How many stories have you heard about family members arguing over a Will and fighting about an inheritance? They become greedy, selfish, and hurtful. But dividing an inheritance doesn’t have to be that way.

When my mother died in 1998, my sisters and I had to settle her estate. Her Last Will and Testament specified that her eldest child (my sister Jackie) would be the Executor of her Estate, and that all her possessions were to be divided equally amongst her children. Sorting through her things was a tedious job because she was a frugal woman who saved everything. Mom was old-school and her motto was “Waste not, Want not.”

When we first rummaged through her meagerly belongings, we weren’t too careful. We casually laid aside boxes of stuff she collected for years, things like Styrofoam meat trays, used gift boxes, and scores of old greeting cards dating back 50 years. But little surprises started popping up.

When we found several hundred dollars in an envelope hidden in an end table, our sorting and searching became more meticulous. We painstakingly took our time and looked through every book, every piece of paper and every greeting card. Nothing was left uncovered. What we found was that Mom had money stashed all over her house…in cabinets, envelopes, drawers and jars. Obviously, every new find was a thrill.

Mom didn’t have great wealth, but we each wanted precious keepsakes as memories of her. So in order to be fair, we drew up some Distribution Guidelines so the inheritance would be divided in a peaceful and orderly way without any bickering, backbiting or hard feelings. She would be proud of the way we did this, because it was done in love and fairness.

A few months later, my sister Jackie bought Mom’s house and moved in. After a couple of weeks she called to tell us we had more money coming.

Apparently, when she went to the basement to get an empty coffee can, she made another discovery. In our previous search, someone shook the can but never opened it because they didn’t hear anything. So they assumed nothing was in it. But when Jackie pulled the plastic lid off, she found over three hundred dollars wedged inside. Being the woman of integrity that she was, she called each one of us to inform us of our portion, because it was something we were entitled to.

That’s not the end of the story. Just last year, Jackie and her husband were remodeling the bathroom. Contact paper on the floor of the vanity cabinet was pulled up to reveal another $800 that Mother had hidden. Again, Jackie distributed that money to each one of us even though she legally didn’t have to. A person of this caliber is rare, and it is only because she is a godly woman who fears the Lord.

My sisters and I have fond memories of the way we divided our inheritance. Steve and I want our children to have the same experience when that time comes. For this reason, in our Last Will and Testament we included some Distribution Guidelines for them to follow.

Now is the time to put those critical papers in order. If a stroke or life-threatening event happens to you or a loved one, it may be too late to do so. So preparing ahead is wise and it will give you peace of mind.

“How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity.” Psalm 133:1