The Tablecloth

propeller

Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason
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( K$ A! T1 m0 \8 f' u+ r' b The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
# X8 }- ?" r/ c; Z  k1 @, L$ Oto their first ministry, to reopen a church
3 w  \& ~' \0 w; v  tin suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
- u6 E" M5 @& S  r  S( w* ~3 R1 iexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
) ?0 Y. a8 I5 k- _0 Rtheir church, it was very run down and needed
9 s! n( I. J- k# O; i6 v% |much work. They set a goal to have everything
+ d9 ^  F9 J: A4 d7 ?5 W# ^done in time to have their first service
% [# z" s" d; fon Christmas Eve.
  z) j8 X; g( h5 O, aT hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
painting, etc, and on December 18
were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
0 M% r$ |3 t) F/ mO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
  I( m; i+ S0 |9 u8 f! F, h O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
. K/ F$ G9 A# P/ ?8 m# o3 Q5 }His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
- W. g  G5 F7 N( Ileaked, causing a large area of plaster about
" F7 \* G- z" r4 ~1 i+ Y2 T& K20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
  A0 d) f/ O7 k/ dbeginning about head high.
2 [7 x- h, t* y1 }7 s9 HT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
4 k2 d& J; q' j3 N8 Z9 C! |& m1 eand not knowing what else to do but postpone
& V+ f8 G! C4 x/ Bthe Christmas Eve service, headed home.
/ {: H/ `3 ]$ k6 p2 ]! u; ~On the way he noticed that a local business was
, s( V" }" a& P. z! ]0 i) vhaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
embroidered 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.
( X3 ^' q3 `$ i( l( L1 C0 CB y this time it had started to snow. An older
6 x' m% r# ?* o& L  Rwoman running from the opposite direction was
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
" }+ g6 E5 l+ b8 V! O  Finvited her to wait in the warm church for
. R) a+ H4 C7 v* ~( [the next bus 45 minutes later.
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# \, i( J; f, A2 U; WShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
, C% ?3 x" p' E+ b4 q$ p$ ^( Fwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
4 q: X6 T7 e7 d, C1 t! N+ Icould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
: F5 ~  P! v, GT 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?"
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
# N5 L2 V4 V6 git there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
' b; T+ ~8 N' K* P$ F; j0 |: iT he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
# ?; `& @! H* ~# z& d1 atold how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
woman explained that before the war she and
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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. H; \8 v) c) m* |8 q) P$ ]When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
) c7 A' o: g) k4 w' u7 f) fHer husband was going to follow her the next week.
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
husband or her home again.
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
/ N6 O: w8 _1 N! Qbut she made the pastor keep it for the church.
# i6 Y2 r# I# GThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That
was the least he could do. She lived on the other
- r; H6 _( N% p. }5 rside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
: Z8 @3 j; P& j! G4 Zfor 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
. U5 L( ]( M: B: \! a# K7 lspirit were great. At the end of the service, the
3 `2 g0 ~+ y! m+ opastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
and many said that they would return..
One 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.
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
: X0 L8 `9 A0 i  T5 R4 {; Wthey lived in Austria before the war and how
: ^+ Y8 R( G' p; I. Lcould there be two tablecloths so much alike?
! [/ a, K3 r! P5 F% u$ LH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
5 P6 \7 S( U$ `forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
4 @1 J6 C" K5 e7 P# W" Aput in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home
4 J" O' F% T2 hagain 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
$ B- Q7 f% e4 N5 T4 z; }+ a# V% ]Island and to the same house where the pastor
: e4 M& x# G) {- {& _had taken the woman three days earlier.
* w- s& ?1 @/ S4 ]6 m8 kHe helped the man climb the three flights of
7 m. z, }+ R4 X7 P8 P& Cstairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
) r  T) R' i+ k0 q/ s1 ]the door and he saw the greatest Christmas
reunion he could ever imagine.
! z6 ^3 ~  [8 }4 P( y6 [0 W, \T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
+ s! d5 D* ?) r7 Y; {who says God does work in mysterious ways.
/ @$ M7 U  K3 R" C  JI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
! f" }$ c- i. Z6 b$ S; m- myou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
along your way. His love is always with you. His
; j9 S9 F  X. U" L- g5 Tpromises are true, and when we give Him all our
$ R6 i7 u! a- l& u7 Mcares we know He will see us through.
# o/ ?* E0 E) _S o when the road you're traveling seems
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
to those you want God to bless and remember
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
) t( c; q: d  [/ H& i" ?you first.
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
. \1 y" x2 g, L! e( i/ ~you find out that God is all you need Take 60
/ l6 X; L. K& }  L8 Z$ u8 qseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
1 f. {3 k1 c8 csay the following small prayer for the person
% t, B: z9 Q  x2 f( u" E) b, a; rwho sent this to you.
& o0 @6 L& Q4 m7 Z" A& TFather, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
ever it is that You know they may be needing this
0 M" ~1 M4 P" j7 X4 s, u& Lday! May their lives be full of Your peace,
0 _' D% A% n1 p$ }prosperity and power as they seek to have a
closer relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!