The Tablecloth

propeller

Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason


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% ^7 p; T6 u" w5 M% n+ L The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
to their first ministry, to reopen a church
0 r5 O* O. U: k! ?: x8 Min suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
excited about their opportunities. When they saw
their church, it was very run down and needed
: }: I/ W% Q. {much work. They set a goal to have everything
! \' V& J$ n0 a4 o7 D+ [6 Bdone in time to have their first service
on Christmas Eve.
0 N9 I1 r* F& ~8 ~T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
; f! O6 |! x2 [' ~% G2 O, Z# Bpainting, etc, and on December 18
were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
; _0 _* s$ n/ {1 ^% [7 y7 zO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
2 p3 I! _0 }; }6 orainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
# \. v; i, ?! K0 m" y0 ^, C5 D! c, W" y O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
5 [1 Z; B0 J2 e) }$ m' a" _His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
9 U: \2 n) B; K6 V; ?& s* U) j20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
% s' v# Q* P; A6 {3 Q9 `of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
beginning about head high.
$ v* x: {  W' \' x$ M" D( L. V* h5 qT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
and not knowing what else to do but postpone
% f, y; L2 Y+ t* M: Vthe Christmas Eve service, headed home.
* ]  }( M8 z. W" l7 B2 e8 M( YOn 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,
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
& _8 R. j0 d0 R& kembroidered 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
' j. s$ F0 `" l3 J+ ewoman running from the opposite direction was
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
. A. u1 ]  n: h* Jinvited her to wait in the warm church for
# a, L7 M$ K8 h- V( s6 ^6 vthe next bus 45 minutes later.

2 C; y/ E$ O6 gShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
8 o2 s4 l7 x4 zwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
: G# f3 M: F* l0 O1 w) j; hup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
0 a! \7 N! v# y* L8 U0 acould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
) f! G1 R/ h6 U: yT hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
, A/ q' W% ^+ [- Ushe asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
: J, M( J, [" w' h4 @4 l4 HThe pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
7 Z) E# `/ ~9 \( v5 @it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
& g6 N. C8 C+ K0 Y' e) umade this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
" i' M. Z9 M* cT he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
+ V; R8 g+ a/ L/ ?! g# @woman explained that before the war she and
/ @, l% u) ^/ _' |her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .

- c' u2 w4 o4 WWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
, d9 r. o3 d) [% uHer husband was going to follow her the next week.
# U8 K5 v3 q# d4 x: oHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
8 U" s/ q. ?+ h1 U9 X% Mhusband or her home again.
8 ]" S$ W# q! @8 \5 }1 _: |T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
+ Y! o2 n# S; S0 E) x% \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
) K+ M9 v; g8 P! Uside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
for the day for a housecleaning job.
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
4 b- w$ ~% y' O* fEve. The church was almost full. The music and the
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
% N! I: I# i) r; C  F8 I- Bpastor 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
2 X% @9 D7 Z7 v: cpews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
3 u( b9 `  @( I; c2 hwasn't leaving.
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
8 e' V6 I% A# p% G8 c% c( `the front wall because it was identical to one
  }5 {- j' |4 J  \" e9 W; bthat his wife had made years ago when
- ?3 u) y1 K. l9 Uthey lived in Austria before the war and how
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
, E/ X$ s; H# ]# U% k% t  U$ Z  XH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
9 {- g+ {4 S0 X- J" H' Qforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
* }) J8 |4 D+ g$ d( \supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
put in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home
5 P/ r% L( a% magain all the 35 years between.
. h. x# s: m# xT he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
; [+ W4 \( \! i. vtake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
' F3 V$ B( i: N1 H7 k9 N; Q9 W( @Island and to the same house where the pastor
4 W* M1 T  n! i: m4 S; |had taken the woman three days earlier.
! G: k# [; M. Q5 ]0 OHe helped the man climb the three flights of
stairs 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
+ A4 j4 T3 q/ {- Qwho says God does work in mysterious ways.
; W7 P4 c, R9 b! ^- PI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
. e- G1 q$ x, ^you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
+ v) r4 f5 H' c0 M# valong your way. His love is always with you. His
7 f$ `2 N' r# X: }# Hpromises are true, and when we give Him all our
; t6 x5 o  |/ n9 a! m: q6 b2 ^: mcares we know He will see us through.
9 n6 u/ e' w+ {8 @. @3 pS o when the road you're traveling seems
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
' P( Y' V+ L" Zpraying 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
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
say the following small prayer for the person
4 M) o5 m$ v  s& _9 _, Awho sent this to you.
0 Y% l" l% s  [& n) h7 |& pFather, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
3 ]' u, R. }3 {* K* Lever it is that You know they may be needing this
day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
prosperity and power as they seek to have a
# [; D3 F; [' m: J3 N. P5 f  R3 h* kcloser relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!