Sunday, July 07, 2013

The Best Is Yet To Come




 A woman was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given three months to live. She asked her Pastor to come to her home to discuss her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at her funeral, and what scriptures she wanted read, and which outfit she wanted to be buried in. Then she said, “One more thing… I want to be buried with a fork in my hand.” The pastor was surprised. 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 say to everyone, ‘Keep your fork.’ It was my favorite time of the dinner, because I knew something better was coming, like velvety chocolate cake or deep dish apple pie – something wonderful. So, I want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and wonder, ‘ What’s with the fork?’ Then, I want you to tell them, ‘ Keep your fork, because the best is yet to come.’ “ The pastor’s eyes welled up with tears of joy as he bid the woman goodbye. He realized she had a better grasp of heaven than he did, and knew something better was coming. At the funeral, when people asked him why she was holding a fork, the pastor told them of the conversation he had with the woman before she died. He said he could not stop thinking about the fork, and knew they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right. “Keep your fork. The best is yet to come.” - Attributed to Roger William Thomas

5 comments:

Heather Moser said...

I fell in love with this story the first time I heard it. After my Mawmaw passed away, I placed a fork from her china set on my jewelry box. A daily reminder!! Thanks for sharing this:)

Heather Moser said...

I fell in love with this story the first time I read it. After my Maw Maw passed away, I put a silver fork from her set on my jewelry box. A daily reminder!! Although, I'm sure everyone that uses my bathroom wonders about the fork...no one asks...too bad :)

Justabeachkat said...

I've always loved this story and never tire of reading it again.

Hope your 4th was good. Ours was rainy, rainy, rainy :-(

Big hugs,
Kat

Just a little something from Judy said...

Love this!!! So true and so encouraging!

LOVE, MERCY AND GRACE...GOD'S GRACE said...

I have never heard that story, but how powerful its meaning is! thank you for sharing it!

~Beth