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! m/ v+ Y8 N8 l; R1 | The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned o8 G7 a. X6 H j
to their first ministry, to reopen a church + a9 b2 O) m2 s/ r- K/ Q
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October E; _. V; \. h
excited about their opportunities. When they saw $ [* d/ Y& V9 S, z8 ]- E
their church, it was very run down and needed 7 W! C' V, P/ a
much work. They set a goal to have everything
) @5 \6 G' b2 D/ ]: {/ Adone in time to have their first service ) O$ h4 g" H) B4 `1 f
on Christmas Eve.
$ l, J* v( k9 j( F; j% ET hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,* Y* P- g6 i, ?0 @5 \' ], k, t
painting, etc, and on December 18
6 x6 R; j; I5 T/ M% R0 wwere ahead of schedule and just about finished. 7 r( C, ?5 \/ H) }' ^
O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
/ T( @& M& {8 A) Z$ k( c& d% s) [rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
* |* `5 n' b9 w O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.8 T& g" a! h, t4 k& K) \
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had" @8 h% b9 J2 x: i
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about b; \6 K" C( H1 G8 l
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
; s1 k+ _* C. O6 E- p4 pof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, 2 F2 h) R# R7 v9 ?' d6 e
beginning about head high.
: J u3 w5 M" _( ]& |* t& _8 gT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, 4 r& W2 Z0 b- V, k. e
and not knowing what else to do but postpone - N! w Q, c# m
the Christmas Eve service, headed home. 3 d* o/ u6 q4 J0 t
On the way he noticed that a local business was
% u) ?# L3 ~2 v1 Ihaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he , Q, t. t1 q% L, d4 v
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, ; T/ I. \9 }$ ^7 c
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
, r& Q% N: I" j8 G: q& Lwith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross 6 m% L% c% `; z$ K: l5 V4 D
embroidered right in the center. It was just ( L1 W, J9 J5 e, c8 ~
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the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church. 4 z# P7 y& u* v4 T0 B
B y this time it had started to snow. An older
5 D7 C: t& |8 C% s/ a, kwoman running from the opposite direction was 5 {: T9 R. _! }- ?3 Y
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor ( g4 _5 B- k& J: a E% ]
invited her to wait in the warm church for
( d9 [5 A# g( V3 Jthe next bus 45 minutes later. 3 Y( c8 j) [$ t9 l
9 x4 _# p6 U1 R8 L$ rShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor 9 G' `8 c/ x" }+ P: ?3 \. f& [! I
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
2 V; d$ O' |8 m l [4 W7 Jup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor ' Y: E' x; r% f3 N( u% H/ p% B" Z9 H
could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. 1 A5 p+ V" P" ^) G* }! y, T/ M& C
T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center- X+ u! L d! K7 G \
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
e7 |) b/ _* z: g# Mshe asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" 6 Z0 c O# ~+ I0 a% r
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
+ U' t/ p' C9 u, i8 uthe lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
# X, Q4 c( I7 K$ V, E: w! Sit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had ' q" `$ T& v3 L# V
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
/ w5 |7 w; H8 X; S5 v6 N, `T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor 9 F! N6 M) r2 B- ?
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
( @7 Q2 D7 T; f! _woman explained that before the war she and : G, j+ A, L5 C' k7 }6 P
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria . # p$ P8 t0 J" T8 e
& t& v/ Y* \( c: e: K: S1 i1 tWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. ! P1 \6 A4 ^3 _0 ^
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
+ [$ Q( T! V- o# N' RHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
& ^3 x8 w* T# D! v. I% U9 Z# w9 D. B1 Uhusband or her home again.
* h+ |, `% _) e( @' ST he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
/ s, P% b( [. W3 M8 qbut she made the pastor keep it for the church.
" L5 }8 L( E6 s7 a* H7 HThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That
/ P3 V0 d3 ^4 U+ kwas the least he could do. She lived on the other+ R1 c* P: W) Y$ K) q+ L! ^% T: W
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn 6 S4 w+ d4 Y' x! u% L* W
for the day for a housecleaning job.3 S/ f# V x2 [8 R; [
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
0 C/ @* Y% c! }Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
: ^9 V2 E! N$ V* I( J0 R4 K" uspirit were great. At the end of the service, the * |/ f3 O S! [4 s+ p" _
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
& ~# d- E: T8 H% H2 o- Z ]" band many said that they would return..
( U; L4 a" Z% D8 r% y* m3 _One older man, whom the pastor recognized 1 R' [7 ~' T8 |; [
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the * q) p& W, e: |+ H" G( V
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
: C+ [# I! @6 b7 uwasn't leaving. : r/ d! V% @& U8 v( u9 g) H( |
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
; t9 F$ H5 m7 J( r" jthe front wall because it was identical to one
) x k, w* Z- _( Hthat his wife had made years ago when
0 M$ t1 n' D! D! F, tthey lived in Austria before the war and how ) ~0 r$ |' N: F# f
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
* J9 W5 D5 J0 w6 j3 |, o3 wH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he , g! v3 d; [) d/ N& i
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was / P" u& V5 _3 V" | q. C
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and# { d6 G- |5 b6 C$ r
put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home
9 H+ j) [( m4 u F* {. Q: b$ h. oagain all the 35 years between. * g" L9 {, ~$ O9 v
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
$ U5 E) k" J8 \: ?( Q, jtake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
/ ^' I$ @, A/ u5 M& @, }Island and to the same house where the pastor 6 B. f! A$ W, k! z3 `2 Y% \
had taken the woman three days earlier. , y) ]% s4 B) S: P* v; n! [; b3 v
He helped the man climb the three flights of
, q4 b/ R5 N7 E- h5 _; jstairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
, Z% n, `6 A6 m3 \# N( n7 qthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas
( L9 ^9 q2 v# j) hreunion he could ever imagine.
6 l% N6 D& l# \" I& ^2 d/ AT rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid $ c" `8 ] ?" r: i% Q) _4 o, |2 r) G
who says God does work in mysterious ways.
5 J# h5 y" B4 e1 U" FI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
5 y( t i; X6 Y* M5 }you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
0 e5 V7 u9 P1 ?5 [along your way. His love is always with you. His
" W! x/ v, e7 I1 d% ~5 gpromises are true, and when we give Him all our
, A; O: u& s8 G* [ ?cares we know He will see us through. 5 X. F2 S& n8 X2 S) }% u. J; ~' |
S o when the road you're traveling seems
7 w" f7 X2 Z- \# w5 O) ydifficult at best, just remember I'm here
) G/ {" O& I0 g/ A* ^praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on 3 N- U' w0 [, r8 n# z
to those you want God to bless and remember ) _ R& N! K g6 a3 f& {
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless , W5 _; p$ F" r7 m# c& c0 P
you first. ' I% `5 S8 M$ J! K: d
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when+ |- C+ `/ g$ Z) u
you find out that God is all you need Take 605 q% I& @6 o) ]! Z( V9 E
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
0 |- \- E, I& M1 B$ v" Qsay the following small prayer for the person
/ @' i# _" U4 Gwho sent this to you., g* V8 t. ^# L) D
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what 6 z) K6 R4 M, b. x @& ?
ever it is that You know they may be needing this - }* \, `/ P) X' S6 h
day! May their lives be full of Your peace, 9 S# h8 e7 ?" ]* {2 N
prosperity and power as they seek to have a
! k' G5 W4 q; W0 Q1 ecloser relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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