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. l/ K+ R" ~, o The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned b) G5 e8 g1 l: z( y% e6 T* K
to their first ministry, to reopen a church $ e; B& g( p, r& [& k" k' M) G
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
8 C. m& W; T0 p# |& c8 kexcited about their opportunities. When they saw + f3 F9 l, r' q2 _2 d0 U. h
their church, it was very run down and needed
% U' D, w' `; n! P( g; a# ?# T5 o+ ^much work. They set a goal to have everything ) v& ?6 i+ J3 _4 G( ?/ g8 ~$ U, h8 e
done in time to have their first service / P/ d+ e7 @! L
on Christmas Eve. ; }1 g- E& ^2 @! P4 p& E, N
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
) D5 l5 Y* e# O1 @: Hpainting, etc, and on December 18
6 \# M( f$ u. J0 Jwere ahead of schedule and just about finished. # P9 l4 e' [ F6 Z$ z
O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
" X2 u1 {9 C U H4 L/ @; yrainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
! p" ?. k Y' m2 X5 Z O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
& o8 ^6 t! K' BHis heart sank when he saw that the roof had/ r! \* d( W1 S7 O6 ?. e8 F; c' Z
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
& T9 P1 L' k+ ]" i' z20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
/ V8 X# U7 q& J& Vof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
$ \. m0 D9 n4 u" M( {6 `beginning about head high.
: H. c3 b3 y$ ]- K8 g ~4 YT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
& p4 X, K) H; _and not knowing what else to do but postpone
; j8 l" t5 F2 s, ?( cthe Christmas Eve service, headed home.
/ v6 G4 { M. s. L6 rOn the way he noticed that a local business was
3 z6 _* c0 R# k1 G- z8 V) vhaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he ( ~0 Z0 m" m; O$ B/ q5 |# d
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
+ q" I4 H" x+ v$ o6 \, W7 ~( Vhandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth 2 u. k2 `, z7 P* M, y) {
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross / U; a3 t6 v: B* \+ M
embroidered right in the center. It was just ) e, S7 \$ @& u4 u; R( [2 p! s
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2 g5 Y8 H0 H7 O+ H" S* ythe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church. 7 D" {2 O5 }' O g2 b
B y this time it had started to snow. An older
5 W7 _$ F* `" i+ ^6 ywoman running from the opposite direction was 2 N0 m' A6 C: i& u
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor . ~9 N( ~7 J) L9 I3 n" s
invited her to wait in the warm church for 2 E8 j+ s5 \1 |0 h) D! \+ }; f( O
the next bus 45 minutes later. : B) ~2 t8 \ V8 L B4 J, Y
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She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
; O) W2 s `, U" E* O1 Lwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put 6 P; [6 f1 Z+ N0 U
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor ) }" |" m. Y; F! T
could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
. X d4 V' r' gT hen he noticed the woman walking down the center) P7 n5 m8 G5 s* ?: \+ ~
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
- A- l- R, o0 ushe asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
8 y. A, p3 B+ Y: s$ t1 gThe pastor explained. The woman asked him to check/ `7 _' g8 Y: \7 x
the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
8 c1 n! [3 X5 mit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had " q: s6 v+ m4 O- ~
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
. U( N) J6 T1 y! A/ `* _3 ]T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
* q" |% J& g! N% j9 Qtold how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
8 A& }9 f! k7 |woman explained that before the war she and " k ^ \/ z( i4 `: O P( ^
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria . / \# u' e# s! P6 t% }
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When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. # i& _$ h6 Y" ?4 a6 s: }( w/ b
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
1 t* |' }5 Q+ n2 A3 R0 v; KHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her 1 z- d# ]" ]5 t
husband or her home again.
/ x6 T5 e' D# u5 TT he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;6 a5 K* @5 f J- F4 F. l' S* I! a; H
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.% s4 y3 u3 w2 u
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That/ V; @6 w) {2 d9 ?- _& v; g
was the least he could do. She lived on the other
e" Q8 J! E% t/ Dside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn
5 E8 |, B% o, v' rfor the day for a housecleaning job.2 P* B, @% D$ K0 d1 {) l* i
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas - p* L& {) ]* ?8 U- z
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
4 y! Y) r# _7 t1 lspirit were great. At the end of the service, the
9 c+ @. q! S1 Y" E# Z; tpastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door & M! `- C9 U# l0 r
and many said that they would return.. ( ~; X( O$ { u8 z3 r
One older man, whom the pastor recognized 8 d% M. m. e! R$ U/ y L" I
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the 7 j! ]3 N- T# M' D
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
" M( T" \; p9 \0 Ewasn't leaving. : S- c# x, G4 F# e5 \9 z
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on % H9 U* l+ ^! p) s% O1 f
the front wall because it was identical to one 1 z5 _0 E) ^' J) V% Y
that his wife had made years ago when
5 M: R8 Y: E3 l7 k3 B' Xthey lived in Austria before the war and how
( I5 ^: N8 @( Wcould there be two tablecloths so much alike? : O, D7 `. N; V, G! x3 w x
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he # G t) ]1 K' s5 W4 ^- E, _3 k
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
$ [( p# I2 {* Q3 G, [supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and) j" [ v8 g2 g; P
put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home4 r- \4 @% F, |0 c$ i6 r8 e6 G
again all the 35 years between.
" N6 i/ w8 z7 f' j: |* i& z8 yT he pastor asked him if he would allow him to * E0 C U: r% ~' C' |
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten " d/ g4 S0 ?+ t3 o8 i. Y5 Q9 f+ P. k3 [) ?
Island and to the same house where the pastor
/ d# Q! L1 L0 F; Q: Shad taken the woman three days earlier. $ W$ I) J, j, q, u8 K/ T2 b; {# j/ M9 c
He helped the man climb the three flights of9 i! M% D$ w6 s* l) F3 j1 I- ~- _
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
, q* P" P8 h9 b7 ^8 sthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas
?; G. Z0 Z3 x9 m' l5 ]reunion he could ever imagine.
9 z1 |5 [9 n# Z& a+ `! f5 `T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
/ @+ [: v. m# dwho says God does work in mysterious ways.% @0 X, y4 \" F
I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
- y7 l+ _4 L" h$ pyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go 3 q/ V; P( }, s4 A- V3 k
along your way. His love is always with you. His
& Y3 z# u' M" K) zpromises are true, and when we give Him all our
3 p; { U/ y( \3 ^cares we know He will see us through. 4 V, J) ]" M+ ~& o* |
S o when the road you're traveling seems
' W% Z& h& Q2 |% idifficult at best, just remember I'm here ' h( k1 w& z2 y& P( J p4 s+ u
praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
6 j, F% T/ }1 O: @- o9 B7 Z3 J: \. a5 jto those you want God to bless and remember # f0 M: h2 |* E! \
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
1 f4 a& D/ i2 {! s0 P. V8 I& [you first.
% n# x( _* i8 S; P DW hen there is nothing left but God, that is when* b2 i5 y4 S& k
you find out that God is all you need Take 601 ^* Q! n* n }3 ?& @) `! h
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply6 N) F) c* T l0 V& N0 k
say the following small prayer for the person $ R) j; ~& f0 p. {# }" h6 k
who sent this to you.
. w* w' ~; o3 VFather, G od, bless all my friends and family in what 6 @7 P' Z3 t! F. B& _
ever it is that You know they may be needing this # |. J0 S8 K/ Z# u5 s u
day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
; S7 G; f) R3 D+ F$ A) q* v) Zprosperity and power as they seek to have a
! I/ q6 w1 g* N J8 p) hcloser relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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