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The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
?8 W/ ?' b7 e/ ^9 bto their first ministry, to reopen a church
+ N; I3 e, s# R8 G; g# Q1 t4 rin suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October 5 H- X# B0 _ i& @2 ]6 F/ ^, C
excited about their opportunities. When they saw
7 M+ r+ B- E7 B. F6 i" I8 u- Utheir church, it was very run down and needed
$ q$ i7 t2 R4 [3 m( G% B Pmuch work. They set a goal to have everything
: k* i l7 {# x* B$ @done in time to have their first service 1 f) H% L) g. m8 d5 X( r
on Christmas Eve. : s2 r' s8 X: s9 u
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,/ [" B9 N/ ]1 I& s2 B7 J
painting, etc, and on December 18
7 V2 b" z$ v9 H0 Y5 lwere ahead of schedule and just about finished.
( T. K9 R, h5 RO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
" }- v* j$ F- {$ Brainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
0 p5 h( W& K1 y" P! C3 y9 n O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. g4 n3 X3 Q# P8 P8 f0 B
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had, {# k2 P" b4 @# K. e4 d# x) w5 c
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about + q: Y ^/ ]1 t, j# {
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
( x# M7 q0 m: T" q7 a$ H. |of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
: t/ ~0 Z2 ^3 D' L+ l- H. Kbeginning about head high.
; e$ w+ G( J2 P9 v& z Z& y& rT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
) k1 g. A3 \1 R5 ^and not knowing what else to do but postpone 4 e: u% B! P* \2 Z& F
the Christmas Eve service, headed home. 8 `: P6 o/ D2 k7 E( E% x4 d: c- W
On the way he noticed that a local business was # w6 r0 Q9 z s
having a flea market type sale for charity, so he / p, I6 F% I( j
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, 5 j, h! }) y* }- U: m6 Z T
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth 2 g, e4 T; v: }2 Y: E6 v, A- X$ ]
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross * _3 Y9 j/ h5 C. E" b, Q& w2 w
embroidered right in the center. It was just : G, ]2 p5 S5 _$ W2 V! S6 r) ]; O
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the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
; s$ y& d( O3 I) OB y this time it had started to snow. An older : Q4 `4 I4 x; }0 g. e
woman running from the opposite direction was
$ @$ w D& ~ X; L& ^trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor ' [. n, F" |7 j, Z; N
invited her to wait in the warm church for
" O/ ]( b* D& ythe next bus 45 minutes later. 1 j% T' ~$ r1 Y4 P$ @& F
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She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
0 U( W* A1 b, v1 Z! s) i. c9 m! y uwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
) T8 F; D% c7 Q! h( ]; {up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
! M3 d, `- ?$ K8 lcould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
1 c* g. D0 v& c) q. R- @1 {T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center( a {+ P$ P& h* C9 u% x0 o
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
4 a6 ?$ Q' V5 W. S6 vshe asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" , A) N v/ A) q* U% x6 @6 g) D
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
* a# B/ Z, C+ ^3 j. `the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into9 [1 p C& c8 N' F1 v! w% [$ ~* i
it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had 6 D1 {! Z) N6 z- P( u' d
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
8 |$ v; S6 N% {) Z" o0 `T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor 7 R2 H" h: G) f4 m: ~7 v: l z
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The 9 \( ^5 e6 y( F
woman explained that before the war she and ) i' }$ z0 i, W
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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]: s: s9 A3 n& ^- V. KWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. ' w' }1 W* [$ t( ?# q8 ^
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
, A" k: I+ k3 p, MHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
: i Z; L- Q. X4 m4 g/ Khusband or her home again. ! x9 s: v1 I- F. u
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;$ r5 f+ i: a7 t, w& f
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
; v7 D! J3 ?# ]- nThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That1 d7 ^& x0 \/ h* C3 F4 ]7 A" R
was the least he could do. She lived on the other
. S+ b2 M. R7 d8 Y% g, aside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn 9 M7 Q1 c0 k- H; l0 a1 {: F d
for the day for a housecleaning job./ G' Q; T a% y
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
6 ?/ |6 q5 I5 [$ GEve. The church was almost full. The music and the & b0 n; Y5 ^) m. }
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the . [1 u; s% l. S3 r5 }
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
& P! p% S: Y0 L- Z% Yand many said that they would return..
5 F: J* E, n2 u9 BOne older man, whom the pastor recognized
% u. I# n5 f4 Q D! ]1 X. @: t1 i# Gfrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
' M c# R" V0 epews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
$ Q5 q) G) W4 w; Pwasn't leaving.
% L* Z" I! N% s3 c% yThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on + O6 j) G) ?: U# _, W
the front wall because it was identical to one 0 c8 v# Y% f# v* E
that his wife had made years ago when
3 D5 ]- K$ L3 T5 M4 _# B& pthey lived in Austria before the war and how ( V0 p5 P- g h1 S! l
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
9 D; S, O/ z2 R- f; s# {1 SH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
" R8 e5 d/ Y' P& w" Rforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
5 K* q: N8 E) f, dsupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and" n: `9 c4 J) a" I
put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home
! E) [0 g& P$ z8 N# u+ f1 H8 Q- Sagain all the 35 years between. 3 o' y# r* ^" X
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
6 ^4 B2 [3 f" M- X" \. Dtake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
0 [) ^4 [6 y$ [Island and to the same house where the pastor $ f$ D* m5 x+ L2 T5 Z) K4 ]
had taken the woman three days earlier. G' z1 S7 e! O, w/ e3 c$ V
He helped the man climb the three flights of) X# ^2 U7 {* Z7 n% J( ~0 x" c
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
) l3 M5 @3 T0 s% qthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas ! O$ ]7 y6 E! L
reunion he could ever imagine.
* o( f2 K3 b+ R* n; E& lT rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
3 K% P5 T7 k& w( n' vwho says God does work in mysterious ways.
0 J9 G E% X& h. AI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for 7 Z/ S9 m Z. B4 _0 L. V1 K
you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
) S( y, k. U Ealong your way. His love is always with you. His
! {7 U' L5 Z/ O8 c' p; z, q0 upromises are true, and when we give Him all our , I( g7 |( u! l4 M5 v% y
cares we know He will see us through. + v; {: v5 e7 B. |9 y% s' I: ?
S o when the road you're traveling seems % j1 {8 o9 ] ~- J& p5 F
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
7 ~7 y& D1 G2 h5 w+ o; Epraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
z. w7 ^% {+ n+ {' K2 ]to those you want God to bless and remember 2 _4 d `: j5 ]8 @4 M2 Q
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless 7 F4 W( d9 p' D2 e2 O3 O% [
you first.
& v3 R! p r7 q! @: |W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
l2 T- k, B. f, a' q3 E2 H5 Ayou find out that God is all you need Take 602 n6 E/ \1 _$ U+ v
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply! T: y, p3 Y& O, _/ b' m
say the following small prayer for the person
3 D! ~8 n+ h: d, h. y( ywho sent this to you.5 Y v0 [) z0 K0 T9 d- J
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
9 H3 u2 ?0 F* X! y6 i" [1 L1 E* Sever it is that You know they may be needing this
' Y; b) `; l0 k( sday! May their lives be full of Your peace, ) g6 i( P7 ]) ]5 X6 Q8 X; }) R
prosperity and power as they seek to have a # p. |# l, [* @
closer relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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