The Tablecloth

propeller

Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason

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) C3 z5 y! o6 s- F The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
$ u* p" G! L, @5 Ato their first ministry, to reopen a church
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
( ?8 [# z( [7 M$ g% Y. R9 j+ {/ ~excited about their opportunities. When they saw
5 v; i: l+ t6 {5 q, `4 ~- ~their church, it was very run down and needed
much work. They set a goal to have everything
) H) R) m! {% z( tdone in time to have their first service
' @* ]# S3 U. a3 mon Christmas Eve.
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
painting, etc, and on December 18
3 c: q' `( \9 c. Jwere ahead of schedule and just about finished.
O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
) }5 p' ~$ a6 Y$ j7 |rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
6 e  u/ @! N: V' I9 v, K) T0 ` 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
; B5 [, ~* \7 G" A8 }% y20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
0 V( y; A/ D& H; [$ ]' U' T- ybeginning about head high.
T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
and not knowing what else to do but postpone
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
On the way he noticed that a local business was
  V9 _7 a2 T! e# [having a flea market type sale for charity, so he
; G. J1 l' [0 w  E1 kstopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
  N( p& A, ^; a4 R: ghandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
" q& Y& k: n6 D4 j- hwith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
! r+ T$ @# j- S# q& s4 vembroidered right in the center. It was just  

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5 z0 o4 f/ {$ athe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
; h- x" T% b; \) q  y) O$ tB y this time it had started to snow. An older
- @8 P( }9 G+ o( B, Z3 Xwoman running from the opposite direction was
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
: \, v/ R# D. Dinvited her to wait in the warm church for
the next bus 45 minutes later.
0 M# D5 m7 y5 Z+ F" k# z
% J$ P  j5 U: O' F* r1 W$ |8 H, IShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
4 l, }9 H" h5 f" z# Uwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
+ P- X, H4 }3 N$ P8 n/ rup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
$ }9 n8 U# {6 m. Ycould 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?"
2 |$ T; }* _+ x0 _" {3 p) g6 e' ZThe 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 .
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
; ^1 R& Y9 D+ ~& P& i* y0 xwoman explained that before the war she and
; l1 I4 y3 K; M% @6 jher husband were well-to-do people in Austria .

9 [6 _3 r( D( Z" |- h! }& 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
husband or her home again.
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That
  `# U+ D# i: ?) m! x2 Wwas the least he could do. She lived on the other
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
2 w; F: K" |9 ~4 n" X7 hfor the day for a housecleaning job.
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
- O' ?8 N0 I! J( z, {! }8 nspirit 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..
1 v' Q0 ?5 G: ]+ F: ~One older man, whom the pastor recognized
0 b2 ^2 ^. s4 n1 M& Qfrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
" o& n6 n! }" ]/ [0 r1 @: Opews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
wasn't leaving.
4 |% I! _) ?) ?, R0 kThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
5 G# q( g3 G# T4 z5 c. Othe front wall because it was identical to one
that his wife had made years ago when
" W$ g! a* x) x0 u+ }' d2 z, ]9 ?% Lthey lived in Austria before the war and how
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
' n7 g% F+ ?0 f! s+ L& t% cH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
' g' Q; V; u2 @" Q% Hsupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
put in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home
# p# Q3 {; a2 @5 ^( O+ Sagain all the 35 years between.
+ r" V1 H+ X: y/ w) Q, ]# {* jT he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
, _7 X, I3 s1 [6 ]7 Xtake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
5 R' z0 {% {2 QIsland and to the same house where the pastor
had taken the woman three days earlier.
8 [4 R+ g7 y  V. x9 {  _( HHe helped the man climb the three flights of
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
# `1 u) m, @3 A% O' mthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas
# W+ w( N, X- b8 [# f# r' \reunion he could ever imagine.
5 [$ d! K. \4 c; C. ~T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
6 B/ E- V9 l) jwho says God does work in mysterious ways.
7 z4 e, L4 |( y! w, T7 YI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
, F. q7 {. H. M' Byou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
! t6 `: ?1 `6 r& ^along your way. His love is always with you. His
promises are true, and when we give Him all our
cares we know He will see us through.
S o when the road you're traveling seems
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
, }) E! I5 j5 b1 dpraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
/ ^' A  G* p, c% @& I% N! Rto those you want God to bless and remember
9 z2 P( g- ^, V' y3 Xto send it back to the one who asked God to bless
you first.
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
* k# \) H7 G7 J3 A2 S7 |you find out that God is all you need Take 60
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
! a3 j6 O$ {) t% ?, usay the following small prayer for the person
who sent this to you.
. K9 t, H0 j3 g7 T8 |6 e0 _# ?Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
, ?+ X  L4 q2 v' c3 m+ Kever it is that You know they may be needing this
' `; `: E& o+ o6 F  U, H- kday! May their lives be full of Your peace,
3 N) I: ]; s# @9 ?- p5 C$ sprosperity and power as they seek to have a
closer relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!