提要
面對死亡，每個人的態度都不相同，有的人無法接受、怨天尤人；甚至有人會自暴自棄。這個故事中的女子，好整以暇地安排後事，只因為她信仰堅定，接受上天的安排，並且確信「將來會更好」。
There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and was given 3 months to live. As she began getting her things "in order", she called her pastor and asked for him to 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 wanted read, and what dress she wanted to be buried in. She also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible in her left hand.
Everything was in order and as the pastor was preparing to leave, the woman suddenly remembered one final request that was very important to her.
"Please Pastor, just one more thing", she said excitedly.
"Sure, What is it" came the pastor's reply.
"This is very important to me," the woman continued....."I want to be buried holding a fork in my right hand."
The pastor gazed at the woman, with a loss for words.
"That surprises you, doesn't it ?" the woman asked.
The pastor replied "Well to be quite honest, I'm puzzled by the request".
The woman explained. "You see, Pastor, in all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I remember that when the dishes were being cleared after the main course, someone would inevitably lean over to me 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 to end the great meal".
The pastor listened intently and a smile came upon his face.
The woman continued, "So, I just want people to see me there in the 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 goodbye.
He knew that this would be one of the last times that 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 and trusted that the best was yet to come.
At the funeral, everyone who walked by the woman's casket saw her wearing a beautiful dress with her favorite Bible held in her left hand and a fork held in her right hand. Over and Over the pastor heard people ask the question, "Why is she holding a fork?" and his smile began to get larger and brighter each time.
During his message, the pastor told the people about the conversation that he had with the woman shortly before she died. He explained the fork and what it symbolized to her.
The Pastor told everyone how he could not stop thinking about the fork and how he hoped that they would not be able to stop thinking about it either. That fork and the meaning of it to the woman had quite the impact on everyone and they are still sharing the story with people they meet.
解說
有一個女人被診斷出患了絕症，並被告知剩下三個月的生命。她想把自己的東西整理出頭緒來，於打電話給她的牧師，請他到她家，討論一些「最後的願望」。
她告訴牧師，告別式的時候想播放的歌曲、唱讀的經文、穿的衣服……她還要求，左手握著她最喜歡的聖經一起安葬。
等到一切都安排好而牧師準備離開時，她突然想起一個對她非常重要的最後請求。
「牧師，還有一件事」，她情緒激動地說。
「沒問題，請說，」牧師轉身回答。
「這對我很重要，」女人繼續說，「請讓我的右手拿著叉子。」
牧師注視著她，一時語塞。
「這讓你驚訝，是嗎？」女人問。
牧師答道，「老實說，這請求讓我困惑」。
女子解釋說，「是這樣的，牧師，多年來我參加教會聯誼聚餐晚宴，每當主菜吃完後，總是有人會湊過來對我說，『叉子先別收，還有好吃的……』，像絲絨巧克力蛋糕或深盤蘋果餡餅，這是我最喜歡的部分，美妙的甜點，讓晚餐畫上完美的句點。」
牧師專注地聽著，臉上泛起微笑。
女人繼續說，我只是希望親友來看我最後一眼、疑惑我為何「手握叉子」的時候，請告訴他們說：「留著你的叉子……最好的還在後頭」。
牧師與她擁抱告別時，眼裡盈滿了喜悅的淚水。
他知道，這可能是最後一次看到她了，他也知道，這個女人很清楚如何能升上天堂，甚至比自己這個牧師更清楚「最好的還在後頭」。
在葬禮上，大家走過女人的棺木，看到她穿著漂亮的裙子與她左手的聖經。 牧師也一遍又一遍的聽到人問，「為什麼她拿著叉子？」每次都讓他的笑容變得更燦爛。
講道的時候，牧師告訴大家，他與女子在她臨終前的談話，他並解釋叉子象徵的意義。
牧師忍不住一直思考，也希望大家和他一樣，之後還會不斷的與別人分享這故事的含義。
WOW原來如此
the best is yet to come
「yet」適用很多用法，例如：「I haven't finish my homework yet.」（我還沒有做完功課）；或是：「My room is small yet cosy.」（ 我的房間雖小，卻很舒適。）
「the best is yet to come」直接翻譯是「目前為止，最好的還沒有來」。引申的意義就成了「將來的、下一個會更好！」
被問到「自己最滿意的作品」時，「屏風表演班」創立者李國修曾回答：「是下一部」；著名的奧斯卡獎演員、公認為二十世紀最優秀的美國流行男歌手、被暱稱「瘦皮猴」的法蘭克辛納屈，常掛在嘴邊的口頭語也是：「the best is yet to come！」（好戲在後頭！）
terminal
「terminal」就是「last」或「end」（最後、最終）。某種illness（疾病）的最後階段（末期）。文字敘述用較含蓄「terminal illness」而不用強烈的「癌症末期」，因要聚焦這位女士的樂觀的態度，而不是疾病的名稱。
查「terminal」的意思，常出現的是「終端機」、「航站」，湯姆漢克斯演過一部困在機場的電影《航站情緣》英文原文片名就是「The Terminal」。 （圖／取自網路）
in order
「order」是「秩序」，「in order」是「秩序井然」。
「in order」在托爾斯泰的世界名著《戰爭與和平》出現的句子是：「And not only externally was all in order, but had it pleased the commander in chief to look under the uniforms he would have found on every man a clean shirt......」 （不僅外在井然有序，讓指揮官高興的是，他發現每個士兵制服內都穿著乾淨的襯衫……）
但是去美式餐廳用餐時，服務生問你：「請問要order了嗎？」並不是要求你守秩序，而是問你是不是可以點餐了。
inevitably
「inevitably」是「不可避免的」。
例如：Lack of practice, their defeat was inevitable. （缺乏練習，他們被擊敗是不可避免的。）
也可以說是「每次都這樣」（照例）
例如：He greeted us with his inevitable smile. 他照例笑著招呼我們。
找出隱藏的字
Finding Words
S U D D E N L Y D E S L E
M I S F O R K R W N Y X X
B C S F A E Y E T L M K A
E J U R T Z R M F B B D C
Y L B A T I V E N I O B T
X A S N B L H M Z F L Y L
I L T N U L H B T E I Q Y
Y G A Z S W I E L Z Z U P
U F N R H E J R A X E N Y
O P C W O N D E R F U L J
L F E Z F E T I R O V A F
※「找字遊戲」之中， 有些字沒按照傳統英文字「由左到右」的規矩，所以有的字由右到左，有的字上下排列。
你至少可以找到十個字，這些字都在內文中找得到。 而且還藏了一些早就學過的字。
解答 Finding Words
S U D D E N L Y D E S L E
M I S F O R K R W N Y X X
B C S F A E Y E T L M K A
E J U R T Z R M F B B D C
Y L B A T I V E N I O B T
X A S N B L H M Z F L Y L
I L T N U L H B T E I Q Y
Y G A Z S W I E L Z Z U P
U F N R H E J R A X E N Y
O P C W O N D E R F U L J
L F E Z F E T I R O V A F
你至少可以找到inevitably；favorite；suddenly；remember；puzzle；symbolize；fork；yet；wonderful；substance等十個字。這些字都可以在內文之中找到。
※若只找十個字不能顯示你的實力，還可以繼續找，例如第五列可以找到bush（灌木叢），最後一列可找到exactly（確切地）.