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r9 R3 Z8 u/ r5 m( @ The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned 8 v( r5 R6 f2 y4 G: T* }
to their first ministry, to reopen a church
" k, c& ~& T% x i; N) T* i3 L7 fin suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October . y5 F# f0 c0 F o K# m
excited about their opportunities. When they saw
7 B1 `2 h4 g/ |. V$ G8 k4 `7 {' m6 utheir church, it was very run down and needed
) s5 p' V2 L+ ?/ [7 \& `& Mmuch work. They set a goal to have everything
( a$ T l7 U( j5 j" f# t! \1 z6 Xdone in time to have their first service 3 R: l& z7 Y1 e j% Z
on Christmas Eve.
$ S( F; f1 a7 a+ D6 Z7 ~( ~. FT hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
( \/ R/ Q e' C- T! x, x& ypainting, etc, and on December 18
; E$ y4 i0 ~0 u( W; \# p) x1 Xwere ahead of schedule and just about finished. 2 a' ~- h; a/ x! O6 w) ?
O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
4 v; {1 }( ~0 U5 @3 q* A; F$ j) Xrainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
, ~" `$ \ B1 ? C7 j! k% z O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.! B$ I4 x+ s( O
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
- l) s+ _! v/ R% a( d1 N0 n3 Wleaked, causing a large area of plaster about
! g% a8 n: N+ d. f20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
B* N" C& M d5 i( yof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, " h: i- y2 R" j8 f) Q+ S7 | Y
beginning about head high.
1 ~: j+ e& t! |8 kT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
3 ]$ m5 m( ?1 dand not knowing what else to do but postpone
2 o) C4 m3 o8 s/ N- Gthe Christmas Eve service, headed home. * P3 M! M. _% m% n# R. k/ t
On the way he noticed that a local business was / `! u( K/ C; u0 v
having a flea market type sale for charity, so he
0 y. |" o4 F: ?" sstopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, # @$ A$ M- Q0 m7 j
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
7 e) I6 _! Y" s6 kwith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross $ ]3 S/ h+ N# u* B# x& ^
embroidered right in the center. It was just ! r: A, b; }5 T" g$ [; W
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the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church. $ |, X& B1 d( M; g+ H( R3 X) i
B y this time it had started to snow. An older $ S! d0 U% V; Z+ F; l: m/ K
woman running from the opposite direction was
' U0 p- u3 t+ ptrying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor $ b7 m* N1 J/ z$ E4 k ] S
invited her to wait in the warm church for : O) s: E7 Q( L" ]- C# g9 u+ A
the next bus 45 minutes later.
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She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor ) Y* n' J- _: d3 P/ J0 R; T
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
8 d9 e' c2 E. Kup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor + z; Q; g2 g; W4 Y0 Y5 X8 ~
could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
# W: k& ?7 A( }T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
- J) W5 s' Q) Y+ a8 F7 ~' ~aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"4 ?. e: m# W1 f9 U
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" 1 x* K3 L8 e8 J7 P$ Q/ c
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check* h% m1 e/ C, H, d. B4 K3 W
the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into% K( ~" K: c* L% Y) C; a4 ^9 O7 Z
it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
4 L! \+ x) n4 ~9 R/ wmade this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
' U4 V5 H3 j+ [- k7 UT he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor 4 a# _9 U1 z9 }2 z2 c
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
4 K: Q' | T7 B3 W* I2 n! Owoman explained that before the war she and
m( ^& y5 E$ e# ^) ^! ^( Nher husband were well-to-do people in Austria . % X0 L; H# R9 |, r4 P+ Z& U6 A
) _; U8 b" {# `1 A6 K& xWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. : W; J D: {3 D; e& S5 J9 U/ q
Her husband was going to follow her the next week. 2 H! s/ S; {: e8 }2 }; }$ V
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her " h) w" ~9 k1 f6 L, k9 F
husband or her home again. * D2 h7 U8 O5 F$ l# z6 o
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;: d/ `9 \5 g* e P7 A
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
3 X7 o6 \! [ F. D1 ~9 ^+ w1 wThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That1 N* B5 H* s* |( q' T
was the least he could do. She lived on the other
% T% w1 t* a' k* c) @side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn 4 ^7 V! [ P$ H
for the day for a housecleaning job.+ Z% E- \" _2 \1 m
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas + L) G" M5 m, E& ~
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the 5 `# n0 Z& S1 t; e
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
( ]' L6 k$ O+ D5 |+ spastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door 0 D* n! R( |) n( _! ?
and many said that they would return.. 8 u$ N$ a4 y/ C, @* y
One older man, whom the pastor recognized
+ [/ s$ A8 M6 A" Z' F# |8 Xfrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the * J' ]/ j) o |4 e8 _0 U
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
" j* o3 `% W- o8 T6 \* s7 ywasn't leaving. % E3 @1 J! m/ r' ^2 i# j7 D3 v
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on 2 |; w" k+ |" x7 U6 R% T
the front wall because it was identical to one
7 Z; l$ r9 _9 _+ z$ hthat his wife had made years ago when 3 j+ P: }2 c+ l( S, N
they lived in Austria before the war and how
' V1 v0 o2 {: Y0 r- e% u# n! _could there be two tablecloths so much alike? 6 v p4 |' x2 t w
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
; O5 z" F! z4 g0 j0 x& g; Aforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
9 l, M: z: i: v" [, ^' xsupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
" ?. v, m% x6 C$ ~$ Pput in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home' k- z9 }8 t9 |6 f5 _
again all the 35 years between. % u' i) c1 ?. r- P
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
8 y$ k* T9 [/ \" c+ Z/ Otake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
" I! X7 M/ }0 u% ~) rIsland and to the same house where the pastor
; z5 N. C& I: X0 Z! x/ k2 fhad taken the woman three days earlier.
0 Z" X! S3 @& {" iHe helped the man climb the three flights of& K( U2 `# d- f2 u; L! ^
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on4 j2 J4 b& b# G8 ~
the door and he saw the greatest Christmas 1 W9 g" y/ c; C
reunion he could ever imagine.# R! f8 Q. u7 C( N
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
% b* z$ _7 ]$ l1 n' ], awho says God does work in mysterious ways.
( K# m+ U$ a+ }' b8 K+ G6 aI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
( H7 Z8 h& O7 g( h: f1 Q# a" C& qyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
% e1 r8 E. ]; c+ }along your way. His love is always with you. His 4 l$ t, k) D/ Y; c
promises are true, and when we give Him all our ; A# r% G3 A" l8 M: J, }) ^
cares we know He will see us through. + G" Q u, z( Q4 x
S o when the road you're traveling seems
) x3 Z6 g; N: l( C1 Ldifficult at best, just remember I'm here
) ~7 U9 E7 P) X# [. Mpraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on # L P) }9 ^" u$ @' m: V6 {2 h [
to those you want God to bless and remember
, |1 }+ t- |5 y8 zto send it back to the one who asked God to bless " |, l$ S8 {: S) M1 s
you first.
, ?' }- N& v8 Q2 `W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
) W) d& y/ |$ O) Lyou find out that God is all you need Take 60. O& o6 w6 ]0 p
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply6 V K* i8 ?3 e: Q
say the following small prayer for the person ' Q( C/ g/ x3 h: i
who sent this to you.% A& u9 K! U) [+ {- W( s7 |8 }6 q
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
" ^: Y, }7 _; y1 A& q6 iever it is that You know they may be needing this 4 ?! ^% x$ I) y* y+ v$ t7 L; D$ a8 b
day! May their lives be full of Your peace, 0 E! E. y+ u* n) {
prosperity and power as they seek to have a
4 g3 V) S$ F: b, u( ~% }" _' b: Kcloser relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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