The Tablecloth

propeller

Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason
- T4 \9 w. c# r; H$ b

! N% H7 T( g2 D4 o2 u
The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
to their first ministry, to reopen a church
. R2 y; S' ^1 y$ t/ Y0 J( Tin suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
* y3 t, x- _4 I% qexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
their church, it was very run down and needed
much work. They set a goal to have everything
' L' W8 \' r2 h5 k; \, S" P' Jdone in time to have their first service
* W) g" L: {8 d3 ], H/ v( i/ j: Aon Christmas Eve.
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
painting, etc, and on December 18
were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
0 ^+ D; {" F9 o) w& Q$ d$ F O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
( j; l  ~' @9 q$ o5 n; {20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
  B- u1 R% m2 yof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
- }8 d$ v3 _9 t# Bbeginning about head high.
T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
and not knowing what else to do but postpone
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
2 A( F' p0 g" i) Z9 bOn the way he noticed that a local business was
- r1 {$ O' ^$ b: [' C# v  {' S8 F" _having a flea market type sale for charity, so he
6 A5 a9 O! u3 Sstopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
0 q) |9 C2 {5 q: |& ahandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
  H# g" v# s4 H' mwith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
; x0 Z8 T- P5 y1 S  Zembroidered right in the center. It was just  



  H2 C# i1 X$ f6 U( h4 d

* i" O9 ~0 E7 @3 v' Q5 a
the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
4 G# H# {, g' [: pB y this time it had started to snow. An older
( q5 c0 R- u8 Y- |7 Qwoman running from the opposite direction was
9 F, n6 d2 I% i$ a7 ^) ?% Q& @2 Ztrying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
invited her to wait in the warm church for
the next bus 45 minutes later.

5 C% ^* }4 n* P0 }She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
5 \8 c: @% H' s' H) G  o2 h0 Jup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
$ Y. T1 p5 X, yThe pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
+ ]' z3 S( R/ k* S+ Sthe lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
' J8 b: k) L8 \6 g3 h3 g6 ^made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
" f; {0 A- h4 N0 F% aT he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
0 s  Q* ]4 r1 F# S: P! G0 ^" M6 o% Vwoman explained that before the war she and
5 Y$ j) z( o* c) W4 [her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .

0 N5 A0 c- c3 `2 Y( |" fWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
! l+ L$ i/ A4 ]Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
6 l1 }. s0 E4 ~  C& u2 {He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
0 u1 k* D, ]1 a& mhusband or her home again.
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That
was the least he could do. She lived on the other
: B+ R5 t4 f) ^8 Z, T- fside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
3 p5 \0 ]$ t- f& Wfor the day for a housecleaning job.
0 N* e4 L, e9 rW hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
8 }: @7 m* \+ K: E3 T' f+ Kspirit were great. At the end of the service, the
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
and many said that they would return..
One older man, whom the pastor recognized
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
" u% {6 E1 C* ~0 npews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
wasn't leaving.
5 O8 \0 r) t" r0 t! BThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
the front wall because it was identical to one
9 R: m2 |) b4 N, b1 u) A' tthat his wife had made years ago when
$ R. Q- L, L7 f' k3 vthey lived in Austria before the war and how
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
, i' m2 ?, \! R# `# NH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
put in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home
# [* y( i3 t/ V3 \0 `again all the 35 years between.
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
Island and to the same house where the pastor
8 t  [( N1 S' N8 F0 F8 |$ l9 @had taken the woman three days earlier.
He helped the man climb the three flights of
: K  G0 h; R3 [: kstairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
+ t- m9 E. W/ X* v, s; y/ rthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas
reunion he could ever imagine.
  T% j6 V+ `/ F8 }2 \! t, X! mT rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
who says God does work in mysterious ways.
( o* Z1 q+ w9 C" t# Q: XI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
8 i8 r4 J/ R# S8 O8 [# vyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
  ^  B& i# r/ t8 Valong your way. His love is always with you. His
promises are true, and when we give Him all our
cares we know He will see us through.
: P6 X( x/ H5 _: ?' r5 \4 d! l; z) ?S o when the road you're traveling seems
% F& h( C6 R5 M8 x/ N9 }difficult at best, just remember I'm here
5 j# z, w, ^! f% M* e$ Qpraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
to those you want God to bless and remember
0 C) s' _8 P7 x, s9 W, b! `to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
you first.
. R" W1 k/ u" B/ {$ M" CW hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
, d6 O. E4 S/ G  Pyou find out that God is all you need Take 60
6 r* c! h0 h- M$ g% Mseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
say the following small prayer for the person
! n5 }( U$ z- x" C+ Xwho sent this to you.
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
5 b; D8 q5 c0 W  X% B7 wever it is that You know they may be needing this
1 p  d8 g8 h( Z+ D" s( c& rday! May their lives be full of Your peace,
; \4 i2 Q  i* Y8 n' x6 _0 O, Aprosperity and power as they seek to have a
' K* o# [  R2 s) {5 Qcloser relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!