There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal
illness and had been given three months to live. So as she
was getting her things "in order", she contacted her pastor
and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of
her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung
at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what
outfit she wanted to be buried in. The woman also requested
to be buried with her favorite Bible.
Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave
when the woman suddenly remembered something very important
to her. "There's one more thing," she said excitedly.
"What's that?" came the pastor's reply.
"This is very important," the woman continued. "I want to
be buried with a fork in my right hand."
The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say.
"That surprises you, doesn't it?" the woman asked.
"Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the pastor.
The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials
and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the
main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over
and say, 'Keep your fork'. It was my favorite part because
I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake
or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!
So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my
hand and I want them to wonder "What's with the fork?'. Then I want you
to tell them: "Keep your fork.... the best is yet to come".
The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman
goodbye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see
her before her death. But he also knew that the woman had a better
grasp of heaven than he did. She KNEW that something better was coming.
At the funeral people were walking by the woman's casket and they
saw the pretty dress she was wearing and her favorite Bible and the fork
placed in her right hand. Over and over, the pastor heard the question,
"What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled. During his message,
the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the woman
shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about
what it symbolized to her. The pastor told the people how he could
not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would
not be able to stop thinking about it either.
He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork,
let it remind you oh so gently, that the best is yet to come.
Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile
and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a
word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.
Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider
a FRIEND even if it means sending back to the person who sent it to you.
And keep your fork!
