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 Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason
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The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
8 m1 U2 J; a. ]8 c, Sto their first ministry, to reopen a church
, J$ f& C# z9 R$ C* Win suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
" h% V: ]: d, \2 M, f$ Pexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
: B. O" Q s, _% S; z1 ]8 y& itheir church, it was very run down and needed , ]4 [" k) J/ J8 ~: o
much work. They set a goal to have everything # x, V7 Z. V8 \: h: I( V; Q1 A& E5 T
done in time to have their first service 0 z3 ]( f1 G, O; Z% C& r! j* m" l
on Christmas Eve.
, \/ q: k, j4 Z) s& sT hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,2 F# Z* c0 y; t! U
painting, etc, and on December 18 / R, C/ m$ I8 d# N9 R
were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
( l5 V7 x6 _9 e- `" \3 O9 O# sO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving 2 |" o3 W* ]- `- U6 O; e
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. 3 a% n8 v% s; ^" V- k7 @, ~1 q/ ]) u
O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.1 q# x) A* O% o) K) v$ D
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
" R9 O8 E S r) v+ ?7 `leaked, causing a large area of plaster about ( @& S* C4 j0 f; o
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
4 O0 ?6 k% N5 p3 \$ X x9 ? _6 ^+ hof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
! K, S0 q, {% a( r% H& m- F% }: sbeginning about head high.
7 g! ~$ Y! i, U! YT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
0 f+ t& C) ~( {and not knowing what else to do but postpone * V# J6 Q! E7 t! m+ G+ F5 e) q: i
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
4 o' k! {* u( B; SOn the way he noticed that a local business was
1 M G9 G) z0 W- m+ vhaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he 9 H5 b) U1 a/ Y# F' h6 F
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, 6 E8 q3 k: @' r
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth % z* v" d+ h8 P, d# @
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross ; U5 W* d7 r# w( A
embroidered right in the center. It was just
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( ]" [. l5 c9 D# wthe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church. * s4 e7 n. n7 ~: r5 }) g
B y this time it had started to snow. An older
% N9 d; K# O9 m; `6 owoman running from the opposite direction was
7 F* m7 V# a/ i6 c" y3 Vtrying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor ! j8 J0 @5 p0 ?
invited her to wait in the warm church for
% G) m3 I$ y2 {% `& X6 G) H1 Ethe next bus 45 minutes later. ( J7 u) y$ a1 V
& @8 U8 [) u: t9 |" ^* ZShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor A+ T8 f& u$ q
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
( t3 I3 l* _% W" S) }up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
7 V7 x% p+ E9 _ _could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. # C% C1 P" L2 _/ R
T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
+ X' B7 I7 M4 Xaisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"1 H, p) _ g2 Q: M
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
0 B. ~' b2 s. M- _The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check; `' |9 N# b! J5 A8 r: q6 T
the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into5 }0 a0 M @8 q6 ~! y8 W3 s& r1 s6 }
it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had 5 x' z* l0 ?3 P2 G
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
% e- ~2 i! g! W6 ?- lT he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor 8 M0 a5 O% Z& j
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
9 ]) Z8 ?5 M1 {7 ~, z3 Y0 T% h swoman explained that before the war she and
/ P/ c' x0 m5 m0 ]her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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8 @ g6 F X' u% G" `9 ZWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. 3 ?, W' X% t4 W; G7 ^- Q3 D
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
; I s, Z+ F: V# x5 v5 f OHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her 0 B4 m$ h6 L. m x
husband or her home again. 2 a! ?. x6 j2 v
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;: A! @1 C/ D+ |+ g
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.( u4 A! k+ {2 r& [
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That
. n3 x8 i; R1 R: T, q& Vwas the least he could do. She lived on the other% X4 X7 W- E$ E; P1 I# T, u3 U
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn 6 I& |; }( j2 ~1 O1 C
for the day for a housecleaning job.. B, u, o& ^6 W
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
7 }) `% F8 M( F$ p5 tEve. The church was almost full. The music and the
8 x* o0 {+ m% D. O o3 v2 Z7 hspirit were great. At the end of the service, the
6 ]9 l& J/ ?. K; g ]pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door . m" H( a) w" ?8 z0 k8 u
and many said that they would return..
" R, v9 `6 @ p4 R u) f- Z, ]One older man, whom the pastor recognized
6 K! @6 F0 l) u" p! Hfrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the 4 T: [/ t% U1 R: q* Y6 b/ U
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he $ {) {, m7 L8 K9 r E# j
wasn't leaving.
! Z' f( O5 B6 B; X0 E! hThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
! v) J2 g! q# ?the front wall because it was identical to one 1 q6 |6 d& d+ g) }* @7 ^" J
that his wife had made years ago when 6 P5 [) P3 y, v# h3 O* ^
they lived in Austria before the war and how 4 E* o/ q9 m! F% @8 {7 V
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
! h2 E% _9 B. j/ H8 c, ^H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
% _( _: I- ?! Y( Fforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was , q |1 G( J+ Z- |$ \7 B% [
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and7 r, ?# G8 G1 U. ^
put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home
3 U1 L0 J( R# U6 xagain all the 35 years between. ! P2 a& B& c: P R' Y
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to 3 g+ s7 e ]4 x1 S" {7 i
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
. u3 ]$ F- p+ TIsland and to the same house where the pastor
8 x. S/ Q1 h6 bhad taken the woman three days earlier.
. o0 n. k2 x9 a7 x7 B- @2 THe helped the man climb the three flights of. g6 R9 J8 L; e5 o( n, A' v
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
. C: `) r1 w2 m, Kthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas
+ i V1 \. J0 x5 p+ u( |reunion he could ever imagine.
" R) v! \7 h" @+ f+ L+ nT rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid 3 {7 V9 k, y; N9 G6 b
who says God does work in mysterious ways.
0 J* C; ~9 P8 f( T" D1 {/ QI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for 6 ]3 ~3 ~/ _0 h
you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
5 S: {( j% o3 C, X `along your way. His love is always with you. His
) p+ H$ x: F$ K* @, S- jpromises are true, and when we give Him all our
5 L1 a( c# j8 Ocares we know He will see us through. 4 E0 p$ Z) I3 i, B9 K2 I+ y" `2 k
S o when the road you're traveling seems
* z( w% c k9 E2 Z1 D& [; O0 {" odifficult at best, just remember I'm here
( k" B7 `4 t8 C* o# ypraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on $ s% O) `4 v) Z+ d/ v
to those you want God to bless and remember Q: q" o5 J" t1 a# V/ U4 A0 V! Z. e. L
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
@' Y/ n5 I/ vyou first. # m( W r. Y+ U1 ^# q) I; z
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when5 ~/ A. P9 t/ i' c5 I4 H( C. a
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
w2 E5 M% \& j1 B9 g' ]+ Nseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
- P( j% c P: J7 S) Y" Usay the following small prayer for the person
; E0 t3 t, ^" ^% G, ^who sent this to you.
2 r% f6 y3 z4 ZFather, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
- e# V; F& d$ {/ X9 v0 S/ ?. gever it is that You know they may be needing this
* z9 j) m0 t. _) y/ i" l9 _day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
# O7 \/ Q, I+ U$ U3 n4 C4 Jprosperity and power as they seek to have a
% s$ R0 n* X {6 t" I4 i" Mcloser relationship with You. Amen. |
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