There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a
terminal illness and had been given three months
to live.
As she was getting her things "in order", she
contacted her bishop 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 set of scriptures.
Everything was in order and the bishop 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?" asked the bishop. "This is
very important," the woman continued..."I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."
The bishop 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 bishop.
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 bishop'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 and her favorite scriptures and the fork
placed in her right hand.
Over and over the bishop heard the question
"What's with the fork?" And over and over he
smiled.
During his message, the bishop 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 bishop
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...
May God Bless you and keep
you safe.
