The Table Cloth – A Christmas Story Beautiful story…. makes you understand th…

The Table Cloth – A Christmas Story

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 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 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
centeraisle. 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 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 romises 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. Pass this on to those you want God to bless and don't forget
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 you
this.

Father, God, bless all my friends and family in what ever it is that
You know they may be needing this day! May their life be full of your
peace, prosperity and power as he/she seeks 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.