The Great Preacherman

As a young minister in Kentucky, I was asked by a funeral director
to hold a grave-side service for a homeless man, who had no family or
friends.

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 seennothin' like that

before, and I've been puttin' in septic tanks for thirty years!'

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