The Tablecloth

propeller

Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason
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! x. g1 h' n4 H' n* n( p* m The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
+ c! [( o8 h' d8 T$ V$ eto their first ministry, to reopen a church
0 K! e: G1 Q- ~" G+ Lin suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
3 \3 ~2 E7 e7 ^- ]7 Texcited about their opportunities. When they saw
their church, it was very run down and needed
much work. They set a goal to have everything
( a" l' G2 s, C9 l& ]) K* ^% ^done in time to have their first service
on Christmas Eve.
+ A- `+ k- W6 d6 X! x0 ~T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
painting, etc, and on December 18
, j5 ?+ n7 B2 iwere ahead of schedule and just about finished.
4 S$ O$ K  @& r7 b! V4 t6 z% q, TO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
% l' X% R7 u4 H$ A& x& @- orainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
, t( n/ M0 V$ w O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
beginning about head high.
T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
; n4 W/ b& H8 v0 T7 Q, Gand not knowing what else to do but postpone
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
On the way he noticed that a local business was
. j# u9 m6 C6 V0 w2 Zhaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he
' y% p' E/ B- w/ jstopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
% q% M/ Z* [5 e1 }" _7 q- Xwith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
/ X+ u! u4 S( a  H3 g' z7 Jembroidered right in the center. It was just  
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0 K) @# H; d3 s5 h; gthe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
) x4 h9 A/ G; NB y this time it had started to snow. An older
woman running from the opposite direction was
- a" y0 m* M$ b9 [* u/ i0 Qtrying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
" N, U$ `, i; ~# Sinvited her to wait in the warm church for
the next bus 45 minutes later.

She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
0 g3 t7 B* A+ ]5 B, Hwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
9 S2 N$ K6 s- R2 H0 [3 ccould 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?"
3 _- [& p8 y, fThe pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
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 .
' n8 V- F' x. Y8 `) FT he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
% P! \$ ~+ K$ |4 m. r  u5 u7 Ztold how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
# a% D) x( Q# i- t, a7 t& i% Xwoman explained that before the war she and
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .

: F' |1 M/ ^/ p- B6 JWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
/ n3 t/ Q$ W/ ?husband or her home again.
& @) k) [) G( V* T% M& DT he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
6 G$ _& Q! X5 U6 j* m( j" f0 w" O/ Mbut she made the pastor keep it for the church.
0 d4 I0 n/ W5 a/ `1 [7 uThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That
8 c& F  |5 O& F2 k0 @2 \was the least he could do. She lived on the other
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
for the day for a housecleaning job.
' b3 t( P! {- g3 e$ a9 u  I) sW hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
1 i$ i) k; V: T" YEve. The church was almost full. The music and the
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
and many said that they would return..
One older man, whom the pastor recognized
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
3 o/ z3 ^+ N' `8 B# e5 o1 F/ wpews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
' i* D* ~  P* mwasn't leaving.
/ z  K! g8 r6 G: d4 U+ ?/ }0 nThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
) |3 N4 l" C3 Cthe front wall because it was identical to one
that his wife had made years ago when
: Q. r0 k7 ~8 w: |6 y5 w9 i% J( ^they lived in Austria before the war and how
6 C! v. L, B( d& v8 ^1 dcould there be two tablecloths so much alike?
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
3 w" F4 |! ], ^2 R: k" v5 Y$ ?forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
# f  x6 N' i, t/ h8 g/ r% ?1 Y# Esupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
6 T9 @' R  Y# C9 Y% V6 q6 a" @put in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home
! s. M4 \, L( q& Y: Xagain all the 35 years between.
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
9 @0 w- k7 ^* [: y2 Q- h2 Utake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
- l& O2 D3 n8 |7 JIsland and to the same house where the pastor
5 W1 g* T* G2 m4 l8 Ohad taken the woman three days earlier.
He helped the man climb the three flights of
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
% _  }9 Q8 G( e: i# [7 c$ ?the door and he saw the greatest Christmas
% F" E# B9 }# J! s+ q8 K  ^7 kreunion he could ever imagine.
0 w+ B5 ]  Q' j3 L+ ^. GT rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
% D( s, `7 ?  Z2 _7 U, twho says God does work in mysterious ways.
I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
% _' v# m3 d; p8 y1 T* T/ ^3 S$ vyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
$ h: P; K4 V1 \! O8 Calong your way. His love is always with you. His
+ q, k) U% M; r  `; u( |2 C2 qpromises are true, and when we give Him all our
5 G9 q9 h# _/ y: L* L4 A3 Dcares we know He will see us through.
S o when the road you're traveling seems
. E$ S- l# ]* G7 N8 q# H: mdifficult at best, just remember I'm here
praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
to those you want God to bless and remember
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
" ]# e1 q  ^1 o' zyou first.
, h7 i- l% b- i* S; u3 t9 S! [W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
  Z* K% U2 I# m; p9 j! hsay the following small prayer for the person
who sent this to you.
: \: J; C' P4 Q: m7 W8 ]1 ~Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
* D/ S+ p" l0 G) t4 Z: b9 sever it is that You know they may be needing this
day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
prosperity and power as they seek to have a
9 {. w% q8 _& B3 a7 Hcloser relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!