Life is full of uncertainties, as I’m sure we have all found out, the only certain thing is death itself and a new life with Christ. We come into this world with nothing and when we leave, we take nothing with us. The following little story however, is all about a man who thought he could.


Martin Wilkinson was a man obsessed with making money. He owned a large property portfolio, shares in several major companies and owned a highly successful business of his own, but he was a bit of a miser and hated spending money. Although he provided for his wife and family he spent little time with them and spent every minute of every day, devising new
ways of making money, although he already had more than he could possibly spend in his lifetime.

One day he was discussing his finances with his wife and told her that he had made a will leaving everything he owned to her and the children; however he made a strange request. He made her promise that after his death and before his funeral she would fill his coffin with money, as he couldn’t cope with going to the other side penniless. His wife thought
this was an odd request, but to humour him, she agreed.

Some years later the businessman died of a heart attack, his doctor said was brought on by stress. The day before the funeral, his wife visited the undertakers and solemnly placed a small wooden box inside the coffin. The day after the funeral, she was talking to her best friend, who knew of her husband’s unusual request and asked, “Surely you weren’t stupid enough to put all that money in the coffin?” His wife replied with a smile, “Yes, I kept my promise to him, I asked our accountant how much we were worth, then I wrote out a cheque for the full amount, made payable to Martin, so he won’t arrive on the other side penniless and if he can find someone to cash it – then he’s welcome to every penny.”