This was sent to me in email today from a friend and I wanted to share it with you.
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. 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. B y 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 T he 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 doorand 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.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.r
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Mon Oct 20, 2008 7:44 am by ichthus
Subject: Something special to read while having coffee. 
This candle is for all those who need a miracle in 
