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) |' {4 }2 c" i) K5 Q0 u The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
: R, J, s" q( X) y" O, Q4 d7 \to their first ministry, to reopen a church
; f l) [$ x% {1 p- din suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
2 e2 ^# X$ v! Y" q. W) K- r2 texcited about their opportunities. When they saw
- @6 T, ~2 |( F7 |# L8 ktheir church, it was very run down and needed : o) p# b% x) c* z: g- s+ x
much work. They set a goal to have everything
! h7 u" R B8 _done in time to have their first service ! x! X3 M. p3 d. l- x
on Christmas Eve.
3 d8 `! d0 Z0 l: C) {; |* ST hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
0 K2 ?# ]1 `$ {" `; m" upainting, etc, and on December 18 . x$ \2 g) l: f! t0 U1 ^
were ahead of schedule and just about finished. 6 C- S- [6 M) Z! y+ ~% a
O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
8 b6 S. m0 U& S3 B6 Orainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
7 }4 [$ W7 r( n0 E O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.8 e! P# m6 H) I# w3 Z! F0 P
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had M5 y/ E, S/ q: _/ ]% ?
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
7 x, Y8 h& w! B" T$ u8 E20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall 7 G% m4 c5 G1 O4 e/ `7 S! o7 S
of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
" H4 E8 d$ D- Fbeginning about head high.
: r% c' C! O: N; h4 [; ^- M7 q; i" YT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, $ \) c1 m& c' i' R# H) U% y6 v0 c/ h
and not knowing what else to do but postpone , Y$ M$ u) m) z4 v+ b
the Christmas Eve service, headed home. + k4 ^/ g* r5 j4 y6 g/ i8 f
On the way he noticed that a local business was 9 h8 R. w, o0 `4 L' m8 P+ [& u, g
having a flea market type sale for charity, so he
3 K: W" c6 a9 F4 `: Bstopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
2 T% E* ~) q2 A- j& G/ ^handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
! R& n0 m5 g( l1 w2 {with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
8 \" N% \/ M( U# s. gembroidered right in the center. It was just " u1 a0 r1 a8 i: y2 x5 K8 W z
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the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
6 E. @" Q# R1 D0 @& tB y this time it had started to snow. An older / S9 J( b" a! b9 L' M
woman running from the opposite direction was . k# y% f1 `: Z& b3 E3 b+ J$ I- A( ~+ x
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor 2 q$ y' z1 Q u$ w
invited her to wait in the warm church for
1 W: Z3 D( t Q# N4 S( N: |the next bus 45 minutes later. " M. q. U7 S' q% \1 A8 O! _
1 O7 V! Q) n; U qShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
/ H8 O3 K0 C7 e6 q, i% L0 fwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
/ ?' ?. J! h! n2 c$ w& w+ T5 Dup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor 6 u; J4 H0 g( F- S+ Z+ A
could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. 9 O/ p/ O) f7 \& P, G' s
T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
* a5 }8 b" r4 ~+ ~! \/ aaisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,". ~) d9 ^4 Z$ C# L4 [6 b
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" 7 t3 E- b5 x. m$ o, I) i6 k
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check: ^3 `7 m2 n- c5 B9 w# n/ H
the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
) t- Z3 ~: r4 D' L# p0 Nit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
/ T" e8 V6 w, f" F. k* T1 K9 Emade this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria . & a* |: j+ o4 |5 t7 P: @$ d
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
/ N U$ ]5 i+ X, i* l Stold how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The . h- H, t0 W \6 J
woman explained that before the war she and
7 f1 o' b0 U# |& d; l' o; Vher husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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$ ~: \$ T: p. [* i1 B. }When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
1 i+ y( }- K' T4 i/ xHer husband was going to follow her the next week.
( I6 R! f. p" C7 ]/ |He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
# G4 f5 J6 U; h5 P, Qhusband or her home again. # S, f0 V$ q) p* M% [% b! f. j
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
3 e( X, g1 a; D+ m. c+ Rbut she made the pastor keep it for the church.% A; L& N7 A! }: v, i7 Q
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That" _" p$ K, s' u3 N! S/ }' @' Y
was the least he could do. She lived on the other H4 \* _ q3 T: j7 E5 t
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn
7 V* Z9 i7 a4 L& ufor the day for a housecleaning job.& C4 H; N# Z1 a6 }
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas : e; O) f, S9 z! y8 n& `2 m! n7 g& m
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
- ^2 q9 J3 u; B" l/ U; m+ dspirit were great. At the end of the service, the
: |7 R3 B5 [2 ?, ^7 @ e/ ^pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door 1 i4 r9 Q7 K' H1 ^+ J
and many said that they would return.. $ S8 l! Y( l+ L; a6 S" `
One older man, whom the pastor recognized
I$ p0 p3 s" y. T8 E9 g5 n' J: ~from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
/ L" e' @4 F- h9 t/ dpews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
! F# o2 y* A! W/ y- \wasn't leaving. + o2 Z8 C/ B' }1 `2 x6 f. A
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on - l0 o) ^: ?/ d
the front wall because it was identical to one / {8 U. e$ {2 ^ h: O' G
that his wife had made years ago when , s. G# @* p+ u! z, k' }
they lived in Austria before the war and how
9 {1 t2 g4 ?6 k& m4 ocould there be two tablecloths so much alike?
# O9 a/ ?- o+ {( [5 GH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he ' o5 f8 |: W; u/ }3 H# s
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was - A# {- M' j' \8 ~# b: e$ Q0 C
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
) H: [, @- z: n6 W1 p$ Iput in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home
$ @! c+ |* }3 |9 tagain all the 35 years between. 7 g ^+ l9 F6 d& F5 E) g
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
: p" a1 M: i% h6 L! N" Qtake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten " F; I: S3 @4 ^" F: u
Island and to the same house where the pastor
5 h+ y3 \$ @: \% shad taken the woman three days earlier. 2 z0 p+ h& n' K! P$ N8 W o$ U
He helped the man climb the three flights of b+ A1 Z6 K! s3 \( i4 B
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
l" u/ x( _6 V' }0 Y A6 Gthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas + Q3 Y9 o/ P8 R0 B, \3 t
reunion he could ever imagine.
' k# l/ V' M0 g3 t: b+ ?, @* ]T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
3 `4 K3 f% |5 H; G1 kwho says God does work in mysterious ways.
+ `& x- A% Z6 Y6 `5 u6 d2 P6 cI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
% s# Y/ X9 Y2 u, h! {3 p; iyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
9 n& C, e3 J" {. {! _9 C7 Salong your way. His love is always with you. His
. B; s2 Y+ I5 Spromises are true, and when we give Him all our
1 c; q' ~: V5 o+ |9 C/ S* ncares we know He will see us through.
* k+ {+ z% N" r* I3 ~/ H8 OS o when the road you're traveling seems
6 m% ^1 t7 u$ M' G: e+ O3 Udifficult at best, just remember I'm here
' V3 W: D* H( B Qpraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
$ V+ ~; J( M: D. Q9 N1 f2 Vto those you want God to bless and remember
, P; D- q: {# |" E9 \to send it back to the one who asked God to bless + ^: T" g O/ h9 C
you first. 6 s/ f. x' t* D0 \
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
. d; `# \% y+ t* l3 K7 l3 \you find out that God is all you need Take 60. K" `, @$ r7 n: r1 o" a
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply& }3 z. d" W4 ]7 q
say the following small prayer for the person 5 K8 H" \8 x$ Z8 x/ x7 D
who sent this to you.
7 _0 P/ Q5 K$ ^* c! D3 h4 V, ^Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
7 \5 a5 B9 M0 I( z2 gever it is that You know they may be needing this
1 c1 _' y, H8 G( l; y d- Yday! May their lives be full of Your peace,
2 d% r, W3 b* S# oprosperity and power as they seek to have a
! c9 Q+ N1 x* O/ H5 Ucloser relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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