Keep Your Fork Because The Best
Is Yet To Come

Aunt Martie, as the children called her, just seemed to ooze faith, hope and love wherever

she went. This time, however, there seemed to be an unusual tone to her words as she spoke

to the preacher on the phone: "Preacher, could you stop by this afternoon? I need to talk to

you." And, of course, he could.

Martha got right to the point. The doctor had just told her that an old problem had returned

and this time she only had about six months to live. As she spoke, the faith, hope, and love

were still present, along with a certain calm. Before the preacher could respond she said, "I've

lived a long life and I'm ready to go whenever the Lord calls me home, but I want to be assured

that certain arrangements will be made for my burial."

The two talked about the usual arrangements and reminisced about the many church events that

they had shared together. Then she made her surprising request. "Preacher, when I'm buried I

want to have my old bible in one hand and a fork in the other." She gave this explanation:

"I have been thinking about all the church dinners and banquets that I have attended over the

years," she explained. "I couldn't begin to count them all. But one thing sticks in my mind.

At those really nice get-togethers, when the meal was almost finished, a server or maybe hostess

would come by to collect the dirty dishes. I can hear the words now: 'You can keep your fork.'

And do you know what that means? Dessert is coming! It didn't mean a cup of Jell-O or pudding

or even a dish of ice cream. You don't need a fork for that. It meant good stuff like chocolate

cake or cherry pie! When they told me I could keep my fork, I knew the best was yet to come!

That's exactly what I want people to talk about at my funeral. When they walk by my casket and

look at my pretty blue dress, I want them to turn to one another and say, "Why the fork?" That's

when I want you to tell them that I kept my fork because the best is yet to come!"