There
was a young
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.
Everything was
in order and the
pastor was
preparing to
leave when the
young 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 young woman
continued.
"I want to
be buried with a
fork in my right
hand."
The pastor stood
looking at the
young woman, not
knowing quite
what to say.
"That
surprises you,
doesn't
it?"
the young woman
asked.
"Well, to
be honest, I'm
puzzled by the
request"
said the pastor.
The young woman
explained.
"My
grandmother once
told me this
story, and from
there on out, I
have always
tried to pass
along its
message to those
I love and those
who are in need
of
encouragement.
'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 young 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 young woman
had a better
grasp of heaven
than he
did. She
had a better
grasp of what
heaven would be
like than many
people twice her
age, with twice
as much
experience and
knowledge. She
KNEW that
something better
was coming.
At
the funeral
people were
walking by the
young woman's
casket and they
saw the pretty
dress she was
wearing 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
young 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.
