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4 e0 k& E7 n1 I The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned / @9 w/ N" X% i6 F# `* l
to their first ministry, to reopen a church
& N8 ^( w6 H2 }( ]; K/ \% w* [/ [in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
8 M3 [2 Q0 ^. Iexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
+ d/ {& a" E( p4 h4 p1 qtheir church, it was very run down and needed 2 C7 a2 O O) N- S# z
much work. They set a goal to have everything
" I! Z# j$ c/ o/ {( Gdone in time to have their first service
2 h3 v6 d$ b! }, ]on Christmas Eve. : O# g5 D. _6 Q0 {& q
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,4 D9 s& ^$ a0 d
painting, etc, and on December 18
$ Z( P- ?6 g" t. h1 O. lwere ahead of schedule and just about finished.
4 t4 G4 U4 ?0 Y$ _- WO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving ; p5 a2 ~$ f/ \9 S
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. + l& J; }4 U+ S6 o3 ^" c# I
O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
; l2 ^; f, |6 {1 E* b0 JHis heart sank when he saw that the roof had
$ H* P; q6 k* Y. j* C- [% gleaked, causing a large area of plaster about
8 u; J% O2 t7 d9 t% u a! D20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
* c6 u- Q2 K _of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, , _; [6 F/ K( O
beginning about head high.
1 C* C# O- Z0 k: o/ s/ qT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, ! j) I% L+ x3 ^/ m3 U- M) I
and not knowing what else to do but postpone
1 [ |5 Z* {0 b8 vthe Christmas Eve service, headed home. : u7 z2 O/ j# j" ^$ ?' r7 E- a
On the way he noticed that a local business was
, n. y- Y( s: Dhaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he
# b! a; L! f8 h" k2 \8 ^) nstopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, % W* w6 V$ j* m/ N8 ]5 S! @
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
0 `! y( Y" r$ Z6 E- R$ Y/ nwith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
$ ]2 G& V2 W9 t. Xembroidered right in the center. It was just & _4 H0 \5 i2 u& d6 b/ Y& L. a
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* N' ~/ ~/ a& h! S; Uthe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
9 z6 y# q" Z7 w" `0 ?+ x& }# yB y this time it had started to snow. An older
7 v3 i1 A0 e6 i5 _! bwoman running from the opposite direction was 3 C* L' x/ T6 e& G
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
: Y) K9 C4 y; uinvited her to wait in the warm church for ) g. Q& t% D2 G9 o& ]. a' S) m, \3 ]
the next bus 45 minutes later. % s1 c' \) T J" I( a# W1 N
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She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
- F/ V8 ]" Q- ^+ U( X- M# s6 P: Pwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put / }1 P$ @+ ]5 i& I! ~1 Z9 h& V9 K
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
/ U: r4 L; c) e# V1 z; Hcould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
" n6 \7 b8 ]2 R V U" wT hen he noticed the woman walking down the center* n# Q+ t9 d! T' f) I+ i% c6 a
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"1 [& m6 l; `* S3 N2 r
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
& z) z9 @0 K% p8 p0 iThe pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
7 R2 s6 \4 K$ h* T# g, kthe lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
5 [& V" R; V6 j1 Nit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
6 X; @4 A) P5 R- ymade this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
: V% @" G4 ]+ CT he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
6 A! u: {' V6 D' O7 l @3 ytold how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The 4 ^9 p( y! Z7 W5 B/ x) F: d% _
woman explained that before the war she and 2 F& ]& |' e }
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria . . a7 W. q& U7 {- w& G
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When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. * K6 @* ]# v4 ?" ~ } K
Her husband was going to follow her the next week. " u3 p) J" l) R' ]% ^' o
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her ) u+ O2 b0 n/ H& w
husband or her home again.
) R: Y0 a3 Z. c+ hT he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;: N9 x6 e2 i2 n, M- y0 }5 @" O
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.# W8 a! E. r O4 a9 `
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That8 S2 r2 \3 f3 y. v) v- j
was the least he could do. She lived on the other7 P/ s' Q7 Y, f- r5 q% e
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn
8 ^0 h( K6 X$ w, ~' V8 Bfor the day for a housecleaning job.6 @) i1 q6 U b) G
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas 1 _9 b$ z8 G+ ~1 J. p
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
! o5 }' \$ `# q* p$ [3 vspirit were great. At the end of the service, the # ?+ [7 k. V4 K# t; n9 J( }$ b
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door * G; g0 Z" P9 ~4 b
and many said that they would return..
. {, b6 U; I5 m5 K5 jOne older man, whom the pastor recognized
# Q' I6 z: ]$ x6 ]. ffrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the , }9 x8 h7 i) P. v$ l
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he . E" p( ^4 O3 `; s* {( p) z
wasn't leaving.
# n* n8 P( t2 j9 UThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
5 x3 m: n$ ` k$ d; E4 }$ u ]the front wall because it was identical to one * {: F& m2 I. s3 B. b% G# f
that his wife had made years ago when ( Y- }. e6 v8 c0 v
they lived in Austria before the war and how - G) Q8 S2 I+ y2 s: d
could there be two tablecloths so much alike? " \1 S* F& A7 R- e
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he " j3 u* ?/ c: w: G2 t
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
) S, D6 @! _. v, ssupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and: h/ M$ u7 \9 `4 L7 j. m
put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home2 v4 |7 E7 h% j# x
again all the 35 years between. , @+ }' Y+ S5 v. o- F# `
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to ' f! E$ l, @ V9 Z6 y0 ?. `$ p7 I
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten . E- {9 `' t7 X/ H% ~. B
Island and to the same house where the pastor
v4 r; v) A: I5 L& Qhad taken the woman three days earlier.
( l- K9 x O* q5 w0 q ^He helped the man climb the three flights of
, D) c; k. l( j3 F# T; ~- y4 Q8 h2 }stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on+ N7 ?4 q; W7 ~5 O/ k% W1 W0 t
the door and he saw the greatest Christmas V3 Q+ H2 e& s
reunion he could ever imagine.
8 @9 c: C1 d; R( e2 h- F: T) \) g, oT rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid 5 `& i: A: f+ w
who says God does work in mysterious ways.4 T4 {8 h1 y: k# k" w9 K# m
I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
f% _5 P7 m( I8 O8 b% L' p$ yyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go ' Z; t7 x* e6 X! S
along your way. His love is always with you. His - d P6 c1 v( G ]* I- T
promises are true, and when we give Him all our . ?( O8 ]* {7 O0 @
cares we know He will see us through.
4 o) Y5 ~' P! SS o when the road you're traveling seems " v/ K1 C; y$ ?& f
difficult at best, just remember I'm here 4 A" Z2 S% |$ Z# X0 O( s
praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on 2 r) c! r x9 g1 f* c: j
to those you want God to bless and remember ) {8 N4 B/ p, M5 h
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless $ O1 r; W# n7 m
you first. ) H0 b* e3 y$ z$ n
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when$ t9 T4 d1 _. ]4 T1 w; q
you find out that God is all you need Take 60) k! e/ Q: h/ L1 a# i F( [: H4 ^
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply! {4 f4 P. P: v
say the following small prayer for the person 2 ^& r0 k# i7 o6 R/ d4 I+ D
who sent this to you.
2 K9 y# F7 W. ]. |# p0 lFather, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
* Z2 _: N0 ^6 Uever it is that You know they may be needing this
& J) T# L% K/ ~0 C3 fday! May their lives be full of Your peace,
$ H/ W9 F9 Q& E! X! wprosperity and power as they seek to have a & t! d) [, Q0 t5 a+ p' E. P# v2 i' c
closer relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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