This Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason
The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assignedto their first ministry,
to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early Octoberexcited about
their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed
much work. They set a goal to have everythingdone in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18were 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 hadleaked, causing a large
area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of thesanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,and not knowing what else to do but postponethe Christmas Eve service, headed home.On the way he noticed that a local business washaving 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 Crossembroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the frontwall. He bought it and headed back to the church. B y this time it had started to snow. An olderwoman running from the opposite direction wastrying to catch the bus.. She missed it. The pastorinvited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus. 45 minutes later… S he sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor,while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to putup the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastorcould hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. T hen 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 hadmade this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. Thewoman 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 herhusband or her home again. T he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church.The pastor insisted on driving her home, thatwas the least he could do.. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklynfor the day for a housecleaning job. W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and thespirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the doorand many said that they would return.
One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of thepews 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 onethat his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how
could there be two tablecloths so much alike. H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how heforced 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 homeagain all the 35 years in between. The pastor asked him if he would allow him totake him for a little ride. They drove to StatenIsland and to the same house where the pastorhad taken the woman three days earlier. H e helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked onthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine. True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob ReidWho 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 goalong your way. His love is always with you, His promises are true, and when we give Him all ourcares you know He will see us through. So when the road you're traveling on seemsdifficult at best.. Just remember I'm here praying and God will do the rest. Pass this onto those you want God to bless and don't forget to send it back to the one who asked God to blessyou first. When there is nothing left but God, that is whenyou find out that God is all you need. Take 60seconds and give this a shot!
All you do is simply say the following small prayer for the personwho 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.
