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
" ^/ U. W; w- G4 A/ S( tto their first ministry, to reopen a church
( H( l, f/ y4 a. ?2 P/ Hin suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
excited about their opportunities. When they saw
) i+ ^4 S" n4 h7 ], K! b4 a1 vtheir church, it was very run down and needed
much work. They set a goal to have everything
+ H, R1 N+ Y$ |, kdone in time to have their first service
6 t% l5 T1 t, R  E1 u3 von Christmas Eve.
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
3 B9 N7 R" O; S  cpainting, etc, and on December 18
were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
. K; A( l+ N+ ]  K; g$ _ O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
3 q9 S3 D" _7 s4 Wbeginning about head high.
T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
" x6 {* y7 u' j8 ~' t/ v" W& H& dand not knowing what else to do but postpone
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
3 M$ C7 w5 p' f0 h$ k, ?8 XOn the way he noticed that a local business was
having a flea market type sale for charity, so he
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
+ X) ]& G4 Z- {" U( q  shandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
' ?" b+ f0 g) B. ^+ P' Qwith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
# W, L. z( j8 T. O8 Z1 Nembroidered 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.
B y this time it had started to snow. An older
" c1 t  M& A( o$ I8 k( Z2 swoman running from the opposite direction was
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
! Q8 i# W5 i% y3 A* O1 ?; winvited her to wait in the warm church for
the next bus 45 minutes later.
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+ b# s# H% M6 }( B3 _She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
) [1 m5 U5 k8 W( \) g. Rwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
  w8 z: E" J2 O. dup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
1 ~1 V& Z- r7 X) {* X5 fcould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
' i( A% d$ m& \8 B( N) n5 _T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
* T" E$ {. [' K' H. @2 W3 laisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
# h7 K8 M1 e7 g7 B' J; J1 bThe pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
the 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
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
7 N# E6 c: [: P7 j7 F' wtold how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
% E8 B1 |5 Z4 O$ swoman explained that before the war she and
1 J6 }$ Y" e9 ]1 T! S' }8 F$ y' Bher husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
5 k0 ~4 B, r; b7 ]
8 X8 P$ t0 t) t( QWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
) M; m' w9 C# Y. C9 u2 Y( JHer husband was going to follow her the next week.
! P9 b; G- E9 p" g/ G) ~+ s/ xHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
6 H6 n8 e' B0 v9 V" ~( v: dhusband or her home again.
" a" R! C! o% }( I! xT he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
6 E4 `% }1 V8 G6 M5 ?$ A* KThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That
5 ?( e$ H! {2 v; U6 h# Dwas the least he could do. She lived on the other
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
* ^! G) c) w/ o/ z+ z3 dfor the day for a housecleaning job.
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
Eve. 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..
- S5 }6 X0 a. \( s5 BOne older man, whom the pastor recognized
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
wasn't leaving.
- k  {) Q2 G- {3 uThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
1 B# @( [7 q/ h7 U2 w7 Athe front wall because it was identical to one
that his wife had made years ago when
they lived in Austria before the war and how
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
/ b- w2 q& Z, ?, Q& @6 L! AH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
9 G' Z8 k7 @' Bsupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
$ D& b; Z& k: y8 ?2 k% Q% {put in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home
8 Z% J; w. P2 z9 U: ^again all the 35 years between.
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
& t1 W' N* J8 P! h/ g" otake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
/ ^. B9 S. p4 e- mIsland and to the same house where the pastor
had taken the woman three days earlier.
He helped the man climb the three flights of
$ C8 G0 s: N% T9 Lstairs 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
/ `' T( B; Z) Z$ B3 t& p& X/ e% owho says God does work in mysterious ways.
I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
9 \+ R. d. p" ?' ayou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
! \7 q' o. O) o2 O7 L( n* r+ malong your way. His love is always with you. His
' _( k( Z+ x2 ]3 A3 h& ypromises are true, and when we give Him all our
cares we know He will see us through.
, U( k' O2 b* V; [S o when the road you're traveling seems
" o/ K' o  y( \( F6 xdifficult at best, just remember I'm here
praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
; a4 f0 \: l, Eto those you want God to bless and remember
, B+ h6 J; e+ O5 j. k$ bto send it back to the one who asked God to bless
4 @) g% P+ U9 h6 P# ?you first.
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
3 o0 G9 B) x& ^' N9 E( ?seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
say the following small prayer for the person
4 h) K8 B: A8 T: }3 ~  O* ^' d9 ]who sent this to you.
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
; m& f( [; o( w( T2 G+ Gever it is that You know they may be needing this
' N, D0 V; a' C, Bday! May their lives be full of Your peace,
& t; y) n2 h6 X1 p8 c. B  ]8 }prosperity and power as they seek to have a
closer relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!