Have You Heard the Story About the Fork?

There was once a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given just three months to live. As she prepared her affairs, she invited her pastor over to discuss her final wishes. With grace and thoughtfulness, she shared her plans: the hymns she wanted sung, the scriptures she wanted read, and even the clothes she wished to wear. She also asked to be buried with her favorite Bible.

As they finished, the pastor prepared to leave, but the woman suddenly lit up, remembering something important.

“Oh, there’s one more thing!” she said with a smile.
“What’s that?” he asked.

She replied, “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.”

The pastor was momentarily taken aback, unsure of what she meant. But the woman’s eyes twinkled as she explained:

“In all my years of attending church potlucks, there was one thing I loved hearing most as the main dishes were cleared: ‘Keep your fork.’ That simple phrase always meant that something better was coming—dessert! Maybe velvety chocolate cake, maybe deep-dish apple pie. I knew it was going to be something special, something sweet and satisfying.

So, when people see me in that casket holding a fork, I want them to wonder, ‘What’s with the fork?’ And then I want you to tell them: ‘Keep your fork—the best is yet to come.’”

The pastor, moved by her words, hugged her tightly. He knew her time on earth was short, but her confidence in the promise of heaven was a testimony that would inspire many.

At the funeral, as friends passed by her casket, they noticed her beautiful dress, her well-loved Bible, and the fork in her hand. Over and over, they asked the same question: “What’s with the fork?” Each time, the pastor smiled. During the eulogy, he shared the story, and hearts were stirred by the message: Keep your fork—the best is yet to come.

This past week, I lost a dear friend to a long battle with cancer. She was faithful, strong, and courageous, and her unshakable trust in God humbled all of us who knew her. Shortly after her passing, a mutual friend sent me a picture of a fork hanging on her Christmas tree. The caption read: “Peggy is enjoying dessert.”

Amen and amen.

So, next time you reach for a fork, let it remind you, oh so gently, that spiritually speaking, the best truly is yet to come.(Hebrews 11:16; Hebrews 13:14; Ephesians 2:4-6; Colossians 3:1; Philippians 3:20; 1 Peter 1:3-4)