Something Better To Come

Last Sunday an elder in our church began her communion meditation by saying that her 97 year old mother had died just a week ago. Judy went on to say that she reminded her of the woman whose story has been told on the Internet many times. You may recognize it.

She had been diagnosed with a disease and given three months to live. Her Dr. told her to start making preparations to die. So 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 she wanted to be wearing. The woman also told her pastor that she wanted 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. 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 shocks you, doesn't it?" the woman asked. "Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," he said. The woman explained, "In all my years of attending church socials and functions where food was involved (and let's be honest, food is an important part of any church event; spiritual or otherwise); my favorite part was when whoever was clearing away the dishes of the main course would lean over and say 'you can keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming. They they told me to keep my fork I knew that something great was about to be given to me. It wasn't Jell-O or pudding. It was cake or pie. Something 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: 'Something better is coming so keep your fork too.'"

When Judy told this story it made me think -- maybe we should pass out forks when we serve communion. After all, this "great thanksgiving feast" anticipates the banquet of heaven spoken of in Revelation 19:9 -- "Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!" Yes, when we come to this table we can look toward that day when all is fulfilled and "something better" than anything we have known here will be ours.