The Tablecloth

propeller

Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason
; S% J+ x& _6 {' s. L( G/ L


1 z: ?3 h3 E1 a$ a9 m The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
to their first ministry, to reopen a church
8 [) J$ j, L% Rin suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
excited about their opportunities. When they saw
their church, it was very run down and needed
2 e7 W! V' ]+ }much work. They set a goal to have everything
done in time to have their first service
on Christmas Eve.
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
7 d% v) j/ Y3 o! cpainting, etc, and on December 18
1 I& y" a/ A: R0 H0 n- g! O! {* |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.
( [; ^) K+ i0 s, P! p/ A5 O O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
leaked, 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.
T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
and not knowing what else to do but postpone
! r0 w" V" f/ R5 ]( Xthe Christmas Eve service, headed home.
; J2 |( L$ ~1 V3 v$ J4 MOn the way he noticed that a local business was
- g9 D9 I+ j& v. l; Mhaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
1 E# ^6 s; N; G# p/ X6 nhandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
+ _, `3 ]9 L0 D' _1 Gembroidered right in the center. It was just  

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. D7 T& I* r" v- l' P" t4 uthe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
% v; z' w2 W. Y6 x+ JB y this time it had started to snow. An older
woman running from the opposite direction was
; C6 S% r- i. [" l+ Ntrying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
invited her to wait in the warm church for
; i6 [) @, i7 ~: l' Mthe next bus 45 minutes later.

She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
- G- ]( l$ H7 _6 aup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
7 O' v% {' z( T' }) jcould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
; y; Z# g5 n( p, e4 BT hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
" K; t4 }4 U) Y9 Q7 Ushe asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
, F0 q8 F9 k) Fthe lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
# K: z. Q* C% zit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
- S4 ~, c' y! Kmade 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
woman explained that before the war she and
  t; @8 O" N- x+ T/ m( ]/ s2 uher husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
8 W, S: p% k; ?% @Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
. a$ z+ v1 y# M8 ~; r/ ~2 yhusband or her home again.
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
. c+ Y8 W; R, F0 \. hbut she made the pastor keep it for the church.
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That
( n5 T; p% l8 x8 W  `2 H8 U- a+ gwas the least he could do. She lived on the other
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
+ O( ~- r% r' kfor the day for a housecleaning job.
$ U7 |6 o& b8 p" _- F: WW hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
) s" V) J. {6 ?: I$ ^& UEve. The church was almost full. The music and the
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
. z, j$ [# Z& X) I+ Kand many said that they would return..
, \, r: ]/ A3 ^7 C0 q1 XOne older man, whom the pastor recognized
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
8 F5 f3 E( T- s! ?1 Zpews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
- u6 h& l9 ?7 N1 B" _5 F# Swasn't leaving.
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
the front wall because it was identical to one
3 r& F4 m! Y6 ^5 {2 B) ithat his wife had made years ago when
& h5 C. `$ K" `' dthey lived in Austria before the war and how
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
+ @; D# C7 u/ P& J) gput in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home
again all the 35 years between.
( f0 H2 F, L# dT 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
" F. p/ `# v# R# w" V, X1 ^had taken the woman three days earlier.
7 A. i! o+ _. f( w; W% r: A1 DHe helped the man climb the three flights of
. S  C' F6 C/ T4 F( dstairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
- |0 y8 ]$ k( Q: d& {the door and he saw the greatest Christmas
reunion he could ever imagine.
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
5 M9 }) Y$ k7 ^5 Kwho says God does work in mysterious ways.
I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
* |6 Z: m3 J& M: x  ^5 g& xalong your way. His love is always with you. His
" |! t: M$ z1 |- c4 v3 ~* tpromises are true, and when we give Him all our
! d0 `. a% V/ i' r9 q+ y" P0 ?/ Zcares we know He will see us through.
S o when the road you're traveling seems
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
+ i8 p' g3 e  M# d9 J( t; xpraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
" L/ Y$ F$ u  G5 U  ?2 I" nto those you want God to bless and remember
) y: C% j( q: I; fto send it back to the one who asked God to bless
4 F& o+ n1 E5 v  i) B& vyou first.
. {2 o' e: ]& XW hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
8 D; p: \; u, R6 X3 p) z7 lyou find out that God is all you need Take 60
7 _+ [! C" j7 D! _' cseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
say the following small prayer for the person
/ n5 W8 x6 N$ w3 r  A) hwho sent this to you.
) [- e- y6 l% x, DFather, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
% W; o7 i+ M; p( n# [ever it is that You know they may be needing this
day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
& \4 I* I  U; E1 }2 S2 ]prosperity and power as they seek to have a
closer relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!