The Tablecloth

[bfez1]

THE TABLECLOTH
>> >
>> > The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first
>> > ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in
>> >early
>> > October excited about their opportunities.
>> >
>> > When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much
>> > work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have
>> >their
>> > first
>> > service on Christmas Eve.
>> >
>> > They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting,
>> >etc.,
>> > and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about
>> >finished.
>> >
>> > On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm hit the
>> >area
>> > and lasted for two days.
>> >
>> > On the 21st, the pastor went over to the chur! ch. His heart sank
>> >when
>> > he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster
>> > about 20
>> > feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just
>> > behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.
>> >
>> > The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing
>> >what
>> > else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
>> >On
>> > 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 embroidered right in the
>> > center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the
>> >front
>> > wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.
>> >
>> > By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from
>> >the
>> > opposite direction was trying to catch th! e 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 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.
>> >
>> > Then 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 it there.
>> >They
>> > were.
>> > These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this
>> > tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria.
>> >
>> > The 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
>> > her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis
>> >came,
>> > she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the
>> >next
>> > week.
>> > She was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or
>> >her
>> > home again.
>> >
>> > The 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 side of Staten
>> >Island
>> > and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.
>> >
>> > What 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 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
>> > they lived
>> > in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths
>> >so
>> > much alike.
>> >
>> > He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to
>> >flee
>> > for her safety, and he was supposed to follow her, but he was
>> > arrested and
>> > put in a prison.. He never saw his wife or his home again all the
>> >35
>> > years in between.
>> >
>> > The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a
>> >little
>> > ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where
>> >the
>> > pastor had taken the woman three days earlier.
>> >
>> > He 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.
>> >
>> > True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
>> >
>> > Who says God does not work in mysterious ways..
>> >
>> > I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for you today. To guide
>> >you
>> > and protect you as you go along your way. His love is always
>> >with
>> > you, His promises are true, and when we give Him all our cares
>> >you
>> > know He will see us through. So when the road you're traveling
>> >on
>> > seems difficult at best.. Just remember I'm here praying and God
>> >will
>> > do the rest.
>> >
>> >