What an experience
> > >
> > > 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 b! elieve 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 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.. ??
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