There was a 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.  The
 woman also requested to
be buried with her favorite Bible.  Everything was
 in order and the
pastor 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?" came the pastor's reply,
 "This is very
important," the woman continued. "I want to be
 buried with a fork
in my right hand." The pastor 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 pastor.  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 chochlate cake or
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 woman goodbye.
 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 Bible 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 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 oh so gently, that the best is yet to come.
Friends are a very rare
jewel, indeed.  They make you smile and encourage
 you to succeed.
They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and
 they always want to
open
their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you
 care.  Send this to
everyone
You consider a Friend....