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The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
& O3 i9 G6 A; Z, `1 R/ v& L" d4 v% ^8 qto their first ministry, to reopen a church
- F+ `1 }) {& C- Rin suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October / u7 \, {4 f# {* ^, P1 h; O7 V
excited about their opportunities. When they saw
1 \% {/ y6 N! c' E8 [/ utheir church, it was very run down and needed
$ K3 F/ T# F+ n8 ?" C, m2 fmuch work. They set a goal to have everything
7 J8 \ s0 Q3 d8 L3 ~done in time to have their first service
" k% [( L, w3 `. _% w* ]9 a- R) uon Christmas Eve.
/ H, T( h5 K3 A! k2 d, h6 ]( v& ZT hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
0 u1 J8 J1 X: b+ _% x( ]painting, etc, and on December 18 . ]4 w6 O6 [7 M, p- k3 r, S. R
were ahead of schedule and just about finished. + N9 r7 K; s" L8 b6 M/ n
O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
/ ~6 [( F: U6 [) d. X5 C* Y3 q. Irainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
8 y8 d( J; x5 P( L) } O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.0 ^- ~( F) W; U- ^- G, M z6 _, I) M
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
& |! b6 o M) T2 u5 W, \- fleaked, causing a large area of plaster about
" t4 ^! I' }/ n# |' ^0 j3 ]$ t20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
$ ?) T& T- I. S1 lof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, " K) y2 x: N7 y
beginning about head high. , V6 q0 \6 G' _, `' l; b) k. s
T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
: K' C" p( T$ C1 i5 r$ N; g. B% Kand not knowing what else to do but postpone
7 ^: x( V" P: v! \8 I, P5 Y" ?' Kthe Christmas Eve service, headed home.
; i0 J# z1 @9 F! _4 MOn the way he noticed that a local business was
' T$ {3 k# w) G( Ihaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he
* I% y0 F& X4 f" Ostopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, % i) J3 Q. P8 e' i: N
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth 8 Q2 Q" t6 N" j0 ~) l* X* l$ O
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross . w3 r3 |" L0 f4 Z8 Q: w2 s$ l
embroidered right in the center. It was just ' u7 \: X' s4 d3 E$ {
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the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
( f% U' |: X, T7 `B y this time it had started to snow. An older $ |' S+ F* G' W
woman running from the opposite direction was 1 m: a' H2 P& z6 Z4 ~
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor ! I% I o. w/ e& c
invited her to wait in the warm church for
+ S9 G3 I g/ y+ Sthe next bus 45 minutes later. / L$ G. x% q; G2 Z: z' }
5 J( N1 S+ n: y, L7 }She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
2 m* G& h/ m c8 z+ ewhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
" z5 b6 l( g- `: ?( v* ?/ Bup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
0 r5 \$ e6 y$ G0 [. C) A( Zcould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. & B2 n5 p- x6 b
T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
# i: Q- Y ?; Raisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"5 H8 [" i' u1 _# d
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" 9 l' R0 H+ Q4 H! \
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
1 D" p5 P( p0 S) v- u1 U- {/ dthe lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
, U5 b& @5 Y9 L1 fit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had # Y& ?; o2 H C! H8 S0 h
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria . / W* ]; a# q9 D6 I% g# N6 a" Z( _
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
4 z1 i! B: `0 F% k* o4 ^7 ftold how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
4 b. Z4 f: S# B i( } s" awoman explained that before the war she and
4 @" D( I- f. H- iher husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
" z+ j( q/ F# Y' f# w$ C, WHer husband was going to follow her the next week. . g# o2 G0 J- e4 C. {
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
$ K2 D: W% n6 l, L+ u/ d- ^husband or her home again. % b) x9 c4 ^: |- L/ D2 [
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;/ m7 L- v% [7 q
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.% ~+ F( \, b. E9 P
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That
5 W1 K* n) z' R% dwas the least he could do. She lived on the other' p! R9 Y+ q0 A, E8 @" k. D: \, S
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn 1 H4 ?: m7 C7 g$ W
for the day for a housecleaning job.4 r4 @4 T: F" e2 o
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
/ T4 P3 G; @! j% i* @* l2 W, ^Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
3 c* F5 z, [# o1 G. F4 m8 L. {: tspirit were great. At the end of the service, the
8 x0 ?: c$ ]# u7 U: @! Z7 Hpastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door ) D8 `- ~2 D8 r1 p E
and many said that they would return..
3 n& i( n+ E5 u; r$ c1 s! n+ DOne older man, whom the pastor recognized / n3 Z3 V7 J$ W: u
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the $ z" ]2 w0 C5 E( w z( @
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
" b; d* H) L! B9 Zwasn't leaving. 5 K5 H/ K/ v0 e4 L8 {2 `. { C% s
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on $ v: [, H6 l9 q! F" c) r
the front wall because it was identical to one
+ v! ]7 V. O, Rthat his wife had made years ago when
: m. B" E! k5 I o6 U) fthey lived in Austria before the war and how 3 ?9 S% c- s, j- w3 {
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
- o9 z% }* n" H! h& QH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he {1 e: I+ W8 _1 y1 B8 R6 a, |# C
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
1 |; g% q: Q! s" z5 }. {! j9 w( lsupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
* U' w' l( ?( L6 q$ tput in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home: y- `8 T0 t! h
again all the 35 years between. ; z5 S# }# c1 K3 I4 ^& k
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to ' y7 u' W3 X" W" _8 x
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten 1 A& | ?. s& X" h
Island and to the same house where the pastor / p6 L c. ?% X$ G
had taken the woman three days earlier.
& {9 @% u4 n# Q* H- mHe helped the man climb the three flights of
; ?6 L/ `9 a# R0 W; Qstairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
" {2 C: D0 b7 d7 ^the door and he saw the greatest Christmas
! N! f2 B s0 Q+ areunion he could ever imagine.
4 W' |. W* R( U6 h1 i8 YT rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid 3 h' G: ^4 Q2 K0 T5 }/ f- M
who says God does work in mysterious ways.
" S2 t- \5 J3 K3 ?; nI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for + t" L% c% G- @
you today, to guide you and protect you as you go ( ~/ ~$ e; G, [/ p4 V/ r( h
along your way. His love is always with you. His
2 w ]. o* ?$ [: t9 dpromises are true, and when we give Him all our
2 h' s2 J- n6 y' }. R. Vcares we know He will see us through.
' p, `/ d, X8 C @) C* kS o when the road you're traveling seems 1 p' z! a! w$ g. i- B
difficult at best, just remember I'm here 9 x! z$ l+ H- X3 u- N/ k3 v
praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on , \9 z& e1 V/ g1 }( V. ~
to those you want God to bless and remember - i" U9 a$ Z5 \: i
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
: z+ }* k0 e& x( |: pyou first. 9 F# g& a1 v8 x6 v* k3 e" ~
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when# ]$ \9 ]' g8 `8 W3 O
you find out that God is all you need Take 609 h" m5 o2 P6 N' t' B+ ]3 y
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply* s& @ U1 t+ b+ B4 G( r
say the following small prayer for the person ) X; B" p9 ]( M
who sent this to you.
6 {# k) P3 s6 t3 y+ y5 O# @, l* QFather, G od, bless all my friends and family in what 5 b2 `; H* @8 o1 A3 q( E
ever it is that You know they may be needing this 5 Z$ f1 s# K3 Z* l4 p# h
day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
- u, J$ `* ~7 j {0 o( Rprosperity and power as they seek to have a " O- D% B" ?; L( y
closer relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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