The Tablecloth

propeller

Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason
/ ]6 v5 ~# B3 j  D- j/ w6 ]
' y3 c5 \& l$ T3 U  M- }
# @3 k$ e/ G& T8 h: i: [$ R% [
7 e; g! ^- ?8 w" h" A The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
to their first ministry, to reopen a church
" w. a, T; V, d$ z7 P3 O1 ~in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
; V2 r6 S8 c/ Z) T- R  `; c, k! x5 hexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
their church, it was very run down and needed
6 w: W3 Y6 S7 l: `, K. t6 X% Dmuch work. They set a goal to have everything
done in time to have their first service
9 f! M7 y0 H6 \. s2 v( Mon Christmas Eve.
9 I' h4 X% c1 Q9 E+ |) w3 v( nT hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
painting, etc, and on December 18
; W. d2 s: {  w( ewere ahead of schedule and just about finished.
7 c8 T& m6 p  ]3 x4 {  IO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
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
' x% P* k" ^$ Z, Lof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
beginning about head high.
T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
and not knowing what else to do but postpone
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
% [7 h9 o/ R3 J6 POn the way he noticed that a local business was
having a flea market type sale for charity, so he
9 g+ `: V* P) F# J% bstopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
+ d& s! _  Z+ f9 Pwith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
embroidered right in the center. It was just  
6 U: `8 \) S, ?* Z
0 S9 \- m3 h* C8 o+ s5 b8 _0 N6 S5 C
" n1 b. S' y9 O$ c# {$ ^

; z4 N/ ^# {6 Z8 r# a

the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
+ ]% L7 x; c+ b) L; X$ ]! A  oB y this time it had started to snow. An older
woman running from the opposite direction was
8 k+ U# `; I  _trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
4 N6 o5 w" B% W( t8 M! p4 linvited her to wait in the warm church for
% Q$ ~  U! `; S1 cthe next bus 45 minutes later.
# c$ Z7 L" q( C) @& D5 A
She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
7 I  V2 p7 d# Xup 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,"
) I7 B% t3 q5 {6 a! L' xshe asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
" x  `- S" a5 Z& L0 SThe 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
) `9 _2 c0 M: y# l1 Umade this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
# r9 h" ?6 Z2 n! w( n$ t9 uT 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
6 M' u$ u" ?" Z" r+ pher husband were well-to-do people in Austria .

When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
6 t& g, _0 j$ _$ d. P% c& m$ ?Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
+ o% R7 D- G3 AHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
9 d: [1 p. Z" s8 |' Chusband or her home again.
: e% u9 x5 I! c: v7 A& ?5 UT he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
! ~# P5 V! }5 H1 P* r4 vThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That
  ?8 L0 S4 _3 m( F' F/ iwas the least he could do. She lived on the other
6 |5 [. a7 I: l  o3 d. Aside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
* ^% v% z: R9 d$ E( C- gfor the day for a housecleaning job.
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
9 e; ^: O; y5 j; R, l$ f3 DEve. The church was almost full. The music and the
9 Q0 u) r/ E/ J$ e/ yspirit 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..
  R9 [4 U+ M2 J0 j4 \$ P6 j/ dOne older man, whom the pastor recognized
7 {6 O8 Z0 y6 ]from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
# X' j/ y/ Z2 d+ iwasn't leaving.
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
the front wall because it was identical to one
that his wife had made years ago when
+ n2 F# e% b' ^5 Hthey lived in Austria before the war and how
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
- N, ?# n+ m  uforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
% X* u  P: f# M0 Gsupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
put in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home
! x  z- P- ?, X! Oagain all the 35 years between.
1 q( ?( \3 h8 I# Y& CT he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
Island and to the same house where the pastor
, O9 z( L2 {2 _  J# v/ t% Qhad taken the woman three days earlier.
/ ?5 ?1 n% Z' R6 r: @, WHe helped the man climb the three flights of
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
: v( w6 r! i  i6 Ithe door and he saw the greatest Christmas
8 i0 E/ m% a9 P# u  T( ~* greunion he could ever imagine.
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
who says God does work in mysterious ways.
8 I. _& e" x* s  n# B, `5 l3 {I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
3 L, g; i: x1 H! jalong your way. His love is always with you. His
1 g. B5 I7 r7 O( ypromises are true, and when we give Him all our
: R" D$ [* G9 dcares we know He will see us through.
  C# J3 [  ?+ \" W( `# mS o when the road you're traveling seems
9 ]. H4 f' c& a, g! Kdifficult at best, just remember I'm here
' D! k9 n7 q! f- ppraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
to those you want God to bless and remember
3 _& n2 S* y5 l& D! L" Q5 wto send it back to the one who asked God to bless
; Q( L' @8 p& c9 s3 j& r. ~' myou first.
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
% J  J7 p9 ?. E' n7 k% X  Xyou find out that God is all you need Take 60
7 H6 K) @" g- {3 Q% {4 _seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
say the following small prayer for the person
who sent this to you.
7 L7 l5 S! S0 n( d2 n3 @" [1 sFather, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
! ~, k% ~. i( N- {9 l$ aever it is that You know they may be needing this
7 \* v& i2 T' V! F% mday! May their lives be full of Your peace,
9 Z5 n2 h9 Y" N4 fprosperity and power as they seek to have a
closer relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!