For the first time, my family is experiencing what I’m certain many of you have already gone through: my mother, Esther Schlesselman, died just before Christmas at age 88 following a valiant 2 ½ year battle with cancer. Mom lived out her quiet, confident faith until her last breath – with a beautiful long life and a peaceful passing into heaven that my sisters and I were blessed to intimately share. We are so sad as we grieve, yet confident in God’s promise to her – to us – of the sure and certain hope of eternal life with Him through Jesus who conquered death.

Mom Made It Easy

We now have things to do to settle her estate, including distributing important family keepsakes. But no conflict. Mom wouldn’t want us to fuss or struggle. In death as in life, she made everything easy for us. She had her funeral planned with each hymn selected. She had names taped to the back of special glass dishes and books. And she had all our family pictures sorted into three boxes, one for each of her daughters. But most importantly, she had written a statement of her faith which, along with her will, leaves a testimony to us of what was most important to her in life. She wanted her family to be reminded one last time of the source of the love that holds us together as a family: our faith in God through Jesus. I’m so thankful that God chose her to be my mom.

What Are You Leaving Behind?

As you’re reading this today, I invite you to take my perspective as a grieving child and consider my mom’s example in your own life. Do you have a will? Have you written a statement of your faith that will bring comfort and blessing to your family when God calls you home? What will they find that can direct and comfort them as they figure out how to go on in life without you?

I’m now doing this for my family and encouraging you to do the same. We at Lutheran Family Service are here to help you through this process, if needed. First, if you could use some guidance in thinking through things before putting them in writing or in preparing for conversations with your family, please call us. If you have concerns about your relationship with family members, friends, or God that still need resolution on this side of eternity, please call us. If you’re seeking how to organize and communicate your plan to distribute the resources God has given you to steward, we can help with that, too. We can provide ideas for ways to structure your will so that the family, church, and ministries you love are all blessed through your planning. What a good feeling it will be to have all that taken care of for those you love!

Tomorrow Isn’t Guaranteed

Do these things today while you can. Don’t put them off until it’s too late. It may seem hard, but you’re not alone. And like me today, I know those you love will be ever so grateful when the day comes for them to face life without you.

To talk with an LFS member about end of life, family relationships, or estate planning, call Wanda Pritzel at 515-570-2310 or email [email protected].

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• Babies find loving, Christian homes
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• And so much more!

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