Save
My Fork
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
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, another 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 ever
so gently, that the best is yet to come!
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