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The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned 6 W7 D6 X+ H1 B \' Z# K% y
to their first ministry, to reopen a church ! Q# D3 _5 E0 V i
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
2 N }- m8 T+ M+ dexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
# Y( h, Q/ O9 l7 W5 ^/ M0 otheir church, it was very run down and needed
3 o7 A( X) @* x4 Y2 C5 P6 Jmuch work. They set a goal to have everything & ]; w9 R+ _9 Z/ w& O F a; c* }
done in time to have their first service ( q- t8 M9 C* Q
on Christmas Eve.
+ f! R+ r* n" _/ B& fT hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
+ ?, X/ O% O$ S4 u1 mpainting, etc, and on December 18 # d* H$ h6 t; {: A! L0 [
were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
; s6 B# d" R5 }, F5 K, X% pO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
4 x9 M# j" u$ m) S2 Erainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. % X [6 U6 T) l
O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.& w1 i- ~$ |, k% e
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had4 L/ k" `) C6 @. b2 k- ~1 _
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
; z6 J; Q3 ^$ ~3 R6 c! N) N20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
; C. s) Z& G |% \9 ^' d8 F/ Aof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
I- I3 n( L) Z) X! f1 `% xbeginning about head high.
$ F1 E, I+ [0 B, ~T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, ) j8 j1 ]! G6 K \8 s
and not knowing what else to do but postpone ' p$ s' f! g& I3 A7 @) L2 M
the Christmas Eve service, headed home. / H# R) [+ ?7 w2 {3 q, ?
On the way he noticed that a local business was
; O; P" Q; A- R9 t* O- A( u! dhaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he Q7 N7 e; v' n9 ~: w. X
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
( k5 W( _( I8 g' Ahandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth 8 g! F- x) j4 s- j; y
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
: C# r0 S z) B) Z2 u+ Sembroidered right in the center. It was just g, D) N$ U0 I3 J, y
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the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
3 s$ R& y8 j9 ~- c' ~B y this time it had started to snow. An older " D9 f4 C3 {4 ~ B. Z$ E4 ]
woman running from the opposite direction was
" q% a# \- q3 O0 Q4 G! Mtrying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
3 j* T. T$ T& \( A0 Minvited her to wait in the warm church for
) a- }8 O, M4 M& \the next bus 45 minutes later. - x0 v" o# k/ x2 [- y% ]
1 G0 @ l0 q+ v9 w- QShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
) N; R( l$ Z! [4 \/ l' Zwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
, f; S4 \0 L- T2 u6 p& yup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
2 |4 o" Y4 h, L: r; \! Bcould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
2 P# w) p5 B; |* ]4 c4 jT hen he noticed the woman walking down the center/ ?' L+ b$ h6 ^- b! d$ M+ L/ Z
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"/ z J0 S% i$ m5 Q* P0 l3 K
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
& n* m4 q' k8 ^& D% OThe pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
( `) x4 B1 V3 \the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into6 z' x2 }) g9 v
it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
, I1 I" I, U" P6 N4 [& F5 k" r. v# Zmade this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria . 3 Y5 ?& S/ G: R$ }
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
2 Q- X6 a/ a% s$ D, Y3 h9 ?told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
" @4 K0 @# ]: y Y6 Q; {woman explained that before the war she and
1 i/ n4 N+ a; r F& j% Q4 ^/ Pher husband were well-to-do people in Austria . Y& z7 E# U: ]- O$ p! Y V
. n9 d K. Y& R( QWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. # u5 h9 a( k- U8 A: r `
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
; m) L( q! c5 k. n9 bHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her 1 G* M7 }- {2 k2 Q8 D
husband or her home again. : _/ K Z! h$ @. v8 k+ {5 h Y
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;) k3 h- x( L* O, e
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
* A9 l" T3 {3 PThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That
' f0 }1 o$ b, H* Wwas the least he could do. She lived on the other% {( O: X/ n: y, e6 X% R
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn
( b! g4 G N9 Cfor the day for a housecleaning job.
9 S/ V/ h2 h D0 ZW hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas ( i" k5 s# T- f: U
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the ) U% C' g. Y% g
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the 8 M' m8 b6 ]* @5 l
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door . U. g: d+ N Z: S1 y! V' z
and many said that they would return..
. |( b e# A. L; x; {0 vOne older man, whom the pastor recognized
" }8 l) x* U& i( n6 X( p! Xfrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the ( C+ T. Q4 Z2 q! h% h1 E$ r
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he # D* W( ^3 a+ h, x# `" ?; v* }3 Q: o
wasn't leaving. - o9 p% A: k' ]/ i
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
3 [1 p H1 Q# `the front wall because it was identical to one
4 A/ y7 J _6 K! M cthat his wife had made years ago when
5 {4 D1 I' Z7 |9 n( `5 s. l/ Jthey lived in Austria before the war and how 7 ~" k) G; L9 f% k% h% R' _
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
) B8 j; ]+ Y/ ?: EH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he 0 f0 J t- d/ v: O
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
6 x1 u( X6 ~( P m6 ]& ^" p. Gsupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and) @. f2 c6 }: H+ I! S1 ?9 i
put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home0 O' u' X+ Q8 y3 e7 X3 i. V0 I9 ~
again all the 35 years between.
. h! A2 X# o3 d+ `T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to & f/ |, o- m3 c, Q6 Z
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten " {" t7 ~* X; B( P* h
Island and to the same house where the pastor 5 `# N% K. p- `
had taken the woman three days earlier.
f# _- C+ u, j( s& fHe helped the man climb the three flights of" E$ O1 o/ ?, x# |
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on6 z1 w! J" Q) e
the door and he saw the greatest Christmas % O7 s/ {) x' ]5 x& c N C3 \3 L
reunion he could ever imagine.
/ w9 `( P \4 r m4 U4 ]T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
+ ~: V4 T( F) v' V0 _6 X: s( ?who says God does work in mysterious ways.* t0 }: l* N3 J9 U2 }
I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for $ l) s. Z7 I; |
you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
0 a9 O" o4 [. f( F: qalong your way. His love is always with you. His
! A4 ~0 h7 w, K) v ]promises are true, and when we give Him all our
2 v P( {; z4 x: y$ ?8 Bcares we know He will see us through.
9 P, z* S) D& x6 T4 Y! O1 z( OS o when the road you're traveling seems
; M: w& f* E1 f [2 h3 a n, [difficult at best, just remember I'm here
8 x7 m' K0 o* Q+ X9 C! i. Spraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on " m: E' d# z5 A3 V& Q
to those you want God to bless and remember & m [' }" s5 E ]6 }5 Q* S3 r2 _
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless j+ ~( s2 }9 Z8 {0 O
you first. 2 `! d, b& J' K7 Y! p! i! q
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when( k( m8 @& K& j' V
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
7 \+ U( H5 d# S1 d9 y# g* s. Kseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
2 X! C/ H' J5 V+ o+ |% i$ G$ u! @8 s- Dsay the following small prayer for the person 4 U8 p( v9 Z. Z. r7 U( K! K
who sent this to you.
, i; o5 U% J0 O0 @& `, xFather, G od, bless all my friends and family in what . i7 K; q+ T. \; G, t
ever it is that You know they may be needing this
, L+ H9 J& Q* T& ]1 K7 B1 O3 _' i2 [day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
$ r( t6 y5 ?8 D) g$ m2 aprosperity and power as they seek to have a 6 K; b' V. C0 Q/ E; ]
closer relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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