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+ V0 M: }, c' H2 F! x4 m2 G The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
! f, Q. X( l! Q* N! C3 Yto their first ministry, to reopen a church
% P! Y6 u5 c/ F$ A) n7 M" @in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October $ z8 v0 b" q: p* g' s' G3 r
excited about their opportunities. When they saw
6 j, o9 G! i: L1 \8 {( \+ V. |4 |: mtheir church, it was very run down and needed " [- T& i" y1 X8 f3 t4 Z) }
much work. They set a goal to have everything : q2 C! q7 Y- s+ J5 ?% I1 A
done in time to have their first service ; {$ g$ c8 o% K8 v
on Christmas Eve.
. p# `$ R& j- I7 x( r7 FT hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,5 ^4 M. Y8 n2 a* r, P, O0 D
painting, etc, and on December 18
8 M6 ~, E! T- u5 Bwere ahead of schedule and just about finished.
: Y9 e) O9 C6 i) V) F! l( s* f% vO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving - T; e$ c3 x1 c; Z' p$ V
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. / }4 ^* L1 N# d
O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
# u9 [ P5 D3 L/ s* E3 ?2 wHis heart sank when he saw that the roof had8 Z9 [! _0 S- J$ y V
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about - k5 e% }: x& L# s5 `' m
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall 7 M: V: ^7 ?: q
of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, % i W$ U' v( c& c
beginning about head high.
4 P" y* ]" B6 T* q% [8 @8 ]T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
' n0 y! L3 ^0 `4 ~and not knowing what else to do but postpone - s; q9 \- K' a h/ @
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
1 B% V) K) P- yOn the way he noticed that a local business was
& {) @; ?+ k" v; _% Xhaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he
" _, c6 Z2 v4 E- v \! t0 F) r1 W4 istopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
# t6 r& I: n {: w- shandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth 5 V0 T: J$ b& @2 _8 d
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
1 S, E5 n1 g' H* R! ^- iembroidered right in the center. It was just : H+ s$ X0 L H6 v8 o9 x
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: A. U$ i3 ~5 g3 ^! Fthe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
7 V. h t1 @$ t9 S: {& L8 sB y this time it had started to snow. An older " B5 H" p# o0 r! A* _. A; b
woman running from the opposite direction was ; j) R5 L' p7 P4 M
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
c. \5 p8 N. W9 T$ g5 minvited her to wait in the warm church for 5 B" i6 I" C% _
the next bus 45 minutes later. * u* u ?% _. Q. J& B4 E L( J
- |0 e" t3 S c/ y; ?She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
A: K8 {" a9 \6 Z, Q/ }while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
' b$ u9 b4 i7 q' L4 `up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
1 U. z8 f7 m" f1 g6 [1 Bcould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
9 s+ e5 W$ J' C) m/ b6 N3 IT hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
9 y0 K4 s& U+ p* M- d- v$ taisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
! e0 p" `% K4 Q1 _* U! mshe asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" ) L" ~- c1 U1 Y' y* K% {. i
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
& Z9 M9 B' k- M) Z1 [the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
# I9 D6 \; f# fit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
# e: A2 j' h6 O9 o# o9 Jmade this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
! N/ V: ~1 l0 J1 z: H ^+ {1 ET he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
- M; J2 k1 v) p" R' y! }) |told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The ! m* ]) ~0 K0 u4 N6 B
woman explained that before the war she and
& r# v( r( a# W( S1 Wher husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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$ P* @1 h1 P) s6 ~# V; b6 yWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. " t& k3 H" M% I) l7 k7 w( z! x
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
- O' ]. i( Y3 K+ j; S* E4 \3 XHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
) d2 ^8 k, d' w# |8 I4 }husband or her home again. : s1 W9 [* Y1 H
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
$ Z7 c. d! J' R/ C! _3 ^% Z8 {but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
* U( ~" u2 L. H" \ R# c. }The pastor insisted on driving her home. That
$ F, y5 ]% @5 B5 L5 Mwas the least he could do. She lived on the other: W( O$ q( i/ \1 U% G* \0 w0 V* y
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn 1 T4 s5 b1 G+ r. D7 d
for the day for a housecleaning job.
6 _' s: `/ [& C8 |8 S/ k2 GW hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
( c) M" X) r& i; R5 k! yEve. The church was almost full. The music and the
* _! r3 _- I9 u7 a8 U9 k: Nspirit were great. At the end of the service, the
+ Z. R$ j" s# u# E4 Tpastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
( Y( E/ P o3 f7 ?3 E7 a( {and many said that they would return.. 1 m8 u* x- r. I8 G& r# B
One older man, whom the pastor recognized & f+ I) z3 g K9 V4 E, Q+ p) ?
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
/ X: ?7 u5 X" V2 b8 B/ U Vpews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he / F' |6 W+ X1 U: y" |3 n0 ~3 _5 g
wasn't leaving.
! W* e: W: e4 s* a$ t8 q* d+ IThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on 6 u M" Y4 I& d7 g; D
the front wall because it was identical to one + t* x4 [: S, h) v, Q y
that his wife had made years ago when . @* X. u( g6 B
they lived in Austria before the war and how
) O6 B* U; R8 G+ N) l0 q9 t1 |could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
6 h R/ \8 o1 Y- QH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he ( R) |* V' e% f% }8 X" l
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
# a4 i6 S! U6 s, ~5 d6 w& C. Csupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
" Q4 `( f2 Q6 e3 ?7 d5 \! Rput in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home8 D& k3 _: |9 [: k7 l: h! Q& r/ h
again all the 35 years between. & n8 G. `0 ^3 l3 \7 F+ m% J
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
% e) _ r& M! Ftake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
4 M9 G, J0 D$ H! ~/ v5 A. dIsland and to the same house where the pastor ) \6 n9 b7 N3 s9 s* z- P% a& {
had taken the woman three days earlier. 6 b+ g7 X6 H5 Y- w" k
He helped the man climb the three flights of$ U+ r& ?! K. B+ T/ R
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
9 y) ]9 B$ Q! L4 @3 I2 Gthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas 6 u- t1 }( O. D; m3 f) C: O3 b
reunion he could ever imagine.' u" q* [4 h) M2 `, I% ~/ g
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid # a R0 M* J9 |0 N$ h
who says God does work in mysterious ways.
1 N7 I; n5 A5 i# V8 p2 RI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
; t* i% F- o7 y( yyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
( k4 C7 e& t. |/ a8 a1 C3 P$ jalong your way. His love is always with you. His
$ {% A3 ^ D( |3 O F( vpromises are true, and when we give Him all our
9 W9 z1 b2 f2 ~4 B3 zcares we know He will see us through. 8 d& q x4 W2 l8 E6 X* d
S o when the road you're traveling seems * s% k2 l; e0 V' C' s' _4 I
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
9 H& b% D& Z, a& c9 ^9 Dpraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on 3 g, i& n, p5 x% p+ }% t
to those you want God to bless and remember
/ W. L5 h2 d/ f, A! mto send it back to the one who asked God to bless ) E6 A, A) p* m
you first.
4 _& e: G1 z7 [W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when; [+ _% x: u8 R; _7 p/ I
you find out that God is all you need Take 601 J" ^7 h. d9 h1 n! x3 U6 E
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
; T- Z7 k) d' B7 v: E [ Bsay the following small prayer for the person - D2 E- P _% K) Z) G1 `9 c
who sent this to you.4 b7 V3 q& j- O( {, ~1 x7 @4 L; I5 U
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what ! X3 j- U. ]! G9 M# b: P
ever it is that You know they may be needing this / E b0 w" T: u/ z8 I
day! May their lives be full of Your peace, 0 y& b6 ^- a; o0 b
prosperity and power as they seek to have a 7 m y% O5 Z4 v$ A8 }0 X' h/ e {
closer relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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