The Best is Yet to Come
The Best is Yet to Come
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, which scriptures she would like read, and which 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. “This is very important,” the young woman continued. “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.” 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 this story, and from that time on, I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and 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.’ ”
The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young 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 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 cloak 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.
I first came across this story over six years ago, and it seems like with each passing year it starts to just mean a little more. If you think back to when you were a little kid, this was likely the first time you first learned about the concept of Heaven and what it entails. We would draw pictures of shiny golden gates sitting on top of some clouds with a man smiling and stretching out his arms ready to welcome us in. We’d sit in a pew singing some songs about how we want to go to heaven, but as a kid you don’t give it much thought. Fast forward a few years and as we put a few miles on the odometer, I’m starting to realize those pictures we draw and songs we sing don’t do justice to just how incredible Heaven is and will be.
We’re told in 1 Corinthians 2:9 that, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”. It’s verses like this that remind us Heaven is something that exceeds every expectation we might have and goes beyond anything we could possibly comprehend. Another great thing about Heaven (and this may seem obvious) is that it is not earth. If you live life long enough you will endure some hardships. Your health may decline, friends and family will come and go, and those close to you may even hurt you and the ones you love, but at the end of the day this was never meant to be our forever home. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away’.” (Revelation 21:3-4). The young woman in our story understood that regardless of what entrée she had, the dessert that came after was always going to be better, and by keeping her fork she held on to the hope of that reward waiting for her at the end. My prayer for each of you today is that as you take on each day of your life, you cling to the hope we have through Jesus, fix your eyes on Heaven and save your fork because the best is yet to come.
- Caleb White
______
Living Through Hard Times
Imagine that you are born in 1900. When you are 14, World War I starts, and 40 million people are killed. Later that year a Spanish Flu epidemic sweeps the planet, leaving 50 million dead. When you’re 29, the Great Depression begins. Millions of Americans cannot find employment. The global GDP drops 27%, and this country’s economy nearly collapses. Basic needs become hard to meet for many.
When you’re 41, the United States is pulled into WW II. 75 million people perish in the war and the Holocaust kills another 6 million. When you reach age 50, the Korean War begins and 36 thousand U.S. forces perish. At 55 comes the Vietnam War, and 58 thousand Americans die. Approaching your 62nd birthday we face the Cuban Missile Crisis, creating fear that life on our planet might end in a nuclear confrontation.
And yet, the generation born in 1900 survived all of that!
With the difficulties and challenges that 2026 may bring it is imperative that we:
⬧ put our trust in God who will never forsake us
⬧ be strong in the strength He supplies
⬧ help one another whenever possible
If we will do this, we can get through the hard times.
- Anon
"FOREVER is the most solemn word in the Bible !"
- J. C. Ryle, 19th century Anglican cleric
View Full Content Source:
https://cedarparkchurchofchrist.org/resources/articles/2026/06/14/the-best-is-yet-to-come
