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
. a2 M4 Y* Y: x/ K& z% dexcited about their opportunities. When they saw
5 ?% X6 {% d2 U. I# L& g3 w  ttheir church, it was very run down and needed
% Q* k" ~$ ?) K$ m% N1 |much work. They set a goal to have everything
done in time to have their first service
7 \3 u! A0 P) p: i3 Bon Christmas Eve.
' L- h& S, R; M- O5 MT hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
# B& j4 f" K; }& x$ U, {+ e6 u. Vpainting, etc, and on December 18
, Y' ]5 O' p. G! ]  ~* W$ Lwere ahead of schedule and just about finished.
4 s% t* L4 m. m& p+ h$ kO n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
% c) Z" G* I# e7 K# \- X O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
; H7 t. W2 i" M3 k" c9 d9 qleaked, causing a large area of plaster about
; O9 U8 V3 a- \  ]20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
beginning about head high.
T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
9 E% B: e& p" {9 I8 Z$ mand not knowing what else to do but postpone
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
9 i- A6 Q* m9 E- R. z. p, q9 e: AOn the way he noticed that a local business was
& X2 u0 w, a% k; I1 z& `having a flea market type sale for charity, so he
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
% E9 V: R  B5 hhandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
( _' i8 g5 a$ H! B5 |! dwith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
embroidered right in the center. It was just  

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- a6 f- w) n% u  n/ v! g' m  zthe 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
* M* b$ d" G4 Q8 s6 Swoman running from the opposite direction was
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
: u* r; K9 u1 d7 L" p+ ^invited her to wait in the warm church for
the next bus 45 minutes later.

3 i/ l/ y; ]8 `  Q  z* CShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
' @. T5 L$ J, O" t5 ~* ^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.
% u" V/ L) C0 L9 Y7 h5 T, @T hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
! K& d" j' y4 Q1 @0 S' j8 {7 Raisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
' b6 |7 @4 W# S" O$ CThe 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
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
1 i! s, k5 Q' I6 _2 W. Etold how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
woman explained that before the war she and
& w* _" |. B0 Bher husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
' X4 D2 O9 y) s1 gHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
1 |) U1 d0 ?' `# x/ k% D& ?husband or her home again.
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
. [  A; S  E% \8 e' mbut she made the pastor keep it for the church.
9 e8 z1 m6 X% ~5 \" ~0 {* ]( \! q0 NThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That
2 b- `7 F+ f4 ]7 |( W% b, ]& twas the least he could do. She lived on the other
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
for 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
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
and many said that they would return..
One older man, whom the pastor recognized
4 u/ f! y" L; e% U4 cfrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
6 I: J. ]" i, K$ P8 ywasn't leaving.
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
the front wall because it was identical to one
  P  W' U$ I7 P' v4 M0 n4 O; ]" v4 xthat his wife had made years ago when
6 ~( k2 s. k% J! d& Vthey lived in Austria before the war and how
; z+ D9 a  Q8 u# F: [/ i$ Dcould there be two tablecloths so much alike?
H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
2 W+ @# r, s6 I4 |4 ~- w0 ?forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
  X" }& u1 F) x/ }' Asupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
9 y' g6 Q2 X1 i8 e$ R( u& M& u" \put in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home
6 [( `! p6 u& D4 m  g" N: Magain all the 35 years between.
0 [: ]$ O: ~/ u9 F" z, |T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
+ S9 e! G' j, CIsland and to the same house where the pastor
had taken the woman three days earlier.
# j+ Q. k$ W+ |1 eHe helped the man climb the three flights of
" a1 r" |7 z# M3 `0 _- N) Ystairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
0 A+ r8 X  {" T- `" fthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas
! I" X- O& K$ areunion he could ever imagine.
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
& S0 \- T" l7 k6 T" f8 R- dwho says God does work in mysterious ways.
- F$ w2 N+ w# B8 n3 dI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
+ Z$ b) F& o4 B' ]6 ^8 b+ Zyou today, to guide you and protect you as you go
: S; X' h# t" S: c+ h2 oalong your way. His love is always with you. His
promises are true, and when we give Him all our
6 a( ?7 ]8 h# ncares we know He will see us through.
' _% ^. L3 q* mS 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
# ~, m3 |# G: B4 P  _% eto send it back to the one who asked God to bless
5 j- T. X4 g4 W# @. F8 u6 syou first.
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
) j! F) ?0 N4 s" |; n0 Y/ L$ Xyou find out that God is all you need Take 60
- F) U( P- b9 n# U0 }: B: zseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
9 H/ G$ M7 `0 F7 q6 Isay the following small prayer for the person
* `3 w  i/ ?% d5 \" p$ ^% }who sent this to you.
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
  q! g2 Q. j: S/ Y8 F2 ^ever it is that You know they may be needing this
$ R0 U& A4 ^' M/ o: B& F3 hday! May their lives be full of Your peace,
; f# ?; {! {- B+ G/ B3 [prosperity and power as they seek to have a
& }% Z: }9 E9 }6 q* F+ V- icloser relationship with You. Amen.

anne

thank you for your good story!