon said: "Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil." (Proverbs 15:16)

All of this reminds me of what the great saint of the church, Corrie Ten Boom wrote about  possessions: "I have learned to hold on to things loosely because when I hold on to them too tightly, it hurts when the Master has to pry open my fingers."

"It is possible to give away and become richer. It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself!"  (Proverbs 11: 24-25, The Living Bible")

Would we all learn these lessons of stewardship.

And, yes, when they buried Bertha Adams, she didn't have a penny with her!

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom