--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Charita Lott" <clott@matrixservice.com>
To: "Willie montgomery" <wmontg@juno.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 11:53:47 -0600
Subject: FW: The Fork
Message-ID: <000601c05af6$7d6fafa0$4c7010ac@awilliams.matrixservice.com>



-----Original Message-----
From: Tiffiany Rose [mailto:trose@matrixservice.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 9:11 AM
To: Shayla Prater; Pamela Hayward Brooks; Lashawn Bass; Kesha Randle;
Charita Lott; Anthony Ray Chambers, Jr.; Andre'a Murrell
Subject: FW: The Fork




-----Original Message-----
From: The Oranges [mailto:orange23@corecomm.net]
Sent: Saturday, October 21, 2000 9:56 PM
To: Aaron T Orange; Abby Joseph; Andrea Fisher; Christopher Alverson;
Christopher Grove; Dana Kimbrough Nunes; Darren Shepard; Debra Buchanan;
Derek Murdock; Dr. Campbell; Dr. Jolene Wallace; Jake Green; Jennifer
Littles; Kevin Buie; KRice06@aol.com; LaDonna Walters; Les Mitchell
<lgm10@ daimlerchrysler.com>; Malcom Townes; Mark Crawford; Mike and Ife
Jacobs; Monica Henry; Montee Evans; Nathaniel Griffin; Opal Sykes
Wheeler; Regina Madison; Robert L. Orange; Rosalyn Smith; Rosalynn
Lenoir; Ruthie G. McEwen; Shawn Anthony Fields; Stephanie and Vernon
Lewis; Vernida Summers; Vernon and Crystal Murdock; Victor Murdock;
Wanda Jackson
Subject: The Fork


This is one I received from a friend in Hawaii, Enjoy!

> > > THE FORK
> >> >
> >> > There was a 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, 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." The pastor's
eyes
> >> > welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman good-bye. He
knew
> >> > this would be one of the last times he would see her before her
death.
> >> > But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of heaven than
he
> >> > did. She KNEW that something better was coming. At the funeral
people
> >> > were walking by the woman's casket and they saw the pretty dress
she
> was
> >> > wearing another favorite Bible 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. During his message, the pastor told the
people
> >> > of the conversation he had with the woman shortly before she died.
He
> >> > also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her.
> >> >
> >> > The pastor told the people how he could not stop thinking about
the
> fork
> >> > and told them that they probably would not be able to stop
thinking
> >> > about it either. He was right. So the next time you reach down for
your
> >> > fork, let it remind you ever so gently, that the best is yet to
come.
> >> > Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and
> encourage
> >> > you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and
they
> >> > always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much
you
> >> > care.
> >> >
> >> > Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND even if it means
sending
it
> >> > back to the person who sent it to you.
> >> > And..................... keep your fork
>