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
7 h. G; g/ L$ r& Q2 T; c; }to their first ministry, to reopen a church
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
! U5 w4 V* {+ Yexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
their church, it was very run down and needed
much work. They set a goal to have everything
/ p9 n( @3 t4 L- g; D# vdone in time to have their first service
- b1 ~, }+ m) q& g4 @* w$ h6 Hon Christmas Eve.
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
painting, etc, and on December 18
were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
7 {  x5 R! ^) P, j7 M8 a8 IO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
$ `4 V& s) j% D$ j4 @7 u4 U9 trainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
9 q- f( k5 Z, v7 y! _ O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
" P% {* `' L5 ~0 t8 eHis heart sank when he saw that the roof had
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
9 W" |/ f) ~/ u" l9 @1 N20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
# k: G  Z2 q% [9 @& f( @of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
! i0 z3 O3 o# T0 K: Xbeginning about head high.
9 N* a4 ]. x0 h& u3 qT he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
and not knowing what else to do but postpone
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
5 N: M( p! K/ l  h1 ]On the way he noticed that a local business was
2 ?. Q! q+ C+ o& L/ Ehaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
) s% T4 a# r; H+ z) b% E2 {4 _' z) Uhandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
; j' l$ f$ ?2 d. S0 L- E, Oembroidered right in the center. It was just  
  b7 C: d! k) u# A7 w  o" m
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4 E) }4 \" u( S% O* r) }9 uthe 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
- s. I% v. Q- y5 k3 A- f3 e' }woman running from the opposite direction was
$ g* k5 p& W. q) H( \6 Z3 ^trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
invited her to wait in the warm church for
the next bus 45 minutes later.

She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
& x9 y9 ~2 _+ J' L$ l; F( \while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
& v  H/ t1 m8 GT hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
+ o; P; p3 c: J. s7 J6 w2 eaisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
3 n) H1 g* H, c5 O! f7 }  e  @she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
2 z- j( y8 }' u0 S  v6 D2 l" c4 NThe pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
* Z$ J, K* O$ P% q8 b( Gthe lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
$ A) }* {8 Q# g  `+ p! Vit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
made 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
woman explained that before the war she and
3 U" n! q8 q+ t8 kher husband were well-to-do people in Austria .

! p  R  |0 q4 j# c- y0 V) E8 y( L0 SWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
/ \! S9 ]' k. h5 `He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
) V+ C: B1 G! mhusband or her home again.
5 E2 J+ M4 Y" ]+ mT 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
8 a( v* ], V7 W; [9 k& h  x2 M5 Yside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
: F" q) |' Q6 T+ T/ e# o/ ffor the day for a housecleaning job.
' ?  m+ ~% x& P; Q4 J  o9 yW hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
. J8 b" O' ?" P0 }: U  xEve. The church was almost full. The music and the
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
6 s; e- g; {, ]and many said that they would return..
0 e5 ~& a* c) F: x7 F. vOne older man, whom the pastor recognized
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
8 N  m5 f* ~& n% `9 Mpews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
wasn't leaving.
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
+ s8 h: f! a$ q, {/ \) A8 K  Pthe front wall because it was identical to one
that his wife had made years ago when
" _* A" d# a* T5 ?5 pthey lived in Austria before the war and how
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
8 ^! c) ?* k+ z% f3 k+ x5 gH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
0 T+ z0 e2 Y5 n5 @4 L* ]7 p) Aforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
3 E0 ^% W1 J3 H3 E1 }& ?put in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home
again all the 35 years between.
7 j' m- M' T( n- TT he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
% l. e1 J9 P+ Itake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
' g9 R) H$ \% ?+ EIsland and to the same house where the pastor
had taken the woman three days earlier.
) L- j" o: X% b. oHe helped the man climb the three flights of
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
  E2 n" e7 F- @the door and he saw the greatest Christmas
reunion he could ever imagine.
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
7 u5 E8 @: X  \& L' r- ?- iwho says God does work in mysterious ways.
I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
2 l( ^4 f9 N+ B/ h- o- N+ }0 Pyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
( N; C1 v6 l. ?- yalong your way. His love is always with you. His
promises are true, and when we give Him all our
+ ]' S! B5 I# R& D: A6 ycares we know He will see us through.
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
4 H6 H& G0 q. x8 k  S4 mto those you want God to bless and remember
to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
. Q' \# s. g% j8 G9 }  B4 T& t( Jyou first.
3 ~- n! B. Z2 Y$ v: {W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
3 E4 k) z* I) e+ ]; w7 wseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
say the following small prayer for the person
) U& M" z5 v7 ], \6 \: C4 }) vwho sent this to you.
' M) Q) L4 ]% rFather, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
  d' ~1 b( [2 u& tever it is that You know they may be needing this
day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
4 E% `5 M; I1 r- `# d$ Lprosperity and power as they seek to have a
$ M! G2 B" {* W# `( G7 Tcloser relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!