The Tablecloth

propeller

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


0 y( |1 d& X. A8 j- i2 m
9 {; J1 i& m- G5 ^* @/ H The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
to their first ministry, to reopen a church
* z- {: e7 \3 R. f. N! J; ]! Q9 r* |in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
excited about their opportunities. When they saw
; ^6 ?5 f& d: q- }( C1 k) @their church, it was very run down and needed
; L4 E4 l/ s: D3 L5 M& }. _6 nmuch work. They set a goal to have everything
- r2 W( _" j7 M6 ~/ rdone in time to have their first service
! x  w- i8 K* H5 von Christmas Eve.
; G, }7 w4 R1 Z3 w+ mT hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
painting, etc, and on December 18
were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
( D5 t8 M* a: [ O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
6 c2 @" C( S4 {2 G9 t. U* p0 Lleaked, causing a large area of plaster about
5 G9 U5 o8 B8 y; C$ e! p20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
7 \0 q. m% ^1 |0 xof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
* T  x' c' e1 L6 ybeginning about head high.
T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
) c" w$ @. h0 _2 l, E4 v3 land not knowing what else to do but postpone
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
On the way he noticed that a local business was
having a flea market type sale for charity, so he
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
3 I; l/ ^4 U8 H" M& f# uwith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
6 R1 W7 ~- G7 N1 Vembroidered right in the center. It was just  
9 J/ a  B$ M5 a( p5 T4 }



; g$ H$ w  B  l% Q/ C7 x8 ~4 N

the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
$ N0 [- I# K/ ^& y) RB y this time it had started to snow. An older
# A, Q! g. d4 pwoman running from the opposite direction was
! ]$ B6 ^! y6 d: A7 e, m) ~3 [* Utrying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
invited her to wait in the warm church for
, d1 ]1 W7 C/ j! Y* ?8 fthe next bus 45 minutes later.
- Q/ W- K- w; H6 u: K: g% L
She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
3 u2 l, t; D# k6 g# v$ `- j+ iup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
( I# o0 j8 C8 E; }7 D+ Xcould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
: V* C& g8 i9 X2 qT hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
! B4 F9 e3 _0 T/ s5 z8 Rshe asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
% ?* [9 Q0 [0 sthe lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
. o5 }! O+ w6 Mit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
  E" a6 B. O* W% }' n( c# \made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
  \. G! \- c2 N& Z# z6 [' oT he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
6 K( M' j; t" X! C3 r, a8 Qtold how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
woman explained that before the war she and
* d, j' u+ l" _: aher husband were well-to-do people in Austria .

, a+ T- J7 H5 Q8 IWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
* Z" X6 l- W2 a% b& J5 PHer husband was going to follow her the next week.
4 P5 s2 ~: n9 f' H, J% j0 n$ lHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
6 r* D  _+ l  }4 S' yhusband or her home again.
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
) ]7 H3 O! T/ j1 P) F/ `4 b( Wbut she made the pastor keep it for the church.
) D1 H) s, F) ZThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That
' O( ?" ]6 O5 d, Z# }was the least he could do. She lived on the other
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
for the day for a housecleaning job.
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
0 j* ~; U* w; e# ]pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
1 }1 x& C, t8 L' w' O# R! m0 Dand many said that they would return..
$ G! [: k) v4 X8 P# l. XOne older man, whom the pastor recognized
/ [; e) F6 C' qfrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
# i) ?0 x* k1 b0 y4 ^- p  A/ ?0 Rwasn't leaving.
; `6 V7 o6 \+ [& UThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
1 n' m/ }# X) W) k0 jthe front wall because it was identical to one
; B* Y3 X9 K) B) P2 t8 athat his wife had made years ago when
they lived in Austria before the war and how
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
3 U# Z% g' v) i% b. OH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
- U' y) c" ?6 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.
; U$ ^6 J( ], D4 K: VT he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
6 ?: C1 I  @  k  r2 X* {8 dIsland and to the same house where the pastor
2 J- q6 |' o9 m. Bhad taken the woman three days earlier.
He helped the man climb the three flights of
( a* ?! K& s7 h) J$ \8 ?& ~stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
3 Y" J6 t2 C3 F: e( Kthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas
' M9 G) e* q  b, V( D* ?' oreunion he could ever imagine.
! M# J/ |; [( |7 uT rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
8 B7 e0 g/ V- c/ `who says God does work in mysterious ways.
, T5 _0 A3 O+ ?7 iI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
* a5 f& h7 B" Nalong your way. His love is always with you. His
' U, S' a  z1 U7 dpromises are true, and when we give Him all our
* M0 `0 M# i# m" V& p5 Xcares we know He will see us through.
, x- O% n0 v" B" D. m1 S, U1 XS o when the road you're traveling seems
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
- X3 j! E! l2 K1 _5 fpraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
to those you want God to bless and remember
" f& M( w& Z& z7 Q9 F% ato send it back to the one who asked God to bless
) `. n3 [3 N% }3 x' dyou first.
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
/ d) }) i1 _& G/ }2 p& _you 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
who sent this to you.
/ L; |: P- l$ G: C8 yFather, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
0 Y/ S0 c+ h  s/ eever it is that You know they may be needing this
day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
" P( A" ~1 l% hprosperity and power as they seek to have a
7 f  {6 |8 D$ _closer relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!