Take my advice friends, if ever you want anything done do not ask Ernest to do it.
Ernest is a nice enough member of our church always eager to volunteer to do anything that’s needed, although he doesn’t always get it quite right. That aside, we normally let him do all sorts of jobs as long as there’s someone else to supervise him in case he does it all wrong.
Sadly a prominent member of our church died recently. He was very elderly, lived alone and was a member of our choir. A few of us got together to set up a committee to work out the funeral arrangements. The deceased had no family, nor much funds, so we decided to take it upon ourselves to make the arrangements for his final journey from this valley of tears.
As expected, Ernest joined the committee. We all met and discussed various arrangements. The Order of Service, hymns, choir, burial and so on. At one point someone suggested that it would be a nice gesture if, as the deceased was lowered into the ground, all those standing around the grave would release white doves into the air as a symbol of peace.
What?
I’ve never heard of such a thing. White doves at a funeral? By the graveside?
I was about to protest when the suggestion was quickly picked up by others and before I could speak they’d all agreed it was a brilliant idea.
Ernest volunteered to obtain the white doves at little expense from a friend of his; and the decision was made and agreed in the minutes of the meeting.
On the day in question, as we all stood around the grave, there stood Ernest with a large box in his hands.
At the appropriate time he opened the box and started handing out white gloves to all around him!
You should have seen their faces.
Well done Ernest … clean your ears next time before volunteering.
