[Faith-talk] the tablecloth

Thu Mar 27 03:12:00 UTC 2014

I always have enjoyed reading that story.

-----Original Message----- 
From: Snow White Dove
Sent: Monday, January 6, 2014 5:50 PM
To: Faith-talk,for the discussion of faith and religion
Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] the tablecloth

I love it too.

It makes you realize that nothing is impossible with GOD.

Jenny
On Jan 5, 2014, at 8:19 PM, Amy Ragain <belovedconsecrated2god at gmail.com> 
wrote:

> sorry for the late response.
>
> I love! love! love! this story!! no matter how many times I hear it it 
> always manages to make me cry or at least get teary eyed...
>
> On Dec 11, 2013, at 5:25 PM, Rob Kaiser wrote:
>
>> Please read and pass on.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason
>> 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 church.
>> 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 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 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
>> 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.
>> He was captured, sent to prison and she 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 in all the 35 years 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.
>>
>>
>>
>> T rue story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
>> who says God does 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 we know He will see us through.
>>
>>
>>
>> So 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
>> to send it back to the one who asked God to bless
>> you first.
>>
>>
>>
>> When 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
>> who sent this to you.
>>
>>
>>
>> Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
>> ever 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
>>
>> closer relationship with You. Amen.
>>
>>
>>
>> Then send it on to five other people, including the
>> one who sent it to you. Within hours five people have
>> prayed for you and you caused a multitude of people
>> to pray for other people. Then, sit back and watch the
>> power of God work in your life.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> P. S. Five is good, but more is better.
>>
>> --
>>
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>>
>> <http://www.avast.com/> http://www.avast.com/
>>
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>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
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