The Tablecloth

propeller

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



4 O" K2 {5 X& \6 D7 G The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
to their first ministry, to reopen a church
: B/ K+ v; {2 [+ \; ?) }in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
! ?# \6 b9 ]. c  ^* m2 s: G. E/ kexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
" x% v4 z0 r3 p9 d# k8 \their church, it was very run down and needed
" q8 k0 z/ Y5 S: F' D/ b; v1 ?5 Cmuch work. They set a goal to have everything
done in time to have their first service
! I( \' p: N& v5 l2 q. J: D  Oon Christmas Eve.
7 a( b/ o  }: A  n7 CT hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
5 u7 g$ F. w0 T! i/ q3 z/ U( Jpainting, etc, and on December 18
6 q2 [- M8 U7 g. N- `were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
& R( s& s7 r. G+ h( cO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
rainstorm 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
8 g1 l' n6 B9 ]: [+ f3 c1 s' Hleaked, causing a large area of plaster about
. I/ m1 |$ b  i' B20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
, o+ L9 J* a& Hof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
beginning about head high.
T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
( V" Q1 r5 }3 m% G# [# h* z) ?and not knowing what else to do but postpone
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
On the way he noticed that a local business was
& X+ l1 ~: \  Q( F* U2 b: n9 Nhaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
/ V8 _7 e' H- pembroidered right in the center. It was just  


; q8 p0 [" A) ~, l
3 I4 X9 K3 a! M" E


5 J+ b* E5 c! [% Jthe 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
woman running from the opposite direction was
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
) J2 `6 a; d% O; Iinvited her to wait in the warm church for
  ~" o. v$ ~: {1 {* f5 o7 Hthe next bus 45 minutes later.
# A- G$ C* K: W# Q) k6 M% A
She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
5 l3 e0 m8 p; z  ?up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
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
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
3 k. C+ a. u2 S' ^the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
! C1 A7 e7 U1 X! z1 z) B! [; s- BT he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
5 o1 e7 _, ~/ s9 R* a6 owoman explained that before the war she and
5 I  C$ b: t) Wher husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
3 R$ M9 o8 Z% ]* G6 I
When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
+ ?# x, f1 e' ~0 z0 m2 FHer husband was going to follow her the next week.
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
: J( K& a5 i. t+ Q1 c2 u* rhusband or her home again.
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
* _9 w* f- Y1 _/ [* mbut she made the pastor keep it for the church.
' u; n/ p, C. m% ^+ s( OThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That
was the least he could do. She lived on the other
; b6 K& f& \" M6 i8 Vside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
for the day for a housecleaning job.
. A9 b* |6 Y, k% a0 DW hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
$ k$ Q6 }( M  T0 [Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
# [; M+ w& ]. Sspirit were great. At the end of the service, the
# o0 S! E, Q1 Ypastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
7 ~1 v6 N0 B. V5 S% ~: Rand many said that they would return..
One older man, whom the pastor recognized
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
. P( ?" i: q0 U4 O$ x$ p9 O/ Apews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
5 H- C( |% A+ c' x3 V$ cwasn't leaving.
" E; m1 M5 \2 f  m9 HThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
the front wall because it was identical to one
; R. u& R3 Z2 G* _% k: O) p* w9 jthat his wife had made years ago when
4 B( u+ f5 e3 Q# b' _, gthey lived in Austria before the war and how
5 `4 Y. ]6 u: l* E7 A( ecould 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
# g3 o" E" `0 A6 t: [# Fput 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
  G  Z4 A) j# C% O/ shad taken the woman three days earlier.
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
. B, a+ o3 v  a: k8 _reunion he could ever imagine.
& |1 N8 E9 H) s$ CT rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
) m' }& g, p: L! E+ x: mwho says God does work in mysterious ways.
I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
4 L9 s5 L% ?9 {5 M! cyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
along your way. His love is always with you. His
  d3 P) m- z- c! w6 npromises are true, and when we give Him all our
  G& _( v% m8 v! ucares we know He will see us through.
S o when the road you're traveling seems
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
# e! a% i* k7 J) O% q7 e; h& v% upraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
7 \4 N! l/ M3 \- ~9 i+ ?to those you want God to bless and remember
; o' q, d$ Q$ {# @to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
you first.
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
, ?3 w" o8 d& a& s2 Eyou find out that God is all you need Take 60
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
% D2 W0 o$ C1 t4 fsay the following small prayer for the person
who sent this to you.
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
" W4 s3 ]7 p$ @7 i1 B4 hever it is that You know they may be needing this
day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
! W; e( i. }* |3 Jprosperity and power as they seek to have a
5 a' r4 V( O! }& |closer relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!