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The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
/ o8 j- U7 l# a: r4 Z" Mto their first ministry, to reopen a church " g2 v6 Y6 c1 ~5 Z8 J$ H O# o$ a
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October 9 j' R& n5 M3 V) L2 o: {) k
excited about their opportunities. When they saw
3 T- Q) I8 R3 X2 Y. Y4 btheir church, it was very run down and needed g" s* @, ]: F( ]
much work. They set a goal to have everything 1 U8 v* J, Y2 H' J9 H- l9 v0 [
done in time to have their first service
7 X! U, [9 o% K. ^) kon Christmas Eve. * u& G# v2 M( V5 l+ R/ a
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
0 q/ q5 p, x5 u4 Npainting, etc, and on December 18 . T' J! K( }, a% L0 V
were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
) ?* \" x. I5 I0 g& e% {" ?O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving ; [4 Y7 S2 D. K* B
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. : ~% P# a, o* a- f6 m& v1 Y
O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
2 c. g! X; i: sHis heart sank when he saw that the roof had4 w' T* u2 ^3 L4 h, x
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
5 B$ i7 ?5 _( s r+ Y# |3 t20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall 5 U; ?6 S" a; U C
of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, y( t E5 F; D8 Q+ N4 l4 |
beginning about head high.
; N0 ?+ c9 k1 F/ mT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
/ ], \% M! ~5 rand not knowing what else to do but postpone
) V6 g- }' w) ^& ethe Christmas Eve service, headed home. % Z# b4 M8 O2 c1 ^* t0 y }
On the way he noticed that a local business was
# x" t5 z0 G/ m! y5 D- ?' y* Thaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he
% w' I! B# f1 [% z. K, tstopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
: A- U0 R2 ?2 V8 Hhandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
1 a0 g0 D0 h3 D/ x2 K" [* Wwith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross N2 y% j' K1 z, [) r2 [: k- V* j; P
embroidered right in the center. It was just ! h- ~% j% u `) Z J+ @! x! W
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$ |6 x0 t5 P0 D. Ethe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church. $ G E& o) W& g/ w/ N( p/ Y1 f* K
B y this time it had started to snow. An older 7 k) U5 F7 r% b( C5 t( o$ D/ ]% A' H
woman running from the opposite direction was q* Y' o0 I: l# a7 Y4 R
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor 0 M/ s! m: r7 f% ^ @$ t
invited her to wait in the warm church for
" c9 @2 w, W- p. dthe next bus 45 minutes later.
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She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor . C% t/ F8 P+ Z+ R9 F) E" z
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
8 I) i5 O! X2 d9 g Hup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
- Y' W1 c# @& ^2 z! R3 Ccould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. $ Y% ]* X1 E* K# }' V
T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center$ R2 y f) x7 H2 Z% b, s
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,". V8 t# D% S+ M
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
| \% M1 w2 m9 XThe pastor explained. The woman asked him to check2 t0 `4 \% w M4 Y! W
the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into) Z% J/ s5 E8 Y& `# D% c. m
it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had 8 V0 i; `" U$ b Q2 [5 l
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
D; v1 X: C) ]& T8 \/ B( Q& m/ lT he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor / \# {* T: f) h
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
9 ~: x5 A# C6 d4 v$ k/ z5 Bwoman explained that before the war she and - U I+ R d q% Y* l; y
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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8 q$ k" V# P$ G" KWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. 1 l: m6 ]8 z2 U7 O4 g
Her husband was going to follow her the next week. / \3 [5 {- m [/ C } ~
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her 0 B% R) h0 z- U# @% }
husband or her home again.
. f+ z5 V5 w' l6 J6 Z- |8 B+ lT he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
- s7 R/ _' g, x; Obut she made the pastor keep it for the church.' ]1 s3 S# H6 v D7 j+ h3 i
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That o2 p3 j7 O+ e w* H& y. |8 a
was the least he could do. She lived on the other, W1 s; M1 \; J, v
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn 1 l3 t" O& Y0 f1 }, N% A: z n
for the day for a housecleaning job.: j" B6 F/ m+ a
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
5 d2 [) y4 r5 e5 j% _) pEve. The church was almost full. The music and the 7 ?2 j: L6 C J% k
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
) k/ f4 i8 R: Ppastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
4 g/ T* n1 [6 r; F+ q1 [9 wand many said that they would return..
1 b0 _! O0 s$ \# S0 bOne older man, whom the pastor recognized ! T% m8 k1 X( u* x
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
7 n: W* K. x( y8 F& P' qpews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he % b! f5 W- d8 g+ C# h! [9 d( ^
wasn't leaving.
2 Z. | y t) H; v# ^( YThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
9 r! y l' [1 Z* R8 m/ V, vthe front wall because it was identical to one 4 l, O' f! ^& b* v b3 `" E& C
that his wife had made years ago when
/ }% {$ L. O ~( O5 d- d/ nthey lived in Austria before the war and how 6 a8 \! R; D3 n" T p6 m
could there be two tablecloths so much alike? 1 n$ z! v" Y, i# o) \: W8 v! C8 m4 C
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
5 G( y- c- S4 W2 M3 Jforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was + e. u! G' `# h4 o( g/ ^0 ^$ [- O
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
0 {6 q2 x( E# i' Jput in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home
- k) E8 \% b: n+ Xagain all the 35 years between. : H, ]3 }, M" P' Y. w; D
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to ) u2 a1 C# p- l$ b3 E7 i) V
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten ! ~- a, N2 l/ q! f' s
Island and to the same house where the pastor % s% M' }, J0 Q
had taken the woman three days earlier. 5 Q! N @) @8 x" q8 n$ U
He helped the man climb the three flights of6 B; m/ y0 u* {' J0 P
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on$ k7 O- `+ @# y
the door and he saw the greatest Christmas
. r) U+ z$ t* a0 i7 [reunion he could ever imagine.9 X3 K c- _- s3 P. t
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid " l) {' t1 t V
who says God does work in mysterious ways.
7 T+ S" k8 G/ II asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for ( m0 F% C6 q( F$ b0 F7 {/ Z
you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
/ \, h( k% b0 Ealong your way. His love is always with you. His
; o. l4 c5 \: @- v( j6 g, h Hpromises are true, and when we give Him all our
5 i e6 I/ @; ]2 icares we know He will see us through.
2 X- K. i2 x/ x& {% {! U+ @S o when the road you're traveling seems
5 c% r4 i* r9 G; J" jdifficult at best, just remember I'm here , t7 m, V0 o- `' l' G$ H5 r
praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on * J" }1 E# g+ A2 k! e
to those you want God to bless and remember
2 |1 w% G0 [5 A) Wto send it back to the one who asked God to bless
6 i0 d: H X* |( }+ `6 \you first.
, T7 _( k* f: yW hen there is nothing left but God, that is when( O9 T: V3 o$ l
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
0 f, o5 |" o0 z& y7 Yseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply( r2 c5 E1 e" T, K" ~7 S W
say the following small prayer for the person 7 j0 X" S; z8 M+ \$ A) [1 \
who sent this to you.) t# q! v+ U) z8 k2 L; h
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what : H0 }, A- ?; l* p' J, ?5 ?+ f
ever it is that You know they may be needing this 3 l: ~ j6 I0 K
day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
% K$ X- g) a5 r( g. p) pprosperity and power as they seek to have a 4 f6 @5 L' z" |- h
closer relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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