August 05, 2001

Keep your Fork!

A woman had been diagnosed with a terminal illness with only a little while live. So as she was getting her things "in order", she contacted her preacher, asking him come to house. She spoke to him about her funeral: which songs wanted sung, 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.

With everything in order, the preacher was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. "There's one more thing," she said excited. "What's that?" the minister replied. "This is very important" continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand  The preacher stood looking at the woman, not knowing qiuiet what to say, "That surprises you, doesn't it?" she ."Well, to be honest, I am puzzled by the request," said minister.

The woman explained. "In all my years of attending chu rch socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when 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 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 preacher's eyes welled up with tears of bitter-sweet joy, as he hugged this precious sister good-bye. He knew this would likely be one of the last times he would see her before her death. However, 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 her pretty dress, and her favorite Bible, and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the preacher heard the question, "What's with the fork?" And all he could do was smile.

During his message, the preacher told the people of the conversation he had with the woman shortly before she died. He told them about the fork and what it symbolized to her. The minister told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork, and that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right.

Therefore, the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you, oh, so gently, that the best is yet to come.

--Edited--