HEAVEN AND THE FORK— When you read the following true story, assuming you are as mellow as me, tears will well up in your eyes.—Buff. A young woman was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given a short time to live. As she was getting her things in order, she asked her preacher to drop by to discuss her funeral. She mentioned the songs she wanted to be sung, scriptures to be read, and a few other details. As he prepared to leave, she had one more request. “There is one more thing,” she said. “What’s that?” the preacher replied. “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.” Puzzled, the preacher asked, “Please pardon me, but did you say you wish to be buried with a fork in your right hand?” She explained, “Yes. In all my years of attending church dinners and potlucks, I remember that when the dishes were being cleared, someone would remark, ‘Don’t forget to keep your fork!’ This was a reminder that something wonderful was coming, such as chocolate cake, banana pudding, or deep-dish apple pie. So when people see me in my casket with fork-in-hand, you can tell them that I expect something far better to come.” The preacher’s eyes welled up with tears as he hugged her, knowing that this might be the last time he would see her alive. He also realized that she had a profound grasp of heaven. At her funeral, scores of people walked by the casket, noting the fork in her hand. Over and over, the preacher overheard the question, “Why the fork?” He smiled but said nothing. During the eulogy, he told the audience about the fork and about what it meant to the woman. Although a few were crying prior to the preacher’s remarks, not a dry eye remained after he explained the meaning of the fork. The next time you grab a fork at a fellowship meal, hold on to it a few extra moments and remember that as a child of God, the best is yet to come! —Lifted from Hugh Fulford’s News & Views . Used with permission.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 20:55:50 +0000