The Burial

As a young minister, I was asked by a funeral director to hold a grave

side service in a new cemetery for a derelict man with no family or

friends who had died while traveling through the area.

The funeral was to be held way back in the country. This man would be

the first to be laid to rest at this new cemetery. As I was not

familiar with the backwoods area, I became lost. Being the typical man

I didn't stop for directions.

But when I finally arrived an hour late, I saw a crew and a backhoe, but

the heorifice was no where in sight. The workmen were eating lunch. I

apologized to the workers for my tardiness, (who looked puzzled) I

stepped to the side of the open grave, to find the vault lid already in

place. I assured the workers I would not hold them long, but this was

the proper thing to do. As the workers gathered around, still eating

their lunch. I poured out my heart and soul.

As I preached the workers began to say "Amen,. Praise the Lord and

Glory, (they must have been Baptist).

I preached, and I preached, like I'd never preached before.

I began from Genesis all the way to Revelation.

I preached for two hours and 45 minutes. It was a long and lengthy

service.

I closed in prayer and it was finished. As I was walking to my car, I

felt that I had done my duty and I would leave with a renewed sense of

purpose and dedication, in spite of my tardiness.

As I was opening the door and taking off my coat. I overheard one of

the workers saying to another. "

I've been putting in septic tanks for 20 years, and I ain't never seen

anything like that before. "