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1 I& ~5 g9 Q/ H- n The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
7 R j) _. S( ~% ~, L) c1 O& ?to their first ministry, to reopen a church
( E( K1 `6 T( ]8 [6 t, N5 {! hin suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October / K, D. X, h& s j3 g
excited about their opportunities. When they saw
7 d& p D& b: W$ atheir church, it was very run down and needed : c4 W6 T4 t, k4 Z
much work. They set a goal to have everything
' i* Y6 S( k8 v( rdone in time to have their first service
3 x$ J; l/ b- d" e9 o, \on Christmas Eve. 7 N6 o4 k$ Y8 `8 W: U: y2 L
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,5 v9 {8 g9 Z" `% q5 e
painting, etc, and on December 18 ) z+ {+ @" y( Q/ k! j* e8 M" j
were ahead of schedule and just about finished. 2 `9 j1 Z6 M0 q3 k7 v
O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving ( j. }2 r* s3 f* D
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
% D. X7 `+ e+ x O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.0 t+ x( U @6 O |' ?9 {" B
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
4 g- Q4 T) s; `' T6 cleaked, causing a large area of plaster about 4 F5 i: Z7 _7 }2 {; t
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall + n) t1 M$ W' q/ k2 ~+ z$ S- J. B
of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
7 a1 }! p& J( z! D( q* k, Rbeginning about head high.
0 q. O9 U1 @' e ?6 K* n: ]' rT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, ( Q4 N! u6 N Y) W' N7 V
and not knowing what else to do but postpone
* a8 w! g6 Q M# x% |the Christmas Eve service, headed home. ( H, ?( e: T" i- ?7 H2 v
On the way he noticed that a local business was
1 x) d$ a. l. P1 O# v- D; e$ M# Zhaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he $ N9 n9 u F! W" Z* s$ x
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, ^* ^3 W N& }0 O
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth - E3 w; [& C) _8 s) C# M) ^5 y
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross @/ V$ S" c! I6 y, W5 I/ C2 Y- L
embroidered right in the center. It was just ; Z0 O* m# Q$ |' t; L9 z6 q
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1 l: I* J# U" K: K, X' r6 Vthe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church. 0 l, X2 @! v+ Q9 P
B y this time it had started to snow. An older
8 H9 i: a, k# ?0 _3 awoman running from the opposite direction was # I5 E2 z$ l0 v& A$ e% r
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
. \$ R5 M1 U8 j" E# zinvited her to wait in the warm church for
7 b: r6 g9 N2 y7 D3 athe next bus 45 minutes later.
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6 }0 Q- @/ W; `' u$ XShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor 4 B' w: T2 p! V% q" o& x' s
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
* O1 b/ L' H9 U9 K" `% P7 R% Jup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor : j% U3 i" x$ v! t$ C @; f5 D* s
could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. 6 B6 g; M" H$ n4 O8 l% A/ X7 t
T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center& F+ s! y5 Y3 C0 @6 w f1 j
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"- S/ z) y1 ^' ]! j+ t
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
- i/ k) z u, |- I) L+ b# nThe pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
5 z H1 m, @7 O* E- |$ Sthe lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into5 n+ T# O; ~8 Z0 K4 J
it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had 3 n4 e) L d, U D' C8 l
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria . ; k! \6 M1 C9 R4 O. T
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
, f& @- j; _4 U2 p, itold how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
3 g$ u& c! A" I, f- N1 L9 }& ~woman explained that before the war she and
8 M, o2 [" j6 b7 h9 P0 sher husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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7 M( \8 w9 @, S5 T- B0 QWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. , u/ U3 B) y2 r) x! ^1 T3 P
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
8 a, v$ z8 G2 g1 ?" oHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
/ H0 n: V! N; \. E5 whusband or her home again. - Q& z7 Z0 |& `% N4 Y
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;7 ?5 Q/ _+ T$ `* ?# {
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
& N p0 ^. S7 D' { C# |3 S4 I5 Y# SThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That
. K. ^& D1 A. Dwas the least he could do. She lived on the other p0 s7 X! Z S8 Y2 o& ~
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn * t- n% `4 o. O9 B; H9 S
for the day for a housecleaning job.) m' @0 w2 B- a% T
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas " W4 P* ^ ]" A, t* V5 p; k
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the 7 d; f2 H, y. K" ~
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
5 m/ ?( N7 U7 Upastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
" d6 X" P5 D- K! s& hand many said that they would return.. 3 b0 h! F8 K/ b u! H
One older man, whom the pastor recognized
5 i5 g$ F& |: @5 ~* ofrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the + p) O t0 Z3 O1 ?1 | I) n3 X' l
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
- b+ q. r# s% s9 n" \7 fwasn't leaving.
, E: {, B8 R9 \5 j0 l3 IThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
6 X& g6 M* L' n7 E5 zthe front wall because it was identical to one
3 t4 L3 {8 q6 v1 m* Ythat his wife had made years ago when
% e+ ?6 V/ d9 b3 t vthey lived in Austria before the war and how / M2 K6 @) @, ^: V0 o0 T! ?6 w
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
1 K, G9 B8 | e6 m% dH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
+ w* ?$ p7 y1 eforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
5 a( H: W" b @2 X6 i( Nsupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and% o7 k1 J( ]3 D7 o1 [0 p0 F" I
put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home: l) u. B( F: a2 u) d- ]4 C
again all the 35 years between.
2 x& L% ~/ d9 o" K4 z/ DT he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
( O' ~2 W; Z8 |2 rtake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
7 q$ Y+ ?- v* F: C5 _' O; w. NIsland and to the same house where the pastor 1 a. x1 u1 G- z$ M
had taken the woman three days earlier.
. e4 R( H) _* }6 vHe helped the man climb the three flights of
( z* |# c. X1 @; m" gstairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on- o; _" R g2 n
the door and he saw the greatest Christmas ) @* B4 Z0 s9 p7 K# }- a# w
reunion he could ever imagine.9 @' i ~9 ]( o
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid 8 s# X( ~: U+ J" n% S/ S
who says God does work in mysterious ways.8 b! I3 S3 j& c s5 g4 k7 K
I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
7 ?5 w8 n0 K0 v! S. R- Yyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
# R" L; m$ U, C" Valong your way. His love is always with you. His
9 S/ ]1 z t1 B9 e1 h+ g6 upromises are true, and when we give Him all our ; \6 m! x$ z) ^0 v7 [
cares we know He will see us through.
) }2 b1 A" D' d r8 IS o when the road you're traveling seems
% f9 V# k% \; g0 j) Xdifficult at best, just remember I'm here
8 r) p5 u5 f4 j! R. R4 V0 Bpraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
/ A9 i7 M9 Z# F" [to those you want God to bless and remember
' n3 Q* K; Q2 X: tto send it back to the one who asked God to bless
- ?% {4 y3 @* F+ M" I: h6 `you first.
3 a$ y$ G% s' l0 j% wW hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
8 a6 x5 b& c' Q/ vyou find out that God is all you need Take 60
# c+ e" L4 Y' |+ p( yseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply* r( e( t$ [! v' W; L
say the following small prayer for the person 8 W- j: C9 d" G9 u8 ~# i
who sent this to you.
0 z- ?8 f! W7 _Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
5 v8 ^! N/ J9 Pever it is that You know they may be needing this
: s, j" B1 v. C# g6 k7 T5 Yday! May their lives be full of Your peace, 2 Y/ _% E" Y" G2 g p) M
prosperity and power as they seek to have a 2 A$ P3 U4 ~" i
closer relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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