Fw: The Tablecloth (Inspirational Story)

[Guest guest]

My Dear Sai Brothers & Sisters,

 

Here is a.......true story that I would like to share with you all.

 

Sai Ram,

 

Denaz

 

 

 

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 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 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 house cleaning 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 just remember to pray and God will do the

rest.

 

Pass this on to those you want God to bless.

 

Om Sai Ram........May Swami shower his blessings on all of you.

 

 

_______________

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