Ask Robin

Robin Radcliffe

Once there was an old rich man who was afraid of dying and leaving all his wealth on earth. So, he took up the matter with God. He pleaded day and night to be allowed to bring all his earthly possessions with him.

Finally, God conceded. He said the man could take as much as he could fit in one suitcase. The old man immediately went out, bought a huge suitcase, sold all he had and filled the suitcase with gold bars.

Shortly after that, the old man died. Awkwardly dragging the big, heavy suitcase, he approached St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter stopped him, asked him to open his luggage, and then told him he couldn't bring his gold bars into Heaven. The man was very irate. "You don't understand," he said. "I got permission directly from God himself. He told me whatever I could fit into one suitcase, I could bring with me."

St. Peter, shrugged his shoulders and simply said, "Fine with me. But we've already got plenty of pavement here."

A friend and I were discussing the blessings of giving and he commented that it is better to give without expectation and I agreed and said but even a Higher Law than that would be to give when we feel we don't have enough for ourselves. It is much easier to give when we have plenty. The actual miracle is to give when we don't.

Our earthly abundance does not need to be separate from Heavenly abundance. In the fairy tale of Jack and Beanstalk, Jack climbed to the Heavens and came back with a bag of gold coins, a hen that laid golden eggs and a golden singing harp! I suppose we could take it all with us if we pleaded but why bother? So, receive it. Give it and share it. For there is plenty where it all comes from!