The Tablecloth

propeller

Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason
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( u0 C! t1 H- Z# D The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
& }, j4 b* I% e" e2 jto their first ministry, to reopen a church
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
. @  X: A9 }' hexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
0 ^5 y& \# u+ |1 h1 Y7 Q2 ktheir church, it was very run down and needed
much work. They set a goal to have everything
! W4 T. d8 T" L2 M0 Xdone in time to have their first service
on Christmas Eve.
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
painting, etc, and on December 18
were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
) }" A0 z. k9 d+ r- }( j3 _# _O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
# k% w+ ?  {! T4 X O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
5 V8 o2 a- r+ }& Z+ J# y2 n( dHis heart sank when he saw that the roof had
4 J0 t( U( j* `8 H- t& M' _" W# Fleaked, 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,
8 ]/ q8 x5 v$ q$ j. aand not knowing what else to do but postpone
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
On the way he noticed that a local business was
+ P" P6 m7 N2 i/ {having a flea market type sale for charity, so he
$ h& P( P7 K6 Q! lstopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
; o' P% ?) h3 l) phandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
. g- x9 u3 _' Y& J% kwith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
& j" A5 s* Z. C7 Uembroidered right in the center. It was just  

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4 w) [' u" }( R" H8 D6 u- X3 sthe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
  \9 ]/ [0 f* s8 gB y this time it had started to snow. An older
woman running from the opposite direction was
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
invited her to wait in the warm church for
1 n* i* Q7 f' [+ j* |- l* |the next bus 45 minutes later.

/ T( i9 q7 F) p1 h8 \, N, v6 wShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
8 v  z! G5 Y1 @; |0 i! v% ]5 Bwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
: R/ |. U0 A7 Dcould 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,"
# [, v+ h! i* x$ i* @" ]7 [9 Z8 sshe asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
  d1 ^5 E% p! f" B' vthe 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
& L+ p' A# D( g4 C+ }made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
/ x7 A4 K& H# z  dT he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
woman explained that before the war she and
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .

/ h0 P" O" V9 @) O0 C6 bWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
! F* R5 y2 e& S( ]; rHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
husband or her home again.
* v- e  |# v- _: UT he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
$ {2 x& \5 L+ n4 s. Z" r, ubut she made the pastor keep it for the church.
$ _5 c6 @; l& \& GThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That
9 R, h" h8 p* |was the least he could do. She lived on the other
2 x( o' \3 n8 K. Y6 P% ~3 \% @, Jside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
# q  q1 G. L# H. gfor the day for a housecleaning job.
4 i1 A' _4 Y, wW hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
5 M% E. d& r, _6 [5 I0 o& sspirit 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
% F& L. K& x7 N7 [  H2 m# Rfrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
% d# d  [5 h6 |/ ewasn't leaving.
; b8 q1 @3 b/ C$ l7 WThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
2 H" {) P  y7 O3 }) d) \' Sthe front wall because it was identical to one
, J2 I7 a# P& U+ f! G1 tthat his wife had made years ago when
they lived in Austria before the war and how
5 t" a: S# h' `% Fcould there be two tablecloths so much alike?
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
) _7 B6 N: ~/ Wforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
0 w# D- S* A, J$ L6 Y" Usupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
- O; g& m4 K, b; O4 J9 u! yput in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home
again all the 35 years between.
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
1 V2 c; U7 K4 KIsland and to the same house where the pastor
had taken the woman three days earlier.
He helped the man climb the three flights of
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
3 @6 l# B3 v8 A7 N+ Cthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas
- a9 X% i" B. l+ D& s1 [7 \reunion he could ever imagine.
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
who says God does work in mysterious ways.
+ \& I4 m! {7 t* |9 i/ Z. G+ EI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
+ }4 i  ?, Q6 y. J8 N$ u2 ]you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
; G. c8 a; q" D% Palong your way. His love is always with you. His
' I" c6 l  m( b, L3 @# Npromises are true, and when we give Him all our
+ Y% k5 f- z2 ]; I$ f& lcares we know He will see us through.
S o when the road you're traveling seems
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
  j9 F! C( L! X% [; ]praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
to those you want God to bless and remember
; e7 v: U: _3 k. S. bto send it back to the one who asked God to bless
you first.
) o6 j6 W' z6 \4 [! o  b( N% hW hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
9 @3 V+ W* f& b, e6 ~you find out that God is all you need Take 60
8 A* n2 ~# ?9 hseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
# G; P/ G# D! B( J; d) A4 isay the following small prayer for the person
% N7 r$ E( b% ~9 b4 i+ `" mwho sent this to you.
5 \3 b8 t3 J1 ^Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
6 |9 q1 @! }1 n1 i) ?ever 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
+ `3 k, ^$ e7 o) ?9 }closer relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!