As a young minister in Tennessee , I was asked by a funeral director to hold a grave-side 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. The digging crew was
eating lunch. 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 that is to come,'
The workers began to say 'Amen,' 'Praise the Lord,' and 'Glory!' The fervor of these men truly inspired
me. So, I preached and I preached like I had never preached before, all the way from Genesis to Revelations.
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!'
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