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& s6 R. p$ f/ C" e The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
* r$ i2 G- K+ V2 b0 Y/ V7 R3 @to their first ministry, to reopen a church
; K- [4 I8 g ^0 a; u, bin suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
+ `+ p2 o& Q& R; w5 I4 l" ~2 Xexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
! Q; A- r- f" @# G- X9 B* atheir church, it was very run down and needed 9 h! k7 W7 r1 t) J5 `# m" [! ^! F0 b
much work. They set a goal to have everything 9 ^) F" F4 L+ V
done in time to have their first service
0 R \5 i/ z" R$ ?/ C- ^ yon Christmas Eve. ; j3 [9 r* \9 x6 z. x2 `4 B, [
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,& L6 i4 W: r, {% U- {. w
painting, etc, and on December 18 $ V3 U: e) f2 c
were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
6 u$ J/ t/ n' L6 t/ lO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving 8 _8 V0 R* j9 ?
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
7 R* [4 D' ^! M6 P2 U) @5 } O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
- m* c6 y) K2 |: |2 G! Y" |His heart sank when he saw that the roof had q+ }% i7 x. o4 |4 H
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
3 {1 @7 r J/ f$ W20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
1 e6 d- K! z6 V8 iof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
0 l% v$ C) g% A/ N4 `$ O3 _beginning about head high.
8 a( R6 w% k4 FT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
3 n- R* }& o5 c! yand not knowing what else to do but postpone B: ]+ Y) |, N* I
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
A( r# y" l* bOn the way he noticed that a local business was
& B7 w1 a" G7 d V% U8 q" [having a flea market type sale for charity, so he
0 R$ y! n9 J9 Rstopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, $ l6 M4 x8 z) H) x9 V
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth 4 V i3 X: ^4 W2 o
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
' D( e0 @: h5 P; Jembroidered right in the center. It was just , s. p y( D3 I X2 j& r
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: X, P# C4 o$ [) K& ~; Lthe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
- y6 [9 @! V5 {B y this time it had started to snow. An older 3 ] v/ d9 I% T0 H. V9 W: B0 L. M+ Q
woman running from the opposite direction was - H* ^( x: S1 s- T* q+ h( f
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
5 d9 z0 k& G; W# [, p! P: ` ainvited her to wait in the warm church for ) p' W& I) v6 u! `+ }
the next bus 45 minutes later. $ m4 V9 I6 j: z0 D
/ _- z9 @+ F8 @: a5 E+ xShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
( _% y- l8 Q0 n5 d8 y5 y3 V8 mwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
9 B, T! {4 m: C& t y. S* p6 Qup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
& [8 S7 \/ _% a2 Y* ]9 J; Q" R+ |0 ^could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. + t; i0 K2 |' k1 V0 h! V
T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center$ ?% Q1 U$ Q5 H1 Z/ e
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"6 ?; m+ E" n( E$ {7 A: C3 ?+ ?
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" . A4 y6 b. J8 p- c* G2 i: e: }7 Y
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check0 d& d' T J! \ G. o) a
the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into; u( q! M9 u6 F/ |0 d5 d& ^+ B
it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
- m# q4 \2 V3 f+ L P' z7 r" jmade this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria . 9 E5 o# L2 v- Z7 S, Z
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
# e A5 u" v* o, l. w# U8 x. qtold how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The 0 e' f3 U \8 t- Q1 q4 X# F: {3 ~
woman explained that before the war she and % n7 D% y* I: l1 K
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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$ t# Y8 r' s' }! Q5 Z0 hWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
. @: V+ Y8 Z& _" BHer husband was going to follow her the next week.
, V4 K x/ L, @- C* h) H/ h/ C" gHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her 2 P7 D* G5 L0 _, I4 z0 e
husband or her home again. # Y) s- c3 `9 ]8 D9 l, \3 T% ?8 M
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
$ O) r0 f# Y4 v! \7 I7 `3 L& m4 |but she made the pastor keep it for the church." ]; K" G& [2 b/ J* e, W- X0 D+ d7 L
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That" u4 W4 n, r$ k0 T
was the least he could do. She lived on the other
/ S$ ?9 }( [$ X4 g- pside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn " u3 S# \0 M# z v4 J: ^& _
for the day for a housecleaning job.3 m8 _6 f/ N/ q6 G K; j9 r4 [
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
& m" ~5 }# t8 L. LEve. The church was almost full. The music and the 0 w1 r" S! U: t8 U, r' A
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
( S7 ~$ h8 M" y1 r( d( Apastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door 0 G3 o3 b: r$ L. d, ]
and many said that they would return..
( H) y6 V# s4 {" \# }One older man, whom the pastor recognized / M9 c; x3 j+ i. S. s/ l5 t& b4 e- r
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
7 {$ y/ }7 ]+ C4 j7 Q; tpews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
~' O+ l1 {# iwasn't leaving.
9 \1 X) f5 T" c6 T3 fThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on & ?9 G, r0 B1 k$ K! R
the front wall because it was identical to one
/ h7 a$ w- y- o y% E. _: Athat his wife had made years ago when
) p! r% U3 U9 R5 u5 {6 i6 Rthey lived in Austria before the war and how , R+ b1 T" ^- c+ [
could there be two tablecloths so much alike? * _! G, X" Z5 C% D9 [. |, `$ v& j
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
# r& M# [! E2 Z: z7 `* N3 [8 N6 Cforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was * P w+ T5 g, l) d9 x) b4 t! b
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and$ C# \' A# ~. h. f( y1 c- }8 C
put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home0 ]) ?) E3 e9 _, r6 k
again all the 35 years between. + @; [9 K- b# {# C/ A
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to z! }- z) i4 ~# O4 d
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten . z: m" `! T: m! X4 C) C
Island and to the same house where the pastor 0 R9 X$ ^2 a _, Q& g+ ~. C' F
had taken the woman three days earlier. , a. H; D, y9 Y% z6 B: J- L! d$ d8 x
He helped the man climb the three flights of/ D& J) z8 x& Y/ t9 P
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
) i q* k, k, F7 ]3 [& Dthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas
& ?' n+ ~) V' s- |$ rreunion he could ever imagine.
( w$ s' f! d( q, K% HT rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid " _ G. Z2 Q3 }( I6 e z' I
who says God does work in mysterious ways.
/ l7 y+ t$ G+ {: o+ [6 BI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
2 l+ T, D( O e" `' Q/ eyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
0 Q& C/ u. ^; l& U' `along your way. His love is always with you. His 3 ~( J2 w1 @9 R3 D3 r) P$ ]6 P+ q5 ?
promises are true, and when we give Him all our ; I# I: A! P* F
cares we know He will see us through.
q% V8 ?/ [' G1 B" L3 d- Z1 j( sS o when the road you're traveling seems 6 w2 v1 B; V8 u% @ ]
difficult at best, just remember I'm here 1 U1 ]! w& a F2 }+ I! S# L+ z
praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on ) e6 a0 ]9 r' a/ J8 W
to those you want God to bless and remember
- @$ A$ o9 @% E1 I) Q+ Bto send it back to the one who asked God to bless $ r2 v8 e) j( e6 S; M
you first.
! I6 l9 ^ K& a" I7 P6 R. mW hen there is nothing left but God, that is when$ _. x- O4 M% k: C% u [$ U
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
% @8 I8 s: g/ p2 X5 c& zseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply" \$ a# z4 {- p" e/ h7 F
say the following small prayer for the person
0 B# v! e: P1 U0 s/ D9 i4 owho sent this to you.
! d* l; w2 ?& t# B; w ?8 nFather, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
5 f, |+ Q$ p2 D u4 S. Oever it is that You know they may be needing this 4 Q" R# g% w0 U1 v2 K" D3 R; q
day! May their lives be full of Your peace, 7 y/ `% b. Y ^7 Y/ A* G) e1 b
prosperity and power as they seek to have a * f3 Y1 T: }+ v1 J: }
closer relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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