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2 v) w k; k f$ _& g7 P The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned * Q3 ]# ?7 B. I* x2 B8 }
to their first ministry, to reopen a church 0 k0 \+ E) d( H/ w" k
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
& e2 Z+ R) g+ K5 ^# s9 N1 U' bexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
6 T0 m/ ~5 d* wtheir church, it was very run down and needed ( X/ A4 U4 B4 n: \
much work. They set a goal to have everything Y% j* d' W' @$ a% h% P
done in time to have their first service 4 n! D5 y" K6 o. ?/ d7 A
on Christmas Eve. 3 Z( _' ^: r5 K ~
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,7 j) q- [% u8 f! m
painting, etc, and on December 18 # r; b9 Y9 w) F. |* O
were ahead of schedule and just about finished. : r3 ], L5 e( ? ?, V/ x
O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving 5 V6 }6 Z5 w F! ]
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
( D! {2 X; g' k* Q) q" w3 s O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
5 J- \1 r3 @) b$ L) g5 }1 ^0 KHis heart sank when he saw that the roof had
2 }9 [% g! g# w3 U; lleaked, causing a large area of plaster about " {5 `; R* ~/ n: S* \6 m$ s @
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall 2 ~% U! y8 U C8 Q- t7 p8 C
of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
/ d ?* A* P2 {% M% ?; I7 l7 h5 Abeginning about head high.
! D+ b& l5 T1 I U5 U" T4 ST he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
, C4 I% e3 {% `0 nand not knowing what else to do but postpone # T! b; m; z/ j& W8 r
the Christmas Eve service, headed home. ; H2 D. ]6 F4 d F8 v% i
On the way he noticed that a local business was 2 Z; g6 V! P: {# m
having a flea market type sale for charity, so he
7 h' E: \% d. U* _- t1 T0 qstopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, - w5 ?. a+ v& h4 k8 X
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth 0 N% z2 m5 m) w3 v8 a8 o) ]+ Z
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
) H d) o x+ t( t1 o) ?5 c& sembroidered right in the center. It was just
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/ L# J0 i, @* A; Ithe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church.
3 s, @. @3 u, Q: i/ k' w2 KB y this time it had started to snow. An older
* P. A ~( `- O3 d) S2 C! J ]3 Gwoman running from the opposite direction was . B3 u) l7 Q3 }* N! w! G0 m
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor - v, P0 h0 }/ S
invited her to wait in the warm church for ) v+ W; P. g0 L7 l* p
the next bus 45 minutes later. . U% F7 l& k1 K4 g9 k# F% @+ O2 v
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She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor " X- \7 S2 n1 w5 ]) G' l7 O: N
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put " v$ @: e A0 y
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
+ a; H% K2 V6 I. i+ }+ k7 m# I4 C1 u' ~could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. 1 _7 b1 ^( b$ H' A$ \# x7 r7 t" [
T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center& i$ j6 t7 h7 ~4 v% a& T& K' n3 \
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,", j" t( Q& S# C- W9 L p
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" ( e% Y' ]2 h# F3 \ H" I. t
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check! l5 j) {5 h/ n# y1 \5 c4 X
the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
# u5 M' S$ k9 U! \) Cit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had : M, s- V, t6 w3 B9 S. I8 {# B
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria . ( E! t2 X4 b5 u
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor , z2 M/ K1 n# M. e
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
: A ~# t3 V% Q7 G, b! c) ~- owoman explained that before the war she and : v0 Z" h* L* W# F( n
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria . 5 `4 ^# C3 a2 L6 ^$ S2 l. c1 Y
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When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
. |5 o( d( ^. l8 y" g" \Her husband was going to follow her the next week. 6 u7 Q& D- Y; w7 ^+ L' A" P, p
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
- S ?! b# A; p/ W; n! chusband or her home again.
5 ]* H, ~; P, j! A$ D: aT he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
& a% X) O% {; h/ g8 M( Xbut she made the pastor keep it for the church.. [; K% l5 z1 _+ a3 R- P0 C! K
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That
' Z' v1 ~- O( hwas the least he could do. She lived on the other
& [3 K0 M7 t3 {$ k( h# ^side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn
) q- c4 b3 P' k/ U8 mfor the day for a housecleaning job.
P! O& h4 {/ P' kW hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
$ E: ~# |2 m" REve. The church was almost full. The music and the - I: J; G* c0 }# d6 ]. S
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
: D0 `/ M8 G/ h" F; r6 g! qpastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door 1 e' K% k: k* `# [( W
and many said that they would return.. 4 Z7 s5 M( @9 l$ {& V* Z
One older man, whom the pastor recognized
7 N5 f# F4 r1 C0 m7 p; Vfrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the T1 v( Z6 o& L# T% z2 V* D
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he / _+ `( S- T$ Y& ^1 p4 b- h
wasn't leaving.
4 Y% p4 `/ W9 C$ V% QThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on ( z1 ~& Y2 S2 E( p& Q
the front wall because it was identical to one & l9 ] W/ k; T! ?2 F2 E; A' y
that his wife had made years ago when
( c7 y7 j- ^ \they lived in Austria before the war and how
3 D8 P. t/ U: Dcould there be two tablecloths so much alike?
, Z7 @8 e1 b2 M% IH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
1 w5 `! s+ J; F' @forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was 0 A3 ]$ N# H+ _# m, V7 Z# J
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
7 X1 {2 l( l; H2 Y3 e: C; s0 L4 P) ~- [; Rput in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home. G1 h. E5 h( D2 t u
again all the 35 years between. ' @2 \! ^& O" t* i7 \
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to & A2 t+ y5 v$ O- q l+ E" `( }
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten % Y) N3 K# A* J3 v7 `4 O( L
Island and to the same house where the pastor
: z& {2 h9 R; R% G* Hhad taken the woman three days earlier.
# ^# q' b) l& cHe helped the man climb the three flights of
# Q; n! ~# ]* B7 M6 `3 rstairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
L7 R; L/ y; d: z \7 v. @the door and he saw the greatest Christmas
9 G8 P2 S8 Y: s# z! }reunion he could ever imagine.' c6 M: q, h. x, B% }5 ^% f$ z' V
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
5 t# h) d ?0 _. L: b4 t" K* @who says God does work in mysterious ways.
5 J8 J, j9 k' \2 gI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
) Z }0 ~; A0 q# z; byou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
( ]' W* p2 A; }: l4 j" oalong your way. His love is always with you. His K4 I9 _/ U( [: p |: ~
promises are true, and when we give Him all our
, B3 f/ j/ \+ J1 t1 K$ d* a; Dcares we know He will see us through. ) A" S, N; I7 w! t- S+ `
S o when the road you're traveling seems / S a d8 x; N4 s1 q+ E
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
& ^: R& n) N8 }2 ]# q0 apraying and God will do the rest. Pass this on - J' ?* @8 a8 J) ?! H; V
to those you want God to bless and remember
4 I3 {( }- j8 u8 rto send it back to the one who asked God to bless
4 p# A6 w; z8 Yyou first.
, k* j9 }% r+ W8 R7 Q% zW hen there is nothing left but God, that is when6 e+ Q- t" o0 q" |# A
you find out that God is all you need Take 607 b9 a6 E( ~" l* a7 G) z0 R- l z
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply7 J# r9 N O4 ^4 }3 d$ n
say the following small prayer for the person - n% w/ {3 U. j4 M2 g
who sent this to you.
7 K) `4 {2 x+ K" _: \$ r5 ?Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what ) h) {- t7 W6 }: f: c' L2 H6 J, T, P
ever it is that You know they may be needing this 1 M$ Q. h# |7 T1 J2 }1 r0 | h8 `
day! May their lives be full of Your peace, : I3 \( S+ P$ U/ V
prosperity and power as they seek to have a
7 T4 f, A* ?; Y! T- Bcloser relationship with You. Amen. |
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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04
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