THE BEST IS YET TO COME
Kathy Bernard - Publisher

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9;
cf. Isaiah 64:4).

Consider the happiest moment you have ever experienced.  The euphoria when something is sought and finally won, perhaps a new job, the birth of a baby, maybe the joy of being in love. A multitude of precious and happy times.  Well, life is filled with many happy moments and generally that is what they are...moments in time.  For each lifetime is a series of priceless but broken segments laced with solid and sometimes hard realities.  If life were a continuous nonstop avenue of complete happiness and joy we would never strive to reach for that golden dream of God’s eternity.  We would be very content then with what we have.  But life isn’t like that.  There is that prod, that something built inside all of us that keeps on aiming for endless tranquility, happiness and perfection, even in the face of adversity.  As humans, we still continually try to fill the empty places that plague us all.

Now consider an unbroken pattern of supreme joy that will never end.  We are all aware that this is very hard to do when life is fraught with just trying to maintain some semblance of peace and serenity, some assurances that all is well with family and friends, as well as the endless things that just make up living.  In spite of life’s busiest schedules, choose a quiet, reflective time and contemplate that amazing and absolute exultation we all desire, this supreme joy that is promised to us by God.  Sometimes it seems far away in the distance of time when we take a hard look at the many bridges we have to cross to get there.  We reflect on it but the road leading there seems very long.  But as we grow tired and victories become scattered and far between and there is an abundance of unfulfilled dreams, we begin to think about the wonder of God’s covenant with us.  We yearn for His cup which will be filled to the brim with never ending rapture with no cloudy segments to blight perfection.  No more pain, no more suffering, no more growing old and no more tears.  Just eternal jubilance.  And this is what God offers to us.  After our many years of trudging uphill, we are then truly ready to reach the summit of life’s mountaintop...to finally reach that pinnacle of happiness which comes to each of us who believe in our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ. 

I was inspired to write this article after I received a most beautiful short story a loving and precious cousin-in-law sent to me and which immediately follows this paragraph.  I do not know who wrote it but after some revisions I am including it here because I want to share it with all of you.  It contains such faith and confidence that it makes one’s soul sing with anticipation.  I believe it is powerfully thought provoking and speaks with assurance of the wonderful future which we as Christian Catholics will have someday.  A future which we sometimes try to hold in abeyance in favor of this imperfect human existence.  But if we can get beyond this world, keeping our eyes fixed on what God promised we can move ahead without fear, without regret, and with great expectation and excitement, for the best is yet to come.

KEEP YOUR 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 am 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 I said: "Keep your fork....the best is yet to come".

" ....we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.  According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words." - 1Thessalonians 4: 14-18. 

With faith, trust and obedience, move confidently in the Lord for though this life is fraught with trials, remember always that the best is yet to come.