The Tablecloth

propeller

Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason
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- K3 t0 ]. P( g2 k: w9 s) ^ The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
, }1 P, T- h) }4 P# L8 D% H. Ito their first ministry, to reopen a church
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
0 ?/ v1 K" e2 _$ k. Iexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
their church, it was very run down and needed
% `- r/ s: ^, ~  ]much work. They set a goal to have everything
3 X8 G- W3 z3 R- o% H9 jdone in time to have their first service
3 h& ~1 q* z+ j5 k9 y) g. Mon Christmas Eve.
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
9 |2 L. ]1 j0 q( `+ R8 J$ r4 T# \painting, etc, and on December 18
$ n" q9 }) @( ~& t: c. _1 o' r3 Q" Twere ahead of schedule and just about finished.
3 [+ f# o, h" zO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
" d% z6 X0 ?! S9 C& l# [ O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
' b. M( W4 z+ kHis heart sank when he saw that the roof had
; m% E9 p2 q" z, _6 U7 I5 |5 qleaked, causing a large area of plaster about
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
beginning about head high.
; w0 E1 d; {- g5 x: ^% ]; b# B, QT 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
$ j7 O. l* q0 H1 R# P* khaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he
' T) _' V% ]5 J" t5 `stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
; X# R9 J8 E6 P4 K! ~  k  E6 x$ _handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
8 e, T* q2 `/ h- S0 ^embroidered right in the center. It was just  
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# T+ V4 y6 Y- c! {6 rthe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
8 V7 X; {. \' G# j5 h3 _" b( ?B y this time it had started to snow. An older
6 l- ?0 X: b) w# g" X) m, d% z. swoman running from the opposite direction was
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
) @4 o4 V+ u& K3 O" rinvited her to wait in the warm church for
( q! z! j. S# H8 x( m9 H7 fthe next bus 45 minutes later.
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She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
" L  z4 U, K% t5 ?! x* ]' P4 t* f$ F  Gwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
up 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
' {( Q, P8 I+ t# g+ K( I7 X4 Kaisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
. K9 V2 K4 e+ W( X% n* S4 mthe lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
3 L/ z3 Q6 A: a! |0 E- X8 b; r: t2 x, L* sit 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
$ M  ~) G3 G+ |8 R( q" e- f( Hwoman explained that before the war she and
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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$ O' d" N4 E' X3 H; O# x9 n, y' |When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
6 d  D" s" z  l- t! \$ ?Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
% F9 |& c0 {# w; `' rHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
0 e5 f' i) w0 a$ {  V$ H  d, lhusband or her home again.
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
! `3 ~  C- T% Ibut she made the pastor keep it for the church.
8 M1 u) j' A" p9 e  Z# b( X9 KThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That
3 I3 K: U' d, k2 jwas the least he could do. She lived on the other
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
' u) U4 b  o- N6 O6 y1 {8 R% ~! rfor the day for a housecleaning job.
* z6 J# K! F2 I9 eW hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
. n' a. ^# U3 [1 Espirit were great. At the end of the service, the
9 j, w% m; n/ d0 Qpastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
and many said that they would return..
3 I2 m, P; d* V9 M4 lOne older man, whom the pastor recognized
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
% v3 i. N5 m- H7 mwasn't leaving.
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
the front wall because it was identical to one
- l  f; f# {( T) x- R0 R$ F. r6 b$ Uthat his wife had made years ago when
$ t( K# b2 ~4 Ethey lived in Austria before the war and how
2 H- q5 u+ l3 x/ vcould there be two tablecloths so much alike?
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
6 e: W: G( U4 z. C0 M: xforced 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
again all the 35 years between.
' {7 {( N9 c2 y" ]+ bT 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
# s' S  ~6 k+ Z. A3 `! jhad taken the woman three days earlier.
: D$ T( F; S1 _& [% M# zHe helped the man climb the three flights of
9 _2 J/ R; c" w+ {% J: Q* Dstairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
2 Z% M1 c% z5 m9 J6 `% B: Pthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas
% M" ]( W9 I6 G: q- T+ ireunion he could ever imagine.
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
( p" x3 m, t8 g% [who says God does work in mysterious ways.
+ [1 j7 }# E) t- S: XI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
along your way. His love is always with you. His
/ `5 @6 H! x' O/ b2 mpromises are true, and when we give Him all our
cares we know He will see us through.
; C' ~& U, X$ r0 HS o when the road you're traveling seems
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
: Z  ^( W! }' n+ p: c6 b% r1 |praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
: _4 ]" z7 _2 q$ eto those you want God to bless and remember
4 R9 l& C8 ~/ R0 @to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
% r9 a. B* Z3 n9 S- z4 E0 Ayou first.
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
, i8 v8 U1 S0 U$ z2 oyou find out that God is all you need Take 60
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
say the following small prayer for the person
# ]7 {/ }  g- \9 Pwho sent this to you.
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
/ F7 |. c4 p: E, i$ Never it is that You know they may be needing this
( {3 L% @9 H% [" |& Oday! May their lives be full of Your peace,
8 R3 R8 X: C- _: J& E* Pprosperity and power as they seek to have a
9 e" P$ Q) C" V: n: x4 Gcloser relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!