Keep Your Fork!

I Peter 1:4
An inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away is reserved in heaven for you.  (NKJV)

Below is a story that touches my heart every time I read it.  I share it with you, hoping you will be blessed, too.

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.

"I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand," she told him.

 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 a story that I never forgot and I have tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement.  Here’s her story:

“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 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.*

Beloved Savior, just knowing that You are waiting for me takes the sting out of death and puts joy in my heart. 

By Ann Shorb
©Copyright Ann Shorb, 2006

Get information about working with a Christian counselor from CCES.

Related articles and devotionals:
He's Building a Place for You
Fix Your Eyes On Jesus
Bearing Fruit
Seeing God's Blessings
Praise Him!

---

Changes That Heal: How to Understand Your Past to Ensure a Healthier Future By Dr. Henry Cloud / Zondervan In Changes That Heal, Dr. Cloud takes the reader step-by-step through the four basic tasks of becoming mature image bearers of God. They are: Bonding to others, Separating from others, Sorting out good and bad in ourselves and others, and Becoming an adult. Dr. Cloud not only explains and describes each task, he also identifies the problems that result when we fail to accomplish that task, and he shows us what changes to make in our lives in order to bring about healing.