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
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
9 I! w% ~: z" T5 O  Q0 fexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
their church, it was very run down and needed
) F+ C' R% D7 `, D! R8 \much work. They set a goal to have everything
done in time to have their first service
0 u2 b8 Z0 e. X% }  x( p8 @on Christmas Eve.
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
4 U# u, i/ C* t( }4 P' |7 Z' @painting, 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.
O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
" d8 |. p5 \1 V5 `0 h9 T6 ^7 {6 ~, @+ ?His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
- y8 }, _: H2 q/ y20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
; q- n1 Q4 L3 Aof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
8 |. l6 Y* L$ vbeginning about head high.
  E4 J$ R' ?' [$ yT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
' X, i0 ~& n/ t. P( zand not knowing what else to do but postpone
1 R3 e9 N1 S) S$ C  c# m- [the 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
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
' I, a* F+ H( Vhandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
. |3 z8 J  k5 a& m% H6 M6 e  Ywith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
8 u+ V& b* A+ |( @, F  Aembroidered 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
( [3 X+ b2 s4 v6 C, N( l6 Zwoman running from the opposite direction was
1 M6 _! A' d& y/ v  Ytrying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
invited her to wait in the warm church for
2 n/ o9 l8 e/ K: `% I2 _: Sthe next bus 45 minutes later.
+ a$ I9 ^, j2 F4 p5 `& i) ~
  T/ b& z) d+ G) C2 ]She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
( ?: B: D2 \0 Q7 cwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
( ~# j8 K6 D# d0 d6 r1 U8 ?! Zup 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?"
+ T6 q" h2 m- b7 N' T4 C0 A4 K2 PThe 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
7 ?4 r/ ]+ N( `& b/ o& amade this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
! ^7 {1 W3 y9 r' `2 q8 U8 w, n9 ywoman explained that before the war she and
, H  p# ]3 S1 Uher husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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& F. x. W! \% ~When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
8 r2 m, B* ?4 ?Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
4 e8 g# Z$ @1 s% @! ~  Y1 ^4 YHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
, l0 \! N, `  Mhusband 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
was the least he could do. She lived on the other
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
7 P  {) t  a$ M1 O: Ofor the day for a housecleaning job.
3 {! ~0 X/ U, A% fW hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
' c* I* E$ H: ?* iEve. The church was almost full. The music and the
' {' G) b; j, A; h: _spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
" {+ k- o" L  g. C* g( ]pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
/ e4 N, b  L  W9 J- S- Hand many said that they would return..
One older man, whom the pastor recognized
0 L' D% m4 G/ T  j- e' g% w! l) M* Zfrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
6 T) \0 e+ M2 t" Gpews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
  ]! ^2 Q) P3 `) u- Rwasn't leaving.
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
( V* A3 `, g0 W6 @the front wall because it was identical to one
  }8 v6 f' {9 F% o  G: Lthat his wife had made years ago when
# \4 E! d; \! Zthey 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
1 {: a+ r6 H3 Pforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
# S. Y/ ]8 o: R7 y1 Asupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
0 t' f2 J! m( a+ bput in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home
, p+ O; ]. h- ?9 @* v( Magain all the 35 years between.
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
/ v# k! b* k0 f' Z' F3 [  g  ZIsland and to the same house where the pastor
2 X' k* T9 R# h4 B7 z0 ]had taken the woman three days earlier.
/ B: c' x/ t* W5 o$ PHe helped the man climb the three flights of
9 h$ X- C; `% e% Y. c( e( J! n9 rstairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
/ e5 O4 s( t, v  b' Sthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas
$ a* ?) ]' z' L+ f) |reunion he could ever imagine.
: |: a/ L4 S3 M$ ^, Q% S8 }T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
who says God does work in mysterious ways.
' _5 l7 a6 i% O8 r! m% _0 r, ZI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
  N+ ]6 T8 ^. K2 w; t/ D# t! cyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
! n, W6 q$ P7 z& T" L3 Qalong your way. His love is always with you. His
% t% m6 r# D1 Upromises are true, and when we give Him all our
cares we know He will see us through.
- a& @' b2 w$ O6 I; r5 wS o when the road you're traveling seems
; i- f6 j2 N4 i, k( b: I. P3 L+ Edifficult at best, just remember I'm here
praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
. c  R. G9 ?, b2 t9 ^to those you want God to bless and remember
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
you first.
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
" g' ^0 x" [$ U+ _say the following small prayer for the person
who sent this to you.
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
, }* r6 E- a9 aever it is that You know they may be needing this
day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
+ Z' Q+ c* K) Q; u* n$ u9 ~prosperity and power as they seek to have a
closer relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!