There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. 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 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!”
John 14:1-3 ” Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
What a wonderful promise! To know that we have a place prepared for us by our Lord and Savior! While we rejoice in this promise and look forward to the Rapture, this article is not just about heaven. Heaven is going to be wonderful, and I can’t wait until we are carried away to be with Him, but until that “great and notable day come”, we are here, still working and serving.
Life has a way of discouraging us. Just when we think we have something figured out and put together, it crumples right in front of our very eyes. Just when we think we’ve learned how to walk, we fall flat on our face. As soon as we think we have the bicycle mastered, we fall and scrape our knee. So it is with the ministry as well. We finally have the right outreach programs in place. Sinners are coming to the altars. Our musicians and singers are on the same page. It seems everything is flowing the way it should and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, the bottom falls out; whether it be a church split, a family leaves, or discord being sown among brethren (just to name a few). If you’ve been pastor for any amount of time, then you have probably experienced these things, in some form or another. When these things happen it is easy to get discouraged to the point of throwing in the proverbial towel. It would be easy to just walk away from it and justifiably declare that “I tried.” However, conceding this would be a victory for the enemy. When in all actuality, could it be that we are going through these things because something good is about to happen and it’s just right around the next corner? Remember God called you to the ministry not because of your capabilities but because He is able. He is able to sustain you (Psalm 3:5), able to keep you (Psalm 140:4), able to maintain you (Psalm 9:4), able to uphold you with His right hand (Psalm 63:8)! We have to hang in there and contend for the faith (Jude 1:3). He never said it would be easy, but He did promise us that He would never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). We have a responsibility to God, our community, our friends and our family. We have witnessed great revivals. We have experienced great outpourings of the Holy Ghost. We have seen miracles happen time and time again. But keep the fork pastor! The best is yet to come!
