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9 y( I" L N# }7 A% f( [" q9 I The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned , U% O. Q* ~- O4 Y! _
to their first ministry, to reopen a church
! j" V V }$ |. a' U6 y# ^in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
1 S4 n1 _! P3 o9 N9 u- M, hexcited about their opportunities. When they saw : Y# z7 K; P: ? T
their church, it was very run down and needed
3 e7 X- [; P* s$ }' t7 P2 xmuch work. They set a goal to have everything . `+ e. d3 E4 A7 U- p
done in time to have their first service
: F( l5 a( N% O" q7 x- o2 B+ son Christmas Eve. # _, k# p' F; \ P$ k% Y0 h
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,: A) B; F4 m$ Z, N" ^/ W T+ k
painting, etc, and on December 18
, ]) O% ]8 Q1 Z" w- gwere ahead of schedule and just about finished. 7 U4 i, L: k0 l) ?* A: _7 X
O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving " U! v+ V1 _4 `5 g+ @% o
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. # c5 o, a1 y% h* q6 {
O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
) W2 i& y2 u, |/ pHis heart sank when he saw that the roof had
7 v0 C! O, \* m2 M$ A/ nleaked, causing a large area of plaster about & M* V. |; [/ [3 }2 }, m# P
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
& V- M; \3 m$ u1 K, Uof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
' {7 b& G, p' e0 N( b4 Qbeginning about head high.
5 B$ E5 J' _: `6 Q% YT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
' P/ r" S5 i8 _6 M7 B& _and not knowing what else to do but postpone
5 c; l& f8 V! l: N5 V) Rthe Christmas Eve service, headed home. 2 \! f" {1 U4 I1 S
On the way he noticed that a local business was - U9 ^, [# b/ `& A( G2 @$ ~
having a flea market type sale for charity, so he + }( f1 O5 S$ N, a
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
+ o# m, F) q6 ]handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
: X% Q: g( j2 M2 Y) [' F* L0 Z+ |8 E' mwith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross 9 I8 x! B4 o5 i
embroidered right in the center. It was just 9 G3 T7 E; I+ Q1 s4 n' e! D) C/ [
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the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church. & N, x( R3 n! G. o
B y this time it had started to snow. An older
. P0 \; i% U: {woman running from the opposite direction was
. ]5 c+ ^, ?. l6 b5 vtrying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
Q% o- Y) P. E7 _5 z" g+ kinvited her to wait in the warm church for * n0 I$ x- K2 T
the next bus 45 minutes later.
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3 s6 U% t+ ^/ s- H& `4 FShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
4 D5 q3 H' V/ d8 t5 v6 S. cwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put ( e4 k3 I* ^1 L" u
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
! k( |) I0 p3 r3 h. V R+ o+ X. O2 S; @could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
1 j0 J& I1 W# a* `! I: ~2 t" j7 b* G* NT hen he noticed the woman walking down the center r# k$ x, \2 A0 _% {2 `$ v( }
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"( [! i3 l! ?! n( f# l
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" & @( }. u. ]% S7 C- [
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
+ W% m6 r3 Y& uthe lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into; I& X8 M/ e4 L6 V6 h
it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had % N6 K/ Y( E) {3 Y: k1 E: k6 e$ _
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria . 9 k: }/ I x7 _ ?7 |
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor ; r* e F. T. J4 z l3 H7 y
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The 9 w( a, C# V/ c2 Y2 t
woman explained that before the war she and $ G) K. c7 U* G2 l; ^& M$ S8 q/ k6 ~
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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% R3 f% i) f* D* \/ l3 zWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. : U% F$ G& ^# j5 c
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
. H' V e# w! A6 \9 NHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her . B% R7 f) c' s4 K$ R- S/ f) W/ J
husband or her home again.
8 S; z9 x) D |! p" BT he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
& [. _4 [, X' F3 F' o h7 |3 a Abut she made the pastor keep it for the church.
% d) i. h- d1 C; }. ?7 DThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That
0 r' L& ^6 U7 f' ^was the least he could do. She lived on the other5 W- c7 ?. u6 H
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn
5 o' { ~, W# g" j: afor the day for a housecleaning job.2 _4 w- F( E9 w8 a7 i" b
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas F' w0 ]5 c& ~1 w2 G( k
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
) b" ?- L/ G) M9 S5 G& e) bspirit were great. At the end of the service, the * ]! y8 G6 S: ^+ o( u3 j: p( j
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door * Z4 t6 i5 P- R- i8 r i
and many said that they would return.. * G* p+ N R) |5 m" \
One older man, whom the pastor recognized
" m: `- i6 T5 o) Sfrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the 8 f) X `# P8 v, J
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he 2 M; f0 T3 T) {4 W: e# D% p2 `
wasn't leaving.
( ^' Y& ^% L2 i4 z `7 gThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
( T9 O' Q; }) s E' rthe front wall because it was identical to one $ Y5 C0 A6 C _: d1 o
that his wife had made years ago when - }3 T9 W% |9 U* A
they lived in Austria before the war and how : t* }. R* p* S0 V) t0 c( Y
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
1 ~/ y! g3 m3 S9 C! }7 Y2 lH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
3 _; F4 [! m: `( m; C: D7 Jforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was - t5 N9 H: a0 S7 s& g u! ]
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
2 p$ B8 u% @" I8 l8 Z. Eput in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home+ N" N& }/ L, [. L: P# Y. q
again all the 35 years between.
- i8 r1 O( a& q6 QT he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
9 h ]0 k3 y& p" Y$ {take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
1 f. W1 l( X0 i) O$ {; |Island and to the same house where the pastor
3 ?1 b$ x/ N2 ^# Khad taken the woman three days earlier.
( [3 P$ s1 f" y! X: j+ hHe helped the man climb the three flights of
8 T& V5 W5 w0 s/ Q I& istairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
/ O8 W' z+ L) c* V Ythe door and he saw the greatest Christmas ! z+ x) Q& \8 ~) F
reunion he could ever imagine./ W( W& R7 I$ }# v$ g
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
( J/ J* T' @+ } S8 |who says God does work in mysterious ways.+ t/ @+ t5 f- d2 [9 U- h" r2 }/ A
I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
0 x, F) B ^' E! j" _5 n8 Syou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
! r; F! P$ G) l4 Q- p* a2 r& w% Qalong your way. His love is always with you. His
( Y: r% M. c# T. J! lpromises are true, and when we give Him all our + M# B% z: C( M, k% f: s
cares we know He will see us through.
1 i2 S1 R& v4 xS o when the road you're traveling seems
2 _; q3 G# C! p5 z9 b' @difficult at best, just remember I'm here
8 Y: Z/ l5 C; s" Gpraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on , G, I, o m% G9 A- i
to those you want God to bless and remember % J+ j8 `9 h, R* D; @4 Z/ U
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
) N4 ^1 ~( A. I. v, x# I# Lyou first. ' |: T$ |2 ~% ~; i6 B5 T$ y. ]
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when1 E$ [; M8 W6 z, v+ Z2 S( q
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
. X* M% U. J8 i7 yseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
3 Z& e9 u) y6 Vsay the following small prayer for the person
8 Q1 y6 \" [& b. |who sent this to you.+ J& A) s# ?1 K2 J" v) {
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
5 G: i7 _# z5 b- T9 r8 {ever it is that You know they may be needing this / j5 C! [9 U# }
day! May their lives be full of Your peace, 6 D' F5 W' A0 F" F$ i0 U
prosperity and power as they seek to have a " ~2 S- m( c. V7 z2 c% o
closer relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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