> As a young minister in Kentucky , I was asked by a funeral
> director to hold a graveside service for a homeless man, who had
> no family or friends.
>
> The funeral was to be held at a new cemetery, way back in
> the country, and this man would be the first to be buried there. I
> was not familiar with the backwoods area, and I soon became lost.
> Being a typical man, I did not stop to ask for directions. I finally
> arrived an hour late.
>
> I saw the backhoe and the open grave, but the hearse was
> nowhere in sight I felt badly that I had missed the mourners,
> but decided to go ahead with the service. The digging crew was
> still eating lunch, so I apologized to the workers for my tardiness,
> and I stepped to the side of the open grave. There I saw the vault
> lid already in place. I assured the workers I would not hold them
> up for long, as I told them that this was the proper thing to do.
>
> The workers gathered around the grave and stood silently,
> as I began to pour out my heart and soul. As I preached about
> "looking forward to a brighter tomorrow" and "the glory to come",
> the workers joined in with "Amen", "Praise the Lord", and "Glory!"
> The fervor of these men truly inspired me. So, I preached and I
> preached ...all the way from Genesis to Revelation.
>
> I finally closed the lengthy service with a prayer, thanked the
> men, and walked to my car. As I was opening the door and taking off
> my coat, I heard one of the workers say to another, "I ain't NEVER
> seen nothin' like that before, and I've been puttin' in septic tanks for
> thirty years!"