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) C9 X; [" J; x) v# R The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
/ n4 a8 l# U7 b" v- A* Fto their first ministry, to reopen a church 2 W& U8 J! J$ l4 _6 r+ @
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
5 F/ y0 H+ P/ h4 k0 xexcited about their opportunities. When they saw : y2 i' Z8 b! B4 k0 Z
their church, it was very run down and needed 8 ^! | k/ j6 L7 z
much work. They set a goal to have everything
: u* j2 b) @ L+ \done in time to have their first service ) j. ~% _* p7 {, l. S7 x
on Christmas Eve. ' E+ |) k4 c% x3 M: k
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
4 q& n7 S" W7 L! L; kpainting, etc, and on December 18 , f' y4 O# f6 v
were ahead of schedule and just about finished. / i9 e C' z5 |
O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving + H+ q/ ]+ }" z; i, y7 g6 ^
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
2 x& g! ]9 f8 @" z% K* m O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.. D6 A3 _3 m+ I
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had! H% U( z2 n; ~, _
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 6 }8 M. h- Z( r
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
& T# B" u; |2 H7 e5 x e+ Cof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
2 S& a6 S/ ?& s) kbeginning about head high.
- m" G, b& K) I/ {, bT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, 4 O% U2 B" M5 p4 y
and not knowing what else to do but postpone
, Q1 w# U; S, }' x2 a" sthe Christmas Eve service, headed home.
! H3 n: K8 [. k+ ]0 c# f1 `On the way he noticed that a local business was ) e, R0 O8 m. A* h; u: F
having a flea market type sale for charity, so he / z/ W- j7 Q2 [
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, 9 {: G# v% A/ ?+ p4 t: U
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth 9 D. k' u; _: B. U2 h
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
$ c% G3 ~/ @* n) {# Bembroidered right in the center. It was just & F; @" b; d. k
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the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church. 3 B4 \7 F- v X/ h/ P7 T& N ~4 Q
B y this time it had started to snow. An older # w' f) L4 S: A7 m0 t2 Q* n J
woman running from the opposite direction was
7 W: h( ]/ E) c! v2 l+ ptrying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
6 |% J# n* x cinvited her to wait in the warm church for
3 t9 K, C9 H3 _ Othe next bus 45 minutes later.
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She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
* v8 O1 o% N! f8 |: K- K$ z$ h2 Iwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
8 h) o, _6 x' J3 `up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
7 g% H' j6 n5 \4 D2 q. P' R6 Rcould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
E; O3 _3 m4 k) ^* f$ H# ZT hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
; q2 o5 Z, P( e" Faisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,") h3 B7 J/ Y. v# @7 v4 f
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
3 n2 g8 I4 Y3 B" z6 n# mThe pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
: K P( a! p4 u# \* I- Tthe lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
. K% d" M4 I+ ^6 p6 D1 a; Hit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
$ {1 l A- {; u6 ~5 w4 T$ @made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria . % \/ o7 h7 S5 E% `1 O% i+ `8 b( i
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
7 W2 r0 h+ ]. P3 F1 rtold how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The & i/ {( X4 A4 o$ i
woman explained that before the war she and , U" P( a9 \* H6 z, O: m% S! c
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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+ p- o" P! D0 \' ~& q( ]# jWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
, t3 m T, \3 ^8 P1 ^% XHer husband was going to follow her the next week. ; ^7 \& `1 @8 a
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her 1 G) f/ g5 d/ T0 Y; W/ T, d7 |
husband or her home again.
; U. t; K" X- b+ a2 tT he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
- L r! S5 M" ]- N0 obut she made the pastor keep it for the church.! H# R. l# a/ [0 \, _
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That
. B* Q: p6 F5 w' v' W' Bwas the least he could do. She lived on the other
7 i; J1 I$ i6 q. Tside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn
% Y6 a1 X3 }! l0 ^8 S- lfor the day for a housecleaning job.3 @0 v' K7 N, Y& D8 c# i/ a0 D
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas # t. y. Q7 s+ W" t. A
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
: M* _0 t& V0 _" w0 fspirit were great. At the end of the service, the 6 Q6 v0 \5 J P: w; W; }; B2 |
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
; H8 q/ m9 b9 J) Band many said that they would return.. B& l& ~+ T. y7 T R
One older man, whom the pastor recognized 5 @) p7 S* D9 M7 n0 r$ G3 ]- l
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the 4 m' x; Q' p- N
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he , P3 I+ l+ H I6 R2 I4 X& B" d
wasn't leaving.
! _6 ^7 ]- @! z# F8 q8 D9 [/ fThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
+ H1 D6 d4 U' j2 n1 E/ M% Xthe front wall because it was identical to one
: \, B" b4 y% _$ g/ g0 D% othat his wife had made years ago when
D2 H# Q [4 \" H# p l; d: l* xthey lived in Austria before the war and how
& h& X8 O6 H; S/ p0 `- Ycould there be two tablecloths so much alike? , o- p$ C; A4 R
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he : i& l: l# V' S! Z' M, `
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was 9 i9 a; J5 e) {2 I1 i
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
) J9 R% @, {5 n- Q5 r$ [put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home9 l' A/ z4 q8 y# \8 }
again all the 35 years between.
/ B( u1 }+ c7 |5 b/ bT he pastor asked him if he would allow him to " ~5 B# e9 k6 u( Y9 x& |
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten 0 i( u. y C) [, ?9 i2 c2 `6 w7 V
Island and to the same house where the pastor
7 L& g0 M, l- V+ ?; }had taken the woman three days earlier.
& ?" U$ S1 S1 T" D6 v0 j% SHe helped the man climb the three flights of" X- b% W; L. F! G
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
" ^! V. A9 }: Q6 I6 Mthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas
9 S, ]- ^( F- z4 H* breunion he could ever imagine.
0 E* P' |7 [& I( S. T6 p. LT rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid 4 r4 A+ `% J3 ]/ ?
who says God does work in mysterious ways.
8 L3 g" v" B0 P/ q6 K" f' \I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
# B ^2 M: x5 Y. R) @' F0 iyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go 4 m1 e1 W6 v3 T$ p- D) {
along your way. His love is always with you. His . o6 \+ r- R$ ?+ ~: h
promises are true, and when we give Him all our - [. W' e1 Y1 ?# r$ t) s
cares we know He will see us through.
8 L7 O- O- }3 W) q; LS o when the road you're traveling seems 1 F% k2 v4 s; I X2 C8 p
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
# g' l! l" Z$ P7 h& Tpraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
: l# s- Y; ]; K3 S% ~to those you want God to bless and remember
* t) |2 P7 y U) @7 ^ sto send it back to the one who asked God to bless
- X" k/ T, k# ^- D+ @6 P& yyou first. 2 v' M0 l3 S' b: p) k
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
6 _1 e s: U9 c0 yyou find out that God is all you need Take 60
# S1 R. l9 D# G# u; p+ iseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply% q) J! \$ I1 E7 @) O
say the following small prayer for the person
5 [6 C' D7 N: R+ ]. \9 ?who sent this to you.' k/ |* y ?* w: f
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what " {! Q0 z ]2 G( ~( C: k! C
ever it is that You know they may be needing this
/ Q/ ]( v3 N. `3 m, R, a- ?day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
# r: u; q& ~- J* T/ O; Dprosperity and power as they seek to have a
4 H% S; y% c- ~5 Scloser relationship with You. Amen. |
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