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 Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason6 ^) G# i+ W5 e6 ]$ v
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The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
; R& c# d; |; W5 Hto their first ministry, to reopen a church , D- @$ _1 {+ D( O! k
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October 2 v; u/ f* s3 l* p
excited about their opportunities. When they saw
4 c- z, T" Q3 g5 @8 v; ~their church, it was very run down and needed
3 `$ ? a( h7 L: S0 X* O0 |; Imuch work. They set a goal to have everything
2 a% ~' y0 [" u: j1 l H/ Tdone in time to have their first service
W" a C& j) w# Y( w8 ^0 zon Christmas Eve. % \! I0 q5 {2 c2 s* {6 I
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,' _. P: s4 Q* P
painting, etc, and on December 18
3 d1 e$ S- I: N* ^" uwere ahead of schedule and just about finished.
; w8 [% h: `# n) iO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving ' o# H4 z x! ]7 w3 M, k" p/ D2 [+ `
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
/ |8 w7 [2 s) z3 I O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
: S1 y3 T$ T- B: n3 q0 E' J; CHis heart sank when he saw that the roof had
5 g( e2 o- x2 A/ G+ u- zleaked, causing a large area of plaster about 5 C6 e! X# Q/ T; B
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall 6 Z3 R3 N5 B N+ s$ u, V, r
of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, ! g! k4 ?% f4 k$ n
beginning about head high.
& O4 c) N f+ s- f7 p" P" NT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, 4 o* p! s5 j7 C( ^9 g5 x) i7 M
and not knowing what else to do but postpone % t7 f! |" O E, T7 {; o1 z
the Christmas Eve service, headed home. 3 Q1 C: d- P' h. j2 ^2 x" L
On the way he noticed that a local business was
' \+ e2 ?4 N$ ~3 ?; V, Y; Ohaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he
/ C) Y' A) K0 o# d- Q6 D" |stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, 1 o' z2 A5 w; {7 ^5 d0 a
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
' ^. Z% \* Y# zwith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
1 V3 B) {$ q9 A4 @5 |embroidered right in the center. It was just 7 V! t2 {) g% Q/ e; @* @7 l
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( m: S. I- Z9 ethe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
. V5 \; h& m; n/ H! H2 O6 W- gB y this time it had started to snow. An older N1 l4 [5 V, d G* U+ A. x: x: p
woman running from the opposite direction was
0 H8 k/ z6 d% t$ x ktrying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor ( o2 l L, ~4 m+ F- j5 w
invited her to wait in the warm church for
, I8 o1 O; g# H% Gthe next bus 45 minutes later. S* ~5 ?6 g' K' S: b2 N( P' x( r2 ?
* [+ {9 d4 T4 V4 s2 JShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
) C+ D! q1 G: `7 u3 k+ N5 a7 Uwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
: R& ^( O" _* E& l' H/ B8 Jup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
+ S; f' K0 w* T# e7 u& G Fcould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
L/ ]. v/ Y: B6 GT hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
3 Q+ X5 a, {# P& h; f7 Haisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
8 q1 w+ V6 l7 C6 |9 Z1 ]she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" 6 h4 X# r& d) x/ r8 p: b, Y/ |
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check& q( C' G; n" [4 b4 h' {1 H
the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into/ u Z7 k& `$ |& A
it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
# h) ^$ Y- n- h: Q0 b/ A6 Q! C& h# b* ~0 Pmade this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria . ' _/ g" \9 Q" O' J( X6 m
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
) l" x9 L" e1 ]3 X F" ~( `) u( _1 Rtold how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The , C, }& [- ?5 A$ @
woman explained that before the war she and 8 e; v8 S( r6 d' w! B: A1 ?
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria . ( y6 ]- R; @3 M. ]5 q. w" `5 P
# }# v( [( i3 B- \/ V0 c. Y1 CWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. ' O3 `8 m3 j) I5 u! k
Her husband was going to follow her the next week. : k" i$ i! Z: `5 a, S
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her ( e. N1 a- u* W) @- o) n: X
husband or her home again.
6 f* F: b, t. u6 U, M( B, OT he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;* @$ q. H& p7 L+ E
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.4 b$ a2 |& P& X; E# @% T0 o
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That8 C4 r/ c8 q4 e' E+ g
was the least he could do. She lived on the other
$ S, _( c8 k, Pside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn " B& S# t# ~, U
for the day for a housecleaning job.8 k) Y1 k& L$ c. g( \
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
& B( q7 D9 D6 l- K2 nEve. The church was almost full. The music and the 2 }0 C7 r2 p1 l6 E. M6 @
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
$ H. w4 ^ E, \) ~pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door * b \1 G1 b. y" f8 Z
and many said that they would return..
, n- s0 ~- ^. i _7 BOne older man, whom the pastor recognized & a* i6 A2 F: ^9 s
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the . K: g/ b p" v
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
9 [ s |! F9 M( s. |wasn't leaving.
# n2 N9 V- b* ?5 }, r$ C6 LThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on " p9 \3 @4 t2 u7 s
the front wall because it was identical to one
! R% w( F3 u. fthat his wife had made years ago when ; b% a9 S/ W. a" C5 Y
they lived in Austria before the war and how
; ^7 J8 D9 @ [# kcould there be two tablecloths so much alike?
`$ P y' O! z! eH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he 0 ]" U3 ]* y0 U( {7 h* @. e w
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was $ v4 ]8 h7 D$ i
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
. H5 x# d) e" F4 a! x5 i" v' [put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home* Y. n% M, m3 J8 A( F
again all the 35 years between. 3 X" Q6 X0 R( w2 D9 b
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to ! F- U! m8 ] A+ ? c5 C- N+ @
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
: f. b( M9 d" O) |& Q- f) QIsland and to the same house where the pastor 8 \# g B0 x* g" S4 J( d3 T
had taken the woman three days earlier. ! E/ a0 d* Y: A c" c( q
He helped the man climb the three flights of
$ h$ z5 R! g9 `' ustairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on+ p5 {7 k$ n; B( S" H/ I
the door and he saw the greatest Christmas
9 E( f7 Q4 |, w) S+ g( Q# Preunion he could ever imagine.
7 i/ o9 b: o$ j5 n( X' E# ?T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
% P A2 S$ s; a* D8 kwho says God does work in mysterious ways.
' d; N" a- a! H: K: _3 H, VI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for 4 Z0 Z# _' [4 b. E7 ]
you today, to guide you and protect you as you go ) O8 }0 Y9 y2 ?4 d/ t
along your way. His love is always with you. His
- e0 X7 U; M8 l) _0 B Y ` gpromises are true, and when we give Him all our
- g7 p; c1 i' Q6 O: ncares we know He will see us through. 0 {& Y+ `+ ^, b5 R/ Y, L
S o when the road you're traveling seems
3 W& {" F3 }3 ~# X* rdifficult at best, just remember I'm here 4 V8 P6 n" R9 J, n
praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on 6 }6 S# q# i- H/ _& J/ ` h6 g
to those you want God to bless and remember . c" ?. \, ~; D6 x8 h0 W
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
* {, T5 h% o3 y9 gyou first. # S: o5 T, ~1 U3 O+ G* e' }5 G2 m
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when* x% \4 w, J/ p9 ]7 T) C8 @$ |
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
6 T4 N: p5 K% ~0 } O7 e, {2 Rseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
# @5 Z6 N9 H3 c V; Zsay the following small prayer for the person
5 S2 x0 F0 l1 O# H# Ewho sent this to you.9 f- n* `$ \" |% i
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what 0 d) A0 Q5 c' B9 x' k' r$ Z
ever it is that You know they may be needing this
$ N6 n7 `; D, r7 y# Y( t$ @6 _day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
) |) T, ?9 d! l3 N9 Eprosperity and power as they seek to have a : j# |2 w0 H1 m! p0 Y5 \% D/ ^8 ~
closer relationship with You. Amen. |
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