The Tablecloth

propeller

Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason
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The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
to their first ministry, to reopen a church
% M1 _* |* l/ u6 F9 w+ cin suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
9 p# r5 D. x2 X, N* g: Mexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
their church, it was very run down and needed
, k" R$ |$ y# U3 b8 D! L. ?6 Umuch work. They set a goal to have everything
* Z$ R/ I$ K0 Rdone in time to have their first service
on Christmas Eve.
# f8 V$ g% @4 v7 t) n7 S8 B* ST hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
6 O1 x  W0 }3 c4 S5 x! H7 Ypainting, etc, and on December 18
+ i3 `& [6 ]" y9 F! v% C4 q: }* l  mwere ahead of schedule and just about finished.
3 l6 R7 i) [( q- X* QO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
. C9 e8 T( |2 z, u% _$ q, ]% K: _# Q O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
- X6 n4 _9 D5 g8 P/ wleaked, causing a large area of plaster about
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
1 n1 P( N" b4 v; _- l  w. x+ Nof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
beginning about head high.
! `. `6 C0 U4 W, i# T5 ^* QT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
: R+ J" k9 R, v+ R( P% e2 Hand not knowing what else to do but postpone
" P5 z" c5 S6 M$ `7 ^( Sthe Christmas Eve service, headed home.
On the way he noticed that a local business was
5 G6 V. T( K1 a7 xhaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
* L4 M% B+ D" ~  F* K1 fhandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
( t9 B" z( u. \embroidered right in the center. It was just  

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the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
7 @! Z  H* {# r8 t/ L) }+ U5 P6 _B y this time it had started to snow. An older
0 G5 d& }" q. [) mwoman running from the opposite direction was
, n% t) \+ A; m* N0 ~6 Dtrying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
% A7 S7 l4 C2 A: w* X: binvited her to wait in the warm church for
the next bus 45 minutes later.
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9 L9 D  b5 A) o, x( Z8 q1 nShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
7 F& k3 @8 |+ b& |/ s& Xwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
& m/ w1 Q1 t; k) ^* ?up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
$ v% l& Z+ w9 T( icould 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,"
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
( L0 \( y' b3 B6 L' ythe lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
# u, N1 d7 R; q& C) x& r, u: sit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
- _1 `' o4 Y0 {1 K5 n5 v; wT 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
8 e& m* [& T2 o, e+ Vher husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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% {% U8 W% C; |. q! _% [When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
* p0 r' P/ h0 e. Z: G1 F  IHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
husband or her home again.
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That
+ Q) `/ A3 Q: ?# y# ?was the least he could do. She lived on the other
$ ?; t8 ]3 \+ k; d; y5 v7 \% Jside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
for the day for a housecleaning job.
; T8 `' f, G- M* D' i) OW hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
) }- H- N% B' G% \6 ZEve. The church was almost full. The music and the
& Z/ v9 s. x! Rspirit were great. At the end of the service, the
8 s6 [' V& x7 T# P# r* Hpastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
4 S; ?9 p2 Z1 c" X# xand many said that they would return..
One older man, whom the pastor recognized
( s" l8 t1 T- F+ b/ F% P5 ofrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
wasn't leaving.
, D- X( i) k. w  WThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
* e8 s) E* k8 }  tthe front wall because it was identical to one
: o4 z, Q. ?1 Q5 q) Vthat his wife had made years ago when
  |( j& n' \, O/ _they lived in Austria before the war and how
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
: X& b1 V- V: u/ [, eH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
4 J: V8 M# ?. D) Y# |! [! Q$ ^supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
; p! ~8 k: x( p! c' d& sput in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home
* F. C* F* l' X! ~8 U% \again all the 35 years between.
  r& N6 }# t) N8 v" vT he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
; V+ `0 _+ s) D' Ftake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
& g1 m& p2 f- b* a5 nIsland and to the same house where the pastor
4 N- N, N: {) E2 c7 p6 Chad taken the woman three days earlier.
+ u* }, n; u. S; y+ {8 fHe helped the man climb the three flights of
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
the door and he saw the greatest Christmas
reunion he could ever imagine.
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
, O8 G. T% U# e4 i4 v/ X$ |4 Ywho says God does work in mysterious ways.
8 s' _$ M+ i! M% MI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
; t; |3 u/ C: P% Y( Pyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
7 l$ ?# o. ?, [' z6 |$ jalong your way. His love is always with you. His
8 L/ D" B' @+ v0 z" n  ~; mpromises are true, and when we give Him all our
cares we know He will see us through.
6 x0 N/ I4 }' n, {1 B0 Y) j9 JS o when the road you're traveling seems
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
( I, |6 s- R7 x" opraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
to those you want God to bless and remember
# y: f& h8 ~  E% e* b0 B* xto send it back to the one who asked God to bless
7 d8 f; h: d0 D6 ~$ F6 Gyou first.
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
7 [4 |; m1 }# g) h$ d4 vseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
& [" h# L" H- ~3 F4 a& \say the following small prayer for the person
: T' ~, R1 u+ c' Fwho sent this to you.
5 z9 @" \8 \$ M9 J$ ]; }- MFather, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
ever it is that You know they may be needing this
* H8 ^- w: x' I6 p# ]day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
# J& S2 o7 F, Z; c$ V8 l5 j" d' ]prosperity and power as they seek to have a
4 `7 _# `: @* ccloser relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!