Outskirts Press, INC.

The Best Is Yet To Come

A woman was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given three months to live. She asked her Pastor to come to her home to discuss her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at her funeral, and what scriptures she wanted read, and which outfit she wanted to be buried in. Then she said, “One more thing… I want to be buried with a fork in my hand.” 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 say to everyone, ‘Keep your fork.’ It was my favorite time of the dinner, because I knew something better was coming, like velvety chocolate cake or deep dish apple pie— something wonderful. So, I want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and wonder, “What’s with the fork?” Then, I want you to tell them, “Keep your fork, because the best is yet to come.”

This story, attributed to Roger William Thomas (1996, A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul), touched our hearts and prompted us to capture our own real-life stories of what people think “the best is yet to come” looks like. We hope the 17 stories between the front and back covers of Keep Your Fork will be thought-provoking and inspirational, and that you’ll understand why we ask you to Keep Your Fork.

"Faith is the most powerful thing in life.” ~Russ Creason

"When we cross over, maybe we’re crisscrossing another dimension." ~Glennie Turner

"Our job is to make heaven here on earth." ~Sister Berta Sailer

"Heaven wouldn't be heaven if, when we die, we spend all of our time watching what happens here on earth to our children and loved ones. There will be too much to do in heaven!" ~Rev. Adam Hamilton

"I believe God is in me, is me. I believe that there is a difference between religion and spirituality…religion is for those who are afraid of going to hell; spirituality is for those who have been there and don’t want to go back." ~Margie Melvin Long

“Everybody knows God at the time of death. There are no atheists in foxholes in the military.” ~Rodney Heinsohn

She wanted very badly to believe there was a life after this so that she would someday see Brittany again. Processing it through with her child and reassuring her, Kristina was trying to reassure herself as well.

“I spent my whole life believing and subsequently passing that belief on to my children; but now that I had a child who was supposedly there, was she really? What if I was wrong?” ~Barb Abernethy

"What if we could just all love whomever we love?” ~Janet Nima Taylor

"For a long time I felt as if the path leading to God had been chained and locked up tight. I had to put my faith away because if I was gay God wouldn’t…couldn’t…love me. But I’m the one who had created the chains. I’m the one who locked the gate that led to my peace and freedom." ~Misty Town