The Tablecloth

[Remya Lijesh]

Things happen for a reason.  May we all have faith.   God bless.                     A beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason  T he new priest, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October excited about their opportunities When he saw  the church, it was very run down and needed much work. He set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve.  He worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18were ahead of schedule and just about finished.  O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.  O n the 21st, the priest went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had eleaked, 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 priest 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 priest 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 priest while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The priest 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.. 'Father,'she asked, 'where did you get that tablecloth?' The priest 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 priest 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.  T he priest wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the priest keep it for the church.The priest 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. W hat 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 priest greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return.  One older man, whom the priest recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the priest 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.  H e told the priest 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.  T he priest 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 priest  had taken the woman three days earlier.  H e 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.  T rue Story - 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.  S o 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.  W hen 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. F ather, G od, 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 and HEALTH!!!!! as he/she seeks to have a closer relationship with you. Amen.              Windows 7: Simplify what you do everyday. Find the right PC for you.