The Tablecloth

propeller

Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason
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The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
1 ~- k, f" V5 U% x- k- mto their first ministry, to reopen a church
: _: o/ K' T2 A  o& j' fin suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
, e" J! t# c  G3 K& |7 _( u; hexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
their church, it was very run down and needed
# A( c. P( [! t4 n' Emuch work. They set a goal to have everything
" v8 t5 q$ l0 s7 q+ @done in time to have their first service
on Christmas Eve.
T 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
) [0 A  f( G1 x3 a" b5 g0 N2 srainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
  R: k/ c: F6 i) cleaked, 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,
0 x+ k( N1 o  g: B, W4 o( l. X- x5 Oand not knowing what else to do but postpone
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
! X/ g7 x. y1 J) }: |" UOn the way he noticed that a local business was
7 g; O. Z5 I& m, t5 T9 |having a flea market type sale for charity, so he
: ^8 J1 J/ K& o" x! U/ ?5 Astopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
4 a* u( N# L: z% c# g$ ~" U( Nhandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
% @: l1 e4 N, ^8 Cembroidered right in the center. It was just  



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the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
B y this time it had started to snow. An older
: d+ u8 m) n0 k' H5 hwoman running from the opposite direction was
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
invited her to wait in the warm church for
3 c9 R# i" J  l7 y3 Athe next bus 45 minutes later.
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She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
, H( x4 _) y* h" c) O* Z8 q0 I$ v* ~could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
& S* r' f# s1 K) O4 V6 E5 Faisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
- ~( m& j, {! R  e' Xshe asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
9 h" ]4 N- h/ x7 V) w  s+ Pthe lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
  j2 n% G: P. o) v6 ]- \& d) Vit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
  E9 O, l$ K; M; T1 \: _+ Mmade 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
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
& ?* U$ {- R" F5 _# hHer husband was going to follow her the next week.
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
husband or her home again.
' l8 V0 F5 A* v& K! XT he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That
2 Y8 f0 ~% I1 ?( a* S& W: J) h2 a# cwas the least he could do. She lived on the other
9 `/ a& R/ d4 ]" S. q& tside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
for the day for a housecleaning job.
8 z& X0 I5 q8 i$ ^+ Z# j$ K; AW hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
# ]# C3 y7 z2 y- X  [% eEve. 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
$ g7 s* M+ n- L: }and many said that they would return..
8 v  d# W; U% m* a. \2 k, vOne older man, whom the pastor recognized
5 [; H2 H* i( D2 f# v: mfrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
wasn't leaving.
# c2 N7 e) D* e4 LThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
the front wall because it was identical to one
" G7 K0 J0 s4 ]2 Uthat his wife had made years ago when
  x; K" d$ X8 q4 k9 @& Xthey lived in Austria before the war and how
2 O1 F% S8 V: o- wcould there be two tablecloths so much alike?
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
8 q$ A$ t. q6 @, }forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
" E1 s  v; s) n) B. Ysupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
8 k0 O3 F) I+ Z) ~) C* ]put in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home
again all the 35 years between.
T 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
had taken the woman three days earlier.
) P9 S# {# o1 x5 l  }He helped the man climb the three flights of
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
the door and he saw the greatest Christmas
reunion he could ever imagine.
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
" T# n: f/ G! dwho says God does work in mysterious ways.
' D+ A" v" o- ]: k( uI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
6 v, T' k7 ~9 O4 u1 }you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
& G% l( S1 K2 I; {2 Jalong your way. His love is always with you. His
: R( H  ?$ |! P- F' `2 \* Epromises are true, and when we give Him all our
cares we know He will see us through.
4 t8 s6 [2 i* v* I- sS o when the road you're traveling seems
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
% r5 v% |( d" [  \; Q# o8 xpraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
4 |$ u8 @, [9 pto those you want God to bless and remember
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
: a  ?. ^8 I/ H$ N7 ?2 V* Cyou first.
' h1 t0 v) m2 w- e/ j) p. sW hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
. L* Q4 {, J* L+ q3 _: S$ l5 Lyou find out that God is all you need Take 60
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
8 j. h+ w5 H# x, p- O6 csay the following small prayer for the person
who sent this to you.
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
ever it is that You know they may be needing this
- j: u  @, n1 R2 H/ f4 w3 U' Rday! May their lives be full of Your peace,
prosperity and power as they seek to have a
, u" J3 l1 _4 `, a& O/ y' k) l4 Pcloser relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!