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8 e/ k( I2 W; t8 F3 ?4 X The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
% [" c0 ^+ a! Y: Fto their first ministry, to reopen a church - n7 Y9 e! l+ P/ ~, V
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
; V# B% I( }# S' L1 aexcited about their opportunities. When they saw 1 t X0 p! E# ~$ h0 N
their church, it was very run down and needed
# ?: } g( W8 v m% `much work. They set a goal to have everything
* [+ X4 x* p3 m- Q; r2 B" {done in time to have their first service / Q! p: ~% Z1 I9 h
on Christmas Eve. / o- O2 Z8 ~. x0 y* z0 f" I" q
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
* w$ S7 V$ V w' y; Opainting, etc, and on December 18 8 t, B5 a+ ^; T/ q, F, A. K0 p
were ahead of schedule and just about finished. $ K" g9 E. Y) W+ M( p
O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
# Y& e! ]1 l' F# `' grainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
- V8 I6 x: W2 n1 j O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
5 h9 k- e& H, Q2 t8 ^4 mHis heart sank when he saw that the roof had3 H' S( J! H1 `4 b' g
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
; B7 y9 C" ^% p( Y" ~20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall ! N2 n! o5 }- ^% j7 N5 T% @; R3 j
of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
% |( k: Q4 A9 B& @2 {- x2 Pbeginning about head high. : {7 m" O: `5 |6 B9 B5 f+ n' f6 Z, @
T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
- e7 E0 b6 n2 }% K7 G* O. Aand not knowing what else to do but postpone
A# D( o z9 p6 lthe Christmas Eve service, headed home. 2 v' V# S2 E: v+ A8 D
On the way he noticed that a local business was ( l! ^/ b% ]; y3 f6 i
having a flea market type sale for charity, so he + R+ S) u, P3 L+ V+ r* R5 h( J' T
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, # k k; B! @; f+ Q; a' y
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth : c1 l4 n; B8 e2 l
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
* d" m9 u$ C& E- aembroidered right in the center. It was just 3 z3 D& n9 I1 Y" N5 x) f" g2 K
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+ n3 i& i8 z7 ?9 L( ~) f 6 ~, R) p, v7 T, u) ^! B
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# Z$ L6 ^) d1 A) X9 p( J; ?- \ X1 F/ othe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
8 T% m! i0 n& H0 O1 ]. ?B y this time it had started to snow. An older
0 X" ~0 J( p3 _woman running from the opposite direction was 5 b. a4 [" I7 o- n' F7 B7 Y% R0 p5 M
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
7 J0 G% w8 r! [3 J7 w: v) M* i* h, finvited her to wait in the warm church for
* |( F+ v1 z& ] `# athe next bus 45 minutes later.
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She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
1 W) r0 ]% H% M swhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put ) ^5 b1 P' V# d# M
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
1 o- A x3 t: o: j$ \ K4 jcould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
" X, O+ i' [; C' YT hen he noticed the woman walking down the center# s2 e3 d& c9 _3 n4 C f
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
3 Q6 Z: \9 o& _: t- Vshe asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" % _3 o L0 j$ n
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
/ \1 V7 V6 ]0 rthe lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
! K9 o( \) m% K3 p7 D; W9 a, I& Git there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had 4 J' x9 m& R) O! C
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria . - C# _: |& Z7 @: `- y+ s
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
6 H' T7 _8 h# }, I! A e: utold how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The % e' w$ C b/ ^ ^$ E
woman explained that before the war she and - v1 U) b+ ?' [4 i) B* X" o
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria . " p! h5 H& B0 M, p
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When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
. F @/ W! H5 \1 a; GHer husband was going to follow her the next week.
* j& [: F( @+ I# R& }; \7 y9 FHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
m3 f8 C+ v ?, i0 {1 r/ V$ }1 o, shusband or her home again. ( |- p! j3 ^9 `' }
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;5 `0 f; E. f4 ]6 g1 G0 N
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
# u* D# \+ ~; e8 a, L; i" z8 B8 qThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That
( N% l( K- Y- j3 A& z! ?was the least he could do. She lived on the other
# D2 h r/ }( s6 @side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn ( U2 z" G$ g) }( ]+ I' c
for the day for a housecleaning job.
# p5 z7 p) y. RW hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas 4 f, f& U. w2 G
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the 1 a" L3 O9 r; y" q0 M+ L
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
2 o, @: Z& u6 g2 t9 jpastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door - Y5 K4 { Z& D z/ z
and many said that they would return.. " W0 o$ V& T+ t" X h; D! v
One older man, whom the pastor recognized
/ a& H( ]; r. }& \+ m! Ofrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
$ ^5 Z$ I# G* F$ hpews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he & z' a" k% H2 K9 X- Y$ v
wasn't leaving. - @6 m1 K; s% K) L+ N8 y0 r' ~' y
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on ' f% F# J! G) L: m' c# x F
the front wall because it was identical to one 0 T9 `. k. }$ d* [4 c" p
that his wife had made years ago when ! r* K1 S1 C, z
they lived in Austria before the war and how
r2 n8 W/ @- C; ]4 w }5 tcould there be two tablecloths so much alike?
& N, ]+ ?% C3 eH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he ; y+ m3 h% ^% h( S
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
5 v) m" b X* C1 {, u) c8 usupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and, L1 k$ d6 D, `6 k8 e7 R/ h
put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home) u0 t; j1 l3 L: S' n
again all the 35 years between.
$ }- l# x2 z( k/ P9 } q1 G& _" IT he pastor asked him if he would allow him to + B0 C5 e# V: g# o2 z
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten + }, Y) c: Y+ e/ L( B) a
Island and to the same house where the pastor
% D7 e; z: @4 ehad taken the woman three days earlier. 6 q! H- e' `* t' b) n, P
He helped the man climb the three flights of
2 |* {& Q" [" d! A8 a$ \% G1 Vstairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
+ Y! s' e/ Q: Athe door and he saw the greatest Christmas , [! M' V; b1 R4 L
reunion he could ever imagine.$ @! U' B- X2 g" b
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
) Y) [2 L }) C4 I3 F; owho says God does work in mysterious ways., k7 k( Z" n/ F( D$ n) l# e9 ~
I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
, f! N1 Z! W# R1 z# m1 wyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
9 c8 y( X' \7 \* ealong your way. His love is always with you. His ; S- O. Q! |6 j* q2 Z+ S: i
promises are true, and when we give Him all our
8 w$ S* C- [* h+ y" U9 \cares we know He will see us through. 6 @ B8 f6 _6 j. T' {+ b: l+ `6 H
S o when the road you're traveling seems
' E* Y' o5 b4 r6 Vdifficult at best, just remember I'm here 7 S9 v6 y0 }, f' Y, b7 z- n+ \
praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
b' l! Q- q5 t- n" c, Qto those you want God to bless and remember
5 W. |( M7 d: h8 p& |: Sto send it back to the one who asked God to bless . D2 d& K6 L# c5 Q5 R
you first.
- g- K/ D, e* Z; a0 I, K+ xW hen there is nothing left but God, that is when+ l; W/ o( t7 @* }9 J( W
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
; g5 k- X9 [8 r7 Z9 V3 R6 k0 V/ gseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply3 g: R9 t, F. ]3 y
say the following small prayer for the person
8 k/ H" I9 \2 z6 c! y4 s0 Ewho sent this to you.
- ?; ^& o. \( a& `Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
/ O$ j. j* b2 T* p. U2 ^ever it is that You know they may be needing this
' a$ s4 @9 Q! J! z x9 z5 Uday! May their lives be full of Your peace, : Z2 j0 Z* c. S, B2 u
prosperity and power as they seek to have a 7 e7 m3 |9 ?& r1 [) L* m! K+ Z: p
closer relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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