Discerning God's Will

Donna O'Hara is 36 years old. She is an engineer at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan. Her father, Patrick O'Hara, who retired from Ford after 30 years of service, was so proud of her the day she got the job. Donna remembers it well. She also remembers the time her father spent in the hospital during the last days of his life in September 2003. Those days were meaningful and reflective. It was a time that brought the family together.

After her father's death, Donna remembers sitting in the bleachers at a local high school football game. Her older sister, Rita, looked back at her and said, "Hey, did you do your will yet?" With that one question she was following up on an informational booklet she had given Donna over 12 months earlier. The publication encouraged young adults to complete their will as a matter of good planning.

In October 2003, Donna traveled to Rome for the 25th Anniversary of Pope John Paul II's Pontificate and the Beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She promised her sister that before she left for Italy, she would complete and sign her will. With the help of a local prolife attorney, the will took only a couple of days to complete. The process was easier than she thought.

As the paperwork was being drawn up, Donna needed to decide how she would want her assets distributed one day. A single woman with 11 nieces and nephews who are all well taken care of financially by their parents, Donna decided the best thing to do would be to give it to charity. But before she gave it to charity she gave it back to God by asking him to direct her – and He did. While driving her car one afternoon, and thinking about a multitude of things other than her will, she had her answer, she clearly understood that she was to leave her estate to Right to Life of Michigan.

"I always knew I should complete my will," Donna confessed, "but I didn't want to think about death. I realize this sounds crazy, but in the back of my mind I thought that if I completed my will I could die. Of course I knew I would someday, but if my will was ready to go, then so was I. Isn't that silly?"

Donna went on to say, "I want to encourage my friends to stop spending time thinking about doing their will, they just need to do it. My will was a lot easier than I ever thought. And as in their lives, they need to continue to support the charities they've supported all along by writing them into their will. What people don't realize is that you have to do all this while you're living, and if you do, it will make everything easier on your family. You get a chance to tell them your wishes when you leave a will; they don't have to guess or fight with other family members over what they think you might have wanted."

On the way to the airport to depart for Rome, Donna felt a peace come over her knowing that she had acted responsibly and that her estate was all in order. Donna's time in Rome was nothing short of spectacular.

 

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