The Tablecloth

propeller

Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason
. N2 |1 p. O- w. U: P! V4 ?/ w* I
. f0 s8 U) `$ Z- s6 c
( h( \' i$ k; w8 I; f
/ f/ [9 N' C& l9 d& T0 t The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
to their first ministry, to reopen a church
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
; e8 |' F4 Q, D5 X( Kexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
their church, it was very run down and needed
3 W; E& V; g1 H; V0 |# a4 H, B" \much work. They set a goal to have everything
done in time to have their first service
' G. S9 Y9 S1 |2 o! Y4 V# con Christmas Eve.
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
painting, etc, and on December 18
were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
# Q) ^2 E7 ~, q) S/ GO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
( p+ h0 `1 M6 O7 ^% Irainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
+ ?8 E5 f8 d' f" S' \* k, hHis heart sank when he saw that the roof had
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
; h* t) V$ s  H" D( o' R2 ?20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
% k; w  _* k' T$ ^$ y" b8 b2 V7 Wof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
) H' H, g# c) [) W& N7 t- l9 n. f8 Bbeginning about head high.
T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
" T! w, A; L8 tand not knowing what else to do but postpone
+ N$ K' p. f- o* o* t- `& f/ A2 Rthe Christmas Eve service, headed home.
On the way he noticed that a local business was
having a flea market type sale for charity, so he
3 L. O4 a, m# E2 ystopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
1 y! E5 y; v$ N: ehandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
* K, t/ x. R5 w8 D' X& |with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
7 a. f0 |* ]' F! Fembroidered right in the center. It was just  
  t3 r5 Z' \7 R* M



- Q8 z: @; i+ l

the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
B y this time it had started to snow. An older
- E" p/ Q4 J5 Z3 M$ w/ v9 |woman running from the opposite direction was
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
3 m, P$ C4 U9 e9 V' W) z& P2 iinvited her to wait in the warm church for
' Z8 r2 _9 V0 {: S  |8 V$ Xthe next bus 45 minutes later.

7 @( I# t) I. o$ n8 F0 a* DShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
- [) H3 T' l8 L  b" Z: I6 X; o9 Ywhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
- g1 D, y: d, e" j. z7 o. ^" |up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
could 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
- ?3 g* b  U, sthe 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
% u8 m% _# i! N- L+ b( _made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
; o4 ]! B2 C) L& C: W/ Q9 Wtold how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
; l, x7 q- k5 x7 m5 zwoman explained that before the war she and
4 I+ A& s* x- O. p" |her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .

When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
5 z* Y& }, U/ R# t. `, dHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
husband or her home again.
3 j/ n& e/ H- r! n: ~T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
& R+ R# n/ Y# Kbut she made the pastor keep it for the church.
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That
- E0 z5 K/ \" Z$ ?- R/ C2 P/ [8 Ywas the least he could do. She lived on the other
3 y% I' \, X0 e6 I3 z. Nside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
( g) j$ G7 \/ T9 F  G; r! Ofor the day for a housecleaning job.
5 [0 a8 T6 o: P( kW hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
. Q5 D8 F( O. uEve. The church was almost full. The music and the
spirit 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..
% q3 R" F+ s* Q1 YOne older man, whom the pastor recognized
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
) g' u7 X7 v- C5 s; `pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
wasn't leaving.
1 C" S* p7 r3 z; E, q: qThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
& P/ n( a" r# F& Gthe front wall because it was identical to one
' b/ q8 q% P& B; G0 w1 W& [$ D1 C8 }that his wife had made years ago when
2 p) o$ R3 _( X: A/ G( W2 l( Othey lived in Austria before the war and how
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
! v/ W1 x0 Z" ^: hH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
, H% \, f* f; d/ aforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
# F/ e2 I7 A( X( N; A/ R7 }supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
* E2 G: o( G8 j  P0 [put in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home
again all the 35 years between.
1 @2 y- R: `- l, ]T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
, \# I8 b* a  L7 D8 W2 ttake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
5 ]+ N# z5 I0 N! hIsland and to the same house where the pastor
6 s2 p0 s- S6 F5 y& |/ }. c% K% Xhad taken the woman three days earlier.
He helped the man climb the three flights of
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
the door and he saw the greatest Christmas
6 `( M6 E5 \9 u7 {( @reunion he could ever imagine.
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
  V% A0 e" M; @0 Nwho says God does work in mysterious ways.
I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
, N5 R2 i1 i$ d: k5 Walong your way. His love is always with you. His
# V4 L, C+ U0 S7 `8 l4 ^, |promises are true, and when we give Him all our
/ C( d+ u" ]9 ~6 M, ncares we know He will see us through.
S o when the road you're traveling seems
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
$ ?4 \( J6 B8 Q: Kto those you want God to bless and remember
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
* r+ Y8 G6 M* U3 Ayou first.
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
3 V6 a* a5 X% B1 `7 n) ]seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
say the following small prayer for the person
2 e3 I2 ?7 `- {! X# I6 bwho sent this to you.
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
6 _5 r% ]  Z$ X1 W4 I( @7 Jever it is that You know they may be needing this
: }9 b( ~) j, X& k6 m2 Zday! May their lives be full of Your peace,
/ x: V% N4 T2 k+ |) \! Oprosperity and power as they seek to have a
closer relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!