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 good-bye. 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 life and 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.
Author Unknown