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The Tablecloth

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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04 | 显示全部楼层 |阅读模式
老杨团队,追求完美;客户至上,服务到位!
Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason
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The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
- P5 U% t; n: ?to their first ministry, to reopen a church ' [4 v; n) W' {
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October 1 W( X7 x# x# O
excited about their opportunities. When they saw
! f* N9 ?7 k( C( O$ A/ Z* Z6 xtheir church, it was very run down and needed
) ?# ?2 a& V( ]+ \0 w+ wmuch work. They set a goal to have everything
7 T" Z! Q6 R# n1 o# odone in time to have their first service 3 z6 p( f4 }' d7 B
on Christmas Eve. + s# w* p- I& N8 W8 q
T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,7 S2 ^9 m8 y2 X( z3 y" b6 e! h
painting, etc, and on December 18 $ m$ Y' p9 ~, y$ D1 q
were ahead of schedule and just about finished. $ U# T0 O: o. D% U8 C* o
O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
; i& c# J8 a6 s: v. c- u2 H- |' y! Arainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
8 \( a2 |7 R: i' ^0 ~ O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.- I( Z% ~* h$ c. C: H
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
; o% e% i, t! M* U7 Lleaked, causing a large area of plaster about + a/ Q( U. Z1 P3 ~1 E1 z
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall " E! t' C1 q$ n& @, O5 A
of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
2 u+ s: P* L* b  o$ Mbeginning about head high. # I, @' Q  B9 M( c# q1 U
T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
  C  E: J" v* P9 }" b: \+ xand not knowing what else to do but postpone : F% w% i6 U9 j  Z8 v
the Christmas Eve service, headed home. 1 t) p6 Y) l& y! F6 B3 \
On the way he noticed that a local business was 8 d( F- c8 i& o( s
having a flea market type sale for charity, so he ! j% b! {3 V9 I& t' a
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
: \- Y5 l6 s1 E7 fhandmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
+ o3 F' v* F3 X% Awith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross - }* h: w/ {' }. Q! a# k
embroidered right in the center. It was just  2 u2 p5 \0 a  Y6 X* }# f" V1 g

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8 x, F: O9 @# ?# t  i' Lthe right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church. ) y! ]6 R9 N6 G
B y this time it had started to snow. An older
+ K) S/ Q  s+ k" j+ @  [woman running from the opposite direction was % j. o# R2 A2 ?' x4 a* A. J# x; x
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
9 |2 X$ j( T" {4 N4 Ginvited her to wait in the warm church for
9 m# M5 H8 F$ I# Z& j  vthe next bus 45 minutes later. / Y' E: x( O9 l* R/ D) X4 A4 A+ |" v

+ `1 r# {0 {7 z' Y- vShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
* c1 O8 O6 g2 j* \9 F8 cwhile he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put , w# B1 E$ O9 |* U/ J. X- Y
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
2 v: f. \  U$ xcould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
# }6 _4 z! \7 R+ e2 N$ M- cT hen he noticed the woman walking down the center2 m5 C' o6 Y0 T8 _7 H9 }! Q& e# q2 p
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
3 z& Z9 D- J: y1 gshe asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" 7 {+ _- g  R; M6 P7 z  J
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check# T, U6 n6 i% m5 k8 ^% j
the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
$ `2 Z: A' ?- ~: P* s  _6 O3 Uit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had 7 l; l0 p- c( k# J( q# e% k
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria . ' Z# I2 s9 Z' \1 G% Q: Z
T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor 7 |# b, ]. P! ^6 ^1 J
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
; f2 \( s! T8 T, K8 k- Xwoman explained that before the war she and
5 J9 F) D; T0 X+ t. q* E& Bher husband were well-to-do people in Austria .
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( o8 p3 c' s; _& a9 m' S. IWhen the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. # `) {/ u. X" F! O" D: W
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
1 o6 W  J- h8 d+ g: GHe was captured, sent to prison and never saw her 4 ]% _/ [2 k8 C+ B
husband or her home again. 6 C4 c. e, |/ ^, |3 o& K, N$ x
T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
- [+ r3 j# ]- b) O1 H" v5 ?, {but she made the pastor keep it for the church.# U' t2 f! @/ X1 I) q4 l
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That
5 q1 x6 W: s1 R% `7 z9 i/ \was the least he could do. She lived on the other
* T) ^* K) ]( Oside of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  
) M4 S9 R' d0 r0 k! x) u4 i$ afor the day for a housecleaning job.  G7 a; s/ d+ W
W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas * Z/ O1 Y% ~5 h, {# i3 B8 N
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the & [3 n/ H  V3 }9 A! o% l
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the ( @7 F8 R2 Q5 R9 ?; e! S
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
2 R) s0 E+ S  r! xand many said that they would return..
. L0 v0 E3 Z9 n9 X$ yOne older man, whom the pastor recognized
' ?) y$ ?4 ?3 b' Q( g6 h6 h( Tfrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
5 A/ K) x: ~. d. v6 Hpews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
8 N/ ?* }3 U- _8 {2 j' Ywasn't leaving.
& W% r! L: g% `$ M3 B/ c0 G5 gThe man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
$ Z0 X/ j( H* G8 ?" Qthe front wall because it was identical to one
8 K, b5 M$ T3 |2 V/ j. X; N" U# L6 ^0 Dthat his wife had made years ago when
& q! s" }( |) Zthey lived in Austria before the war and how
, ?5 `- f* |6 B" x* M1 Ycould there be two tablecloths so much alike?
- E/ ]$ Z; p# K2 _7 CH e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
  q6 Y3 }6 `2 a% H6 N% `3 R4 K  eforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
  w4 W3 b; f( I% y+ S# @supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and, @6 z7 m% o' a# w0 Q& u, P$ M- o
put in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home  I) ^  b/ e# M. x+ P, u
again all the 35 years between. - S1 F7 G" j" }8 ?4 q5 y
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
: n- v8 {9 F" l9 m6 rtake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
9 e6 G* Q- H+ E' \, SIsland and to the same house where the pastor ; \' X) J9 G" S7 r+ r
had taken the woman three days earlier. ; K3 Y' @  u9 ~6 R4 l  ?- ~8 i3 a
He helped the man climb the three flights of
3 p, c. y6 y/ xstairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
6 U9 U/ W! z" n/ zthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas * t1 a/ i( d0 G  U8 Z# ^
reunion he could ever imagine.
7 ]" V  k* B$ [" \" \T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid " g4 _1 W( m  J! N) \* `$ B
who says God does work in mysterious ways.
. f" u$ b0 I, G9 ?  b3 v7 o7 a. ~I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for : V$ W: K$ x5 v. P1 r# @
you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
- j, e3 m# |. _3 Halong your way. His love is always with you. His
# [2 ~* w# C0 l) f! lpromises are true, and when we give Him all our
! v' ?( @7 t% c3 g, F: fcares we know He will see us through. 9 X, Y# a8 Q! f
S o when the road you're traveling seems
$ k+ t. i1 H/ F# O: K, `" f" j0 edifficult at best, just remember I'm here 0 \; U  b/ ]9 j# X
praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
. `3 f5 _3 M1 d$ U+ P  B0 lto those you want God to bless and remember
% m# J5 M9 k  Uto send it back to the one who asked God to bless
3 O/ D" e. }3 d6 W1 i2 D5 vyou first.
1 W9 E! Y- A1 Q8 dW hen there is nothing left but God, that is when3 p6 l  Y5 {: E( r6 j
you find out that God is all you need Take 60
# {/ n* j. q( s' E& U$ v# Dseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply' X* ^! r. G# D0 o9 x" H
say the following small prayer for the person
) T* m! L2 t6 ^3 Hwho sent this to you.& \5 U. o, x4 Q' ?
Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what ( F% y' s6 R2 X! h+ Q
ever it is that You know they may be needing this . C* C) G0 ~) L9 c1 g6 M' ]
day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
  q( ^, h( J: D8 P& Tprosperity and power as they seek to have a + z& X9 m7 x* R; N  h% B8 k3 K0 _" [
closer relationship with You. Amen.
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发表于 2009-10-30 15:24 | 显示全部楼层
thank you for your good story!
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