The police officer’s knock on the door after midnight confirmed Anne Koehler’s worst fears. Her husband, Paul, had been severely injured in a horrible car accident. In that moment, Anne’s life took an unexpected turn. Though she couldn’t have known it then, this challenging time would mark the beginning of her new journey of generosity.
Over the next 15 months, Anne devoted herself to caring for Paul, who had been seriously injured in a collision with a large truck. The path, filled with both hope and hardship, was not easy. Sadly, despite doctors’ best efforts, Paul eventually passed away due to complications from his injuries. Anne found herself facing a new chapter, guiding their five daughters through this loss. Her youngest was still in high school.
Although she received a settlement from the trucking company, she was uncertain about her family’s financial future. Paul had been a professional advisor, so she’d always relied on him to handle their finances. “He was always trying to get me to balance the checkbook and be more involved,” Anne says. “But I was very busy homeschooling the girls. He was really encouraging me to learn, but I was just beginning.”
At first, she continued to work with the team from Paul’s old advisory firm. Their goal was to maximize her investments so she would be able to care for her family. But there was no faith component to their advice, and they didn’t engage with her on a personal level about stewardship or generosity. She felt like something was missing.
Seeking faith-based financial advice
“After about a year, I felt God nudging me to be a good steward of this money and have my hands in it more,” Anne says. “Paul was very generous, and he instilled that in all of us. Even if we didn’t have it, he would be generous. I really felt it was important for me to carry on his legacy of generosity, but I didn’t know how.”
Searching for answers, Anne met with a pastor who recommended Ron Anderson, a local Christian advisor who often collaborates with NCF. Ron listened to her story and her spiritual goals for her resources beyond the numbers. And he helped her set up a fund for her giving.
Ron walked her through every step. “Although he doesn’t replace Paul at all, I feel secure that I have someone advising me who has my best interest at heart and takes care of me every time I have a question,” Anne says. “The relationship with Ron is such a gift to me and a weight off my shoulders.”
Discovering her purpose
As Anne began to embrace her new journey of generosity, she found Women Doing Well, an organization that helps women discover their purpose, passion, and plan for living generously. Through their framework, Anne developed “spontaneous generosity,” her two-word purpose statement – a concept that perfectly aligns with her love of travel and adventure.
Anne felt called to support women’s initiatives and charities that help children. But one day, her spontaneous generosity manifested on a very personal level. While chatting with a friend, Anne felt a sudden prompting. She knew her friend had needed braces for years but couldn’t afford them. Without hesitation, Anne offered to pay for them. “Don’t say ‘no,’” she told her friend. “This is what’s going to happen,” Anne told her. The experience brought joy and transformation for both of them.
Anne’s adventure begins
As time passed, Anne’s adventurous spirit began to reawaken. Before she was married, she’d traveled extensively and lived abroad. Now that she was on her own and her daughters were grown, she decided to take a vision trip to Rwanda to visit the children she sponsored there.
That’s when she heard a group of women talking about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro the year before to raise funds for Africa New Life, a charity supporting Rwandan children. They were getting another team together, and Anne’s friend suggested they join the climb. “At first, I thought, ‘Yeah right. I’m 65. I’m not going to do that,’” Anne says. But when she returned home, she rethought her decision.
“I said ‘yes,’ and I started training,” Anne says. “And it was so good for me. Working out four or five times a week was life-giving, and I’ve continued to do it. It really helped me in my grief to train for something bigger than myself and to climb a mountain like that.”
Passing on a legacy of giving
For Anne, generosity has been an important way of journeying through loss. “It’s like living Paul’s legacy and paying it forward,” Anne says. “His life was so generous, and now I’m doing the same thing. When I give, it’s a way of honoring him.”
One of the most rewarding aspects she has experienced is the way her love of giving has impacted her daughters’ lives. Her oldest said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if you gave it all away, mom. And you know what? We’re good with that.”
And for all her love of adventure, Anne feels that nothing is more thrilling than giving. “The most adventurous lifestyle you could ever live is to be generous,” she says. “You can’t outgive God, and I want to see how much I can give away in my lifetime.”
Connect with your NCF team for more insight on women’s giving and generosity resources.
Photos courtesy of the Koehler family
