The Tablecloth

propeller

Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason

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The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
2 K' r- h, g& Z  _$ e2 Mto their first ministry, to reopen a church
& C2 i* q- U) `in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
5 }% n: D" k1 w& q( Eexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
their church, it was very run down and needed
% [9 ~( B6 n/ m# y/ `3 J* Dmuch work. They set a goal to have everything
done in time to have their first service
on Christmas Eve.
& B' B# E4 E( _% }1 i& ?T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
  z, A/ Z+ F, M4 ^painting, etc, and on December 18
- a- n! c" K( R% ^were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
* d% p! _9 y! D, w! ]O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
: k" l* @2 i* k, R 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
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
6 X. p% ]9 G. {( h/ ^8 A7 R1 O% tof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
. I" E5 F: c5 P5 N: Abeginning about head high.
9 M3 F4 f0 G( iT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
and not knowing what else to do but postpone
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
On the way he noticed that a local business was
/ [: N* z9 L* P( Phaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he
) f' r& V" n, t9 v7 M/ ?8 P$ rstopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
1 k4 M% T& U) j* E9 ]handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
( j+ ~8 j- h- q$ A* y9 ~8 [7 l- Xembroidered right in the center. It was just  
, ]8 y8 T! Q  P+ K$ E" h. B: k

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: Q% T6 z) n  j6 I8 e9 j+ _) hthe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
5 k! j; R2 ]% wB y this time it had started to snow. An older
+ A0 H3 s% v0 w& S( l' B, jwoman running from the opposite direction was
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
invited her to wait in the warm church for
& J: B% i4 m! b  l( `9 athe next bus 45 minutes later.

She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
& U# V' ?) l- y$ G7 Acould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
  y+ t" Y- z, M* [T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
' t7 K. k" p. v' F3 Iaisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
: y0 P* s3 I3 u4 bit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
& U+ O3 \% e0 E- E' [! cwoman explained that before the war she and
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .

, A, ^5 I6 n" }# m) DWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
  t/ c& j- v) ]0 \husband or her home again.
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
7 V4 l3 b+ f! p$ n- hbut 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
7 k, p2 J3 z' c* H2 H# @side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
, ~  d- o* k/ @: I0 P+ a0 Q; Nfor the day for a housecleaning job.
/ U0 D9 G$ l9 K# A) ?" fW hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
, b# A1 L8 ^' P* G% xEve. The church was almost full. The music and the
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
, z% F! l5 P4 J0 cand many said that they would return..
( E( ?; O; Z4 [% h  |7 x1 XOne older man, whom the pastor recognized
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
2 p8 J* G1 Y+ h, u- b' Ipews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
wasn't leaving.
7 T. c2 t# ?, M- G/ f* [$ L  dThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
the front wall because it was identical to one
. Y" |3 {3 S) w7 m9 |; \$ Xthat his wife had made years ago when
they lived in Austria before the war and how
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
6 I/ L" `  X; K; c, X3 Dforced 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
2 x; Y1 R# H( Y  ^/ ~" D' Bagain 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
( j4 ^5 ~  H: K  a9 N9 `9 n( E0 e# Uhad taken the woman three days earlier.
' i7 v/ }0 c. c6 [% f! A2 K. }He helped the man climb the three flights of
" F% G# K. B0 R0 E2 l: P' Pstairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
$ |+ r; Z/ Z3 d  q* C5 x( b0 O9 W* Lthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas
1 E- I; E* z+ I9 c- |+ L$ q: areunion he could ever imagine.
8 j. r7 h* ~$ kT rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
who says God does work in mysterious ways.
* z/ y7 l' R  c8 T5 T, M% QI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
% q! q! \6 u; @" Q) a* m/ n* ?, M2 z- jyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
along your way. His love is always with you. His
+ S% O8 c: b& E( ]4 k, spromises are true, and when we give Him all our
+ Y6 G3 n# R7 x* u% `7 x' R* Acares we know He will see us through.
S o when the road you're traveling seems
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
5 }# s3 S$ D! X- \! v2 L$ n' l1 C/ Apraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
' {  F: `% r+ {, I0 t( ~4 r3 Nto those you want God to bless and remember
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
you first.
) v4 s0 ?, A* P$ y$ WW hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
$ E- [2 y- q' b) Y5 o+ D+ O* Ysay the following small prayer for the person
9 w( V( P: F, W8 ?% g3 F5 lwho sent this to you.
1 @1 T  z: H- y' ^* S' ^Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
( X, ]. |. n" u1 jever it is that You know they may be needing this
0 A; K4 z8 d) J1 l2 H% [# M6 Yday! May their lives be full of Your peace,
prosperity and power as they seek to have a
closer relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!