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& P, T9 W& L0 _. K! f8 A* J The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned # g% ]1 @6 ~2 p! C. ]- Y
to their first ministry, to reopen a church $ H; M6 l) r( T2 y `9 o
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
{$ U [7 B; ?+ f) cexcited about their opportunities. When they saw 6 F: S5 U$ k1 A1 [" Y
their church, it was very run down and needed " c2 ?* W4 d4 V K! J, f
much work. They set a goal to have everything
6 n9 A/ | q6 \: Zdone in time to have their first service
7 S G& Y! c$ [& j0 qon Christmas Eve. ( Y0 x" D9 h+ f
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
" ?0 m. S$ T9 n J3 ~! Dpainting, etc, and on December 18
- A: s& @8 ]% @ H! p+ ?8 q" Jwere ahead of schedule and just about finished. 6 K& \9 }' M! n7 N
O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
: q3 V0 c, W+ Z0 b, [7 J9 W8 srainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
4 J2 `/ p8 H0 H. K" c) w O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
% y: V- D5 s; i4 L8 O$ ^" l! ^. q hHis heart sank when he saw that the roof had
" @3 O! L# Y, a% X8 R; `leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
% M% x* ]! R& i- [1 K20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
: o% M7 @' Y) Z4 @: g1 J! ^of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, / a. Q* L+ }# w: b& W
beginning about head high. w$ d8 ~! K% T* e; X! I
T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, 2 T# y7 v# d+ }; A/ F6 R! A
and not knowing what else to do but postpone
( W" r+ e1 [# z( C% ?4 q: ithe Christmas Eve service, headed home. 0 X5 f+ |& J8 b" o1 U) m# B
On the way he noticed that a local business was
+ V) z* g1 q) E/ d: C5 `0 {+ K( t k1 Hhaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he 9 G1 `& {, ?7 w6 l, A
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, ( Y& }) S3 c9 O' b
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth / p9 }" h$ a/ s0 P2 U6 F- m
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
' {* {7 y0 P0 v" Aembroidered right in the center. It was just ; x' w& a6 ]) ~* }
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the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
5 B! A" |9 T% u+ j) f- X+ ^' E7 _B y this time it had started to snow. An older * ]$ ~% M" ~7 B- h( e! p5 B2 v
woman running from the opposite direction was + d+ w4 q" j& F
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor + c4 ~6 _' o! `* K- k; Q5 Z
invited her to wait in the warm church for / [/ C' ?* A: O
the next bus 45 minutes later.
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9 R1 P1 o/ W6 {9 aShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor 0 ~6 r# o2 {$ P) C
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
6 Z% s' r& D4 P hup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
/ S% W8 b% j0 j" P% O2 O5 [! Fcould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. 0 D3 R L5 H! A- ^
T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
# p) h# d8 R% ]4 taisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"% G4 d9 H. ]" v( x
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" ) ?! z" e4 G5 [0 T. x
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
' {2 q: N: I! T s* T, Mthe lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into- z3 X% y4 A$ G/ V4 v5 J
it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
* u1 V$ @0 }/ {9 dmade this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
6 w7 L4 K* ?: V% T7 }6 XT he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor 0 O7 e6 x3 |: z4 Y8 g+ ?( B$ u
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
% h6 }9 y, D' D- O5 g5 Twoman explained that before the war she and
: J' W# d* b5 b2 ?2 D; {her husband were well-to-do people in Austria . / g9 h4 {. y+ F& \! }0 A8 I
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When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
k) Q$ F8 `# q% E6 HHer husband was going to follow her the next week.
- D- ]* N# i R5 ~He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
. E9 X$ M3 J& P% x+ o5 p, L5 ]9 Mhusband or her home again.
U2 J; v3 K! W4 ^T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
# n7 R/ M1 W* W( [4 u/ kbut she made the pastor keep it for the church.6 j: x# g. @, P$ Q+ i5 [1 J# f
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That
' I8 a( A% \, m: ~was the least he could do. She lived on the other
! N) d) B6 ^# w; s8 R- e& Jside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn ' }3 b5 Y% q8 U
for the day for a housecleaning job.5 U3 z; A1 Z& L! }
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
! v6 h, j! i3 Y+ z! ZEve. The church was almost full. The music and the
: R! ` M) ^2 D$ E; zspirit were great. At the end of the service, the
8 _4 X2 R# \) vpastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
8 _5 q! Y6 Y6 n: Q; zand many said that they would return.. % ^' s; a5 T, J
One older man, whom the pastor recognized 9 P4 V% N% Z9 c5 d" ?0 s7 s: P
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
' I. s0 v4 \" N9 m5 vpews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
! k; s+ n; c( R, @- _8 C lwasn't leaving.
' g( X4 C% E( p' `* n7 h4 SThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
, I. w. p% y- o5 b& w3 E d8 |the front wall because it was identical to one
% v! I8 o: i7 D3 ?) g9 gthat his wife had made years ago when
* e+ @9 `( S6 H8 u$ s/ R lthey lived in Austria before the war and how
8 k {" |! P Q6 [* s3 T- D0 Scould there be two tablecloths so much alike? 3 n8 T0 ~3 E4 `4 T! ]- [% O
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
- N: c- H: \ r: P8 j9 A6 R2 ] Zforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was 5 F8 ?" t: Y) k7 f
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and }* x& Q) R$ }) I, O
put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home i" a" }$ H" {7 \
again all the 35 years between.
. N& x4 J! v6 b* ~T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to $ O+ A3 C4 a) ^
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten 0 Z$ L3 _0 A. f
Island and to the same house where the pastor 9 H% I+ N, x3 S- x8 _$ [/ o) }2 ~
had taken the woman three days earlier. ' `8 `) j, i2 t* f9 l
He helped the man climb the three flights of& D$ Z/ g. N8 g8 W$ W
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on' q8 g; ^* v# C, D) J8 z3 D
the door and he saw the greatest Christmas
! w: P& ~- E1 j. k/ W* xreunion he could ever imagine.
# @9 V/ |0 Q9 Y* K! `5 g! j0 H9 HT rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid 4 r: X9 K; `- D: p- j8 B
who says God does work in mysterious ways.
6 O) u# Q9 c! A3 sI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for N5 }2 @8 j6 l; j
you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
1 P, k+ D8 S3 |0 o5 Palong your way. His love is always with you. His ( T6 x' _$ L2 @5 a) N1 f
promises are true, and when we give Him all our
2 a( V5 v4 S7 A3 `- Hcares we know He will see us through. + d) |- \, c; N' y: ?) H
S o when the road you're traveling seems 2 C# A$ p% X5 f3 [
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
) {4 y& x0 k9 `7 A Wpraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
0 S: \% K# [" H! k: Ato those you want God to bless and remember + X0 Z2 M; B, q: X% x5 I. o5 Z8 V
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
5 P7 f s! C E5 `3 Tyou first. ! a" [6 F- h: C
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when) M- f V5 e+ r$ M( i7 U
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
, D* D' ^. |0 T' D! |seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply7 x5 \" E! e; h0 O/ k
say the following small prayer for the person 0 e) y* S% m3 P) J7 L- m2 Y
who sent this to you.1 b) E, V' k1 {' S
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
3 f5 F- V) k& \) S+ i! {1 s9 ^ever it is that You know they may be needing this
) w, Y: s) V5 Oday! May their lives be full of Your peace, 5 c: R' |2 W& S1 b% c A
prosperity and power as they seek to have a
0 S2 k2 o4 O6 X# A6 C4 [closer relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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