I’m not sure you can make it right. Just as you cannot atone for another’s sins, it is impossible to apologize for another’s trespasses against a third party.
bump
There is only one who can redeem, none of us can.
You do what you can to find who is left on the list to get them their restitution. I would not spend an extraordinary amount of time on it. If the businesses are closed or the persons involved are deceased then donate the moneys involved to a good charity such as the Salvation Army kettles at Christmas time or Samaritan’s Purse. Trust God to right the wrongs in that way.
On the other hand perhaps a spiritual journey may be in the offing for you as you search the byways all over the world for those on the list leading you to a grand special awakening. You then write a book and Michael Palin and Terry Jones direct a movie about it.
Seriously though, do what you can and for those you can’t find in a reasonable amount of time, donate moneys left over for a worthy cause, giving God the praise for it all!
He trusted you.
It won’t save him but I hope the Lord did so. It does show repentance which is necessary for salvation.
I’d contact those companies, tell the story, and ask them what to do. Leave it to them. Accept their answers. Some will say “nothing” but if that is what they say then that is what is to be done.
I feel bad for this person, but that is not how it works.
Now to address the underlying issues.
Your cousin left a n unfinished list of things he wished to rectify. God knows what became of the wrong your cousin believed he had done to others. Some may have been used already by God to change circumstances for those 'wronged' ... all things work together to accomplish His pruposes, for those who are in Christ.
You have been enjoined to accomplish what your cousin couldnot finish. You are not obliged to do this, before God. HOWEVER, you should perhaps put the whole matter up to GOD and see if HE brings people into your life who are listed and who can benefit from the desire of your cousin as a Christian to rectify. The reality that someone forgotten (probably) felt the need to right wrongs they had done can be a powerful message to anyone fence sitting the redemption offered as Grace From God.
At any rate, I respect that you are committed to this challenge and I hope that you write down your thoughts and the details of that challenge. It has the makings of a genuinely involving piece of non-fiction (you can always change the names, it's still non-fiction). And a prayer for your success!
You can’t. He was either redeemed by God grace through Jesus Christ before his death, or he was not.
Well, you can’t make it right with the dead and those you can not find or who no longer exist., but you can do something with the amount “in their name”. I suggest St Judes.
Most importantly, trust God to lead you and trust Gods words about redeeming those who believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is not good works, or making up for anything that saves...it Gods Grace that saves.
Sleep well, friend.
read later. I lost my daughter not knowing if she was saved.
Follow up on the story.
I spent a very frustrating day(about 6 hours) trying to locate the remaining 18 entities that were on the list. Nine are female, three are male and the balance are/were small businesses. I located one male that is deceased. Pretty poor results. I was talking to the private eye that we use at work for back round checks and asked him the best way to research this matter. He was fascinated by the subject and insisted that he look into it for cost. I took him up on it.
He located 5 of the females and and one of the remaining males and one of the heirs of one of the businesses. Most of the females had been married more than once and it makes them harder to find. The one business heir that he found were so moved by the effort that they will be donating the money returned from my relative to a charity of their choice. The “apology” letters from my relative and the checks for the amount(if that was warranted) he felt he owed them are going out in the mail today. I will also be mailing a substantial check with the balance of the funds to a Veterans House in the city where my relative lived.
As a side note it is truly sobering that amount of information available on the net about all of us. The PI has access to databases that I would of had to join and pay a fee to utilize.
Thank you for your thoughts on this matter. I appreciate it.