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The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
7 \3 L% F7 j& i: N1 c/ `4 _0 [to their first ministry, to reopen a church
; Z, [, P2 d# C/ X2 din suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
- i2 t+ I( q( |$ n+ iexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
9 O" }0 c% b& w) mtheir church, it was very run down and needed
- D u) ?. y' |1 Emuch work. They set a goal to have everything
, X" R1 ?6 k1 Idone in time to have their first service - M/ V3 t" | q( _2 D: V D$ e" X
on Christmas Eve.
, J7 s0 d) h. f1 ^% U a8 n1 gT hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,/ X1 }* t/ C" H) b* J, P
painting, etc, and on December 18 ! y7 C/ H9 E7 z& l- v) [+ @& T8 z9 u
were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
& A7 q) x' s. e3 l% O/ B K# _O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
2 p( [! K8 ?" c* |; C. s& erainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
! k! M% ^. M! l& L. w O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
- s( h4 C. p5 j( i" U( n+ bHis heart sank when he saw that the roof had& h- Z) T9 [( C: }# k
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about S4 \. ?2 q! r6 d; L! g
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
1 O; \# @4 N pof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
1 _" s- p+ m S& q$ X+ T7 xbeginning about head high. : t# N, ^ A9 {, V" w% f; `$ m# a
T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
9 E) k3 M; G+ \2 c; ^$ [ vand not knowing what else to do but postpone
8 s: c" c I* x/ u, }the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
) s" ^% j4 L$ l# b* S5 JOn the way he noticed that a local business was - u5 C1 B) i8 J$ B2 v% ^ A
having a flea market type sale for charity, so he . R- e: C; [+ W! I. [ r
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
6 a. F: E2 i5 [& \6 Yhandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
4 g7 f& a& @' G7 P+ \3 k1 s$ rwith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
1 ]) F6 f7 s& L. uembroidered right in the center. It was just
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the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church. ) t9 w1 V& ?8 m9 t* B1 h/ h
B y this time it had started to snow. An older ' Y: ^9 @' Z8 W/ p
woman running from the opposite direction was 4 U5 O& a/ f5 V4 F9 H& z/ ]
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
+ Q) [6 z: v5 @2 A/ K9 dinvited her to wait in the warm church for 4 l1 M4 L7 {- z: \; q
the next bus 45 minutes later. / ?1 [: W8 f8 e* k/ U9 E
' p8 y F! H- z5 T NShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor ( l1 P- ^8 X. o7 t; V( n' A- L# M! I
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put 3 A- f/ U2 l, v" w2 G4 V* H
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
9 \# [; N6 ?& z. r# M1 ]could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
' }6 i6 f5 X0 L# _7 [: vT hen he noticed the woman walking down the center* G2 Y8 n0 }# ]# A8 E
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
& i& } g3 T- m5 @/ L6 T) Nshe asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" 9 m4 K0 J% f9 X% k3 L( x$ Y
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check, b# v5 k( ~5 T {: ^) q0 L6 }
the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into$ J6 K- l* r- v8 }+ s4 S* `+ y* }
it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
( @1 `. Q" d t7 umade this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria . 9 k# V& { V. C& W6 c5 I% H
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
9 r; m9 g. m* O& f( c# utold how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The , Y) B: ^3 E& n9 i1 Q- O* U
woman explained that before the war she and 4 E: r. g$ Y6 i3 Z9 Z2 I$ _ b
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria . 9 K0 h: x1 ^! J5 n/ R1 v. g
' T5 L. g5 n- d$ f0 s; P. QWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
. {& v1 ?6 X6 v9 }* }6 _Her husband was going to follow her the next week. ; g. @ g( u: Z2 ~2 M$ D# h: ^4 R
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
% h, i9 c) q$ E. A( lhusband or her home again. 2 G3 S* ?9 }7 z% i0 d
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;2 S7 P; v, u: Q4 j5 @% f
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
3 d# p b! z( q4 S7 MThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That5 Q9 q$ ?5 W, K Z
was the least he could do. She lived on the other
' y$ q0 R: z; `) o' C. lside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn
( Q) d# a: H) Q, F* f2 afor the day for a housecleaning job.' ?: b: R1 a f4 @
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
% o! R$ N# v0 i0 O- V) q& bEve. The church was almost full. The music and the # k5 I$ g. P0 \8 N \' n
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
4 T6 ?, c8 T( g6 f, |6 w' dpastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door $ z( t$ P. I% Z2 i: Q6 s" G
and many said that they would return..
7 n d- n6 Z0 X& z h A# {One older man, whom the pastor recognized
) @7 d0 e8 l9 T, pfrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the - p. Z" h. x/ V7 x) Y
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he 3 c2 i& y$ w8 p7 E; T' J8 @7 z
wasn't leaving. ' B4 `+ l/ X7 G2 O ^; n
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
# o% S$ n9 G0 Vthe front wall because it was identical to one
5 a9 R: y) ` Y }) Jthat his wife had made years ago when
' _6 |# `/ ^; s8 f8 v& kthey lived in Austria before the war and how 4 T4 c. V, t. E, t. ]% z
could there be two tablecloths so much alike? ! `- w& \, }3 w9 x0 H0 c
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he ! L0 L: X9 I- Z" T [% _
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
Z# p( L7 P6 m+ C0 Qsupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
6 v4 j% U/ H& P+ uput in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home: Z) {) _9 y% R/ V
again all the 35 years between. ' Y9 K0 B9 e' T+ x
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
# R2 q: g! S% S' B6 x3 @/ Q7 Stake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten " {0 G. z) K1 L2 f! a
Island and to the same house where the pastor
% G- \1 q% y! a N* ghad taken the woman three days earlier. 4 I+ }/ O0 B( a# R$ M( ^+ I
He helped the man climb the three flights of
+ o: Q5 ` P g8 Hstairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on1 [0 W# v- L" q
the door and he saw the greatest Christmas
' A: T4 }& }% t7 [# K+ o/ oreunion he could ever imagine.1 a$ Z" L+ C8 A2 S: f
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid + a7 u% b% P5 x0 i
who says God does work in mysterious ways.2 a3 K N( l( N
I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for 7 K- F7 K' y3 V: O( z
you today, to guide you and protect you as you go - e# k" l) O! z' S9 V, g5 @1 g5 I
along your way. His love is always with you. His ) W1 r& E' t! a3 Z. ]1 Y1 {! c6 G
promises are true, and when we give Him all our s1 W% v1 U! W. G# @
cares we know He will see us through.
8 _) k' v. h. b M! xS o when the road you're traveling seems
* r1 N$ o$ u7 m3 Kdifficult at best, just remember I'm here
- T. Y- s* Q) r, j# t3 C! Vpraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
2 i0 f. R& p! Q# Y7 \to those you want God to bless and remember
$ d* K- l7 x0 m2 o! Q2 J0 |; V. zto send it back to the one who asked God to bless
& s2 L4 K- h0 r8 Ayou first.
5 Y+ H9 V" q$ ` @7 h1 @W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
+ \8 [- _" V. S3 h) U5 C. E0 b$ ~/ ~you find out that God is all you need Take 60: L, M; x) g0 u# N, Z u
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
+ @9 z2 q% x! @" A Z# gsay the following small prayer for the person + r: z% f q2 u$ X( A$ S% h
who sent this to you./ B3 _- U3 }2 G& B
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
0 a* C: q% T; X: ~$ N) C( |ever it is that You know they may be needing this * P4 y) Y" j9 N: R) Q; K
day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
. e. O( @+ M* r4 z& q: h- [' Tprosperity and power as they seek to have a
& O; J7 F- F. M& V; @3 j3 P+ Ucloser relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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