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The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned ! g) \; o" J+ V9 e3 A$ Q2 x, E2 H% l
to their first ministry, to reopen a church
' N3 L7 }, k( g0 s/ nin suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
}4 \# I/ a. B6 {/ `! Iexcited about their opportunities. When they saw 5 R! \( I' g. f
their church, it was very run down and needed {: a- l9 _, G/ E% p5 k; l
much work. They set a goal to have everything
) Z% O2 m! k+ v- X( m& b. M" wdone in time to have their first service 0 G9 o8 `" a a" ]" O
on Christmas Eve.
4 T' Q# R5 n6 i- d1 U% [- ]T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,3 ?- k( a! ~, e
painting, etc, and on December 18 ! ?6 I" A i7 I5 p! R( ]: o* |
were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
- g+ o/ T/ K1 V; A! m! rO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
9 ~9 ]3 W1 v* S8 F4 wrainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
! x S3 l( P/ g9 l' a" Q% H' O O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
% F, ] H& d3 y1 nHis heart sank when he saw that the roof had9 h! v9 @) {4 t
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
" d& j1 P/ ^, s# K) O20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
" p! `8 d6 x5 g9 h) t7 |1 b, V7 }of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, 5 {: H7 @: `& ?/ R
beginning about head high.
! k# h. M8 E7 S& L' I, G, kT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
) ~9 c. W; b! W' q+ P2 Iand not knowing what else to do but postpone
9 ?$ m* g: X; |! W& ythe Christmas Eve service, headed home.
7 j" l% ? Q8 L4 ^On the way he noticed that a local business was
9 e1 g( Y: X7 p% `6 R; \7 phaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he / V/ t$ p- R& d& }, ~9 Q% n2 R& }
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, . ] ~2 Q9 a$ m/ F/ A
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth : @: D! W6 i4 u1 c1 `
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross ( X) M$ b: j7 R. g
embroidered right in the center. It was just
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the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church. " _" t+ @2 D, l: @% S3 J
B y this time it had started to snow. An older " }2 z+ D7 w4 V& y. ]& Z+ R
woman running from the opposite direction was
4 b. m; | @) m& {trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor 3 t1 r$ P% M$ x3 }2 ^. n7 x3 S
invited her to wait in the warm church for ; ^1 I- w7 Y! V# n
the next bus 45 minutes later. 7 k5 Z- |0 m: P% x, R
W$ I! N7 V7 K& s6 hShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
& K. N; p- e8 [while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put 2 H( i, X. g, _# U7 o: C
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
; b( s. `% F- m! tcould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. 7 k L& o2 F6 x. v3 J9 s. ?+ d0 H, x
T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
1 w# w% W( }' n) T9 Aaisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
" a, T. J& _1 N9 B# qshe asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
; p- z8 O+ R3 m9 G$ ]The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
" m' D+ P' \8 c, _the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
5 Q' {7 L6 |8 ]5 K; W' Wit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
I/ U4 t0 e0 h& F7 u! ]2 imade this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria . $ ~% f' A( e7 a- i/ G
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor 0 n9 y9 x3 n, I% Y; q
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
6 u ?, l% w( O# V* `woman explained that before the war she and
5 y$ p. A4 G4 J$ |) Bher husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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. Q# X( ~; E" hWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. , B" o* x. a# F+ |. q% M+ I
Her husband was going to follow her the next week. 4 Y, F8 F0 \! u: f0 E3 R& j+ I9 ~
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
4 Q( W8 ~- S9 y& u$ Shusband or her home again. / h" l. v! J: G5 S
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;8 y7 _! h% _8 S8 r8 o M
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
* i' D# @7 J& m$ L+ U+ wThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That
- v: S% g' A: M! G6 p. t% wwas the least he could do. She lived on the other: t& b$ v9 O0 \# z, s/ M
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn 2 o J4 i5 L- i+ K
for the day for a housecleaning job.
4 ]% ~' v, Y5 L2 D% ?, ~W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas + K$ O7 }/ X6 f& J j3 V
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the # k9 G9 e" x4 V
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
+ H6 p7 V% y9 r* b" n4 e9 a9 [pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door g t9 f( u" i2 ~5 `4 K, E0 ?
and many said that they would return..
+ y# \5 l c' Z- k/ LOne older man, whom the pastor recognized
) c0 z I/ {1 ?) p% Jfrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
* n5 g" y3 h- S8 \! vpews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he 5 X8 ?) G+ ?9 ]
wasn't leaving. 1 A6 W: |0 d5 s8 W X \+ K
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on ) ~9 U) G/ {) I
the front wall because it was identical to one 7 E6 ^3 z( v3 ] y
that his wife had made years ago when , D+ }9 l% i8 H. e: K2 K
they lived in Austria before the war and how
$ q2 X! E1 ]: L1 e1 ?could there be two tablecloths so much alike? ; c8 Y- a% j- P) Z9 a
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
) A }, e7 L' G5 hforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was ' x0 \6 D% y' _' B) \
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
4 g6 Y l% |: [; p* d- m! _put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home' j; X8 S/ `7 U! F2 V; }
again all the 35 years between.
2 ^& F h ~' v/ p5 N' ET he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
( L0 U1 t$ R' Q6 y0 Q0 y# Itake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten 7 T, `. d7 s) c) d; A
Island and to the same house where the pastor 6 P/ g( L8 X- u3 D W- l' D
had taken the woman three days earlier. . w$ Y1 @; p+ E, \' A- [8 [( O2 j
He helped the man climb the three flights of. a5 p( [5 m ?- ?$ I% p, J
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
4 S7 d5 |1 Q+ ^5 o/ ithe door and he saw the greatest Christmas
2 u {6 u8 C) [# m" Y( J. [0 `' }' t0 Lreunion he could ever imagine.4 O8 {5 m' _3 \6 E: `
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid " l: E+ n" [# m+ W
who says God does work in mysterious ways.$ d8 U7 u4 o, F8 v2 O
I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
' e8 N; Q' ^5 B' F( ~# U$ Cyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
. E/ N' {# c, Balong your way. His love is always with you. His
6 z8 T# {! u5 h( `; B* o7 n y Gpromises are true, and when we give Him all our 3 W* v; V$ D. Q
cares we know He will see us through.
! U6 A8 P! G: u, NS o when the road you're traveling seems
" {, K5 K# O4 ]- sdifficult at best, just remember I'm here
' ] I# f) B$ R% |! Xpraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
5 ^( x- R& c% e. ]( U4 E) l7 Bto those you want God to bless and remember
7 A4 X7 H$ E7 N6 Bto send it back to the one who asked God to bless 5 ~6 ]9 I0 e) ^0 @. s8 I$ k. W
you first.
) J! C: v# m+ r9 D1 c. F( @/ V& GW hen there is nothing left but God, that is when- G5 z# }$ Y9 B; a) V
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
9 y1 x4 }7 r+ n2 [; F, Q# yseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply5 p8 m c2 ^4 b; D% b
say the following small prayer for the person
4 z, X/ N7 C, f D% p, Nwho sent this to you.
5 _0 K/ W* |$ rFather, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
6 S a% Y- M! X; O% jever it is that You know they may be needing this
' X* g( ~& V1 I% i% e; Iday! May their lives be full of Your peace, . H7 ]2 l2 _& o$ ], z- V
prosperity and power as they seek to have a 9 z! q! D2 x8 Q/ J
closer relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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