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Nothing Is By Accident
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Nothing Is By Accident |
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WhtDove Member Rara Avis
since 1999-07-22
Posts 9245Illinois 
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It's stories like these, that leave me in such AWE of GOD! The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in urban 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 Dec. 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On Dec 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 sunk when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 6 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 to the 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, crochet table cloth 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 pastorcould 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 crochet 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 hadjust 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 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 concentration camp. He never saw his wife or his home again for 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 Rid |
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Echo Rhayne Senior Member
since 1999-09-17
Posts 1495Canyon Country, CA |
oooooh *chills* God works in mysterious ways! Thanks for sharing this Rebecca, I got chills and tears! Did Jesus laugh? I think He did, 'cause He was once a little kid; and all of us were made with joy both sugar-spice girl and snake-snail boy! |
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thumper4him Junior Member
since 2000-02-06
Posts 27Newport Beach Ca |
it is important to fill our minds with the word and wonderful stories like this so that we will think of them instead of terrible ones in times of trial you can't make footprints in the sand of times that you are sitting down |
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ellie LeJeune Member Elite
since 2000-01-10
Posts 4156King of Prussia, PA USA |
Dear Rebecca; I'm so glad you posted this. I sent it on to some friends. This is such a wonderful story of hope and faith. Thanks for sharing this. How blessed we are to have such a loving Father. 02 |
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WhtDove Member Rara Avis
since 1999-07-22
Posts 9245Illinois |
I'm glad you all enjoyed this! It leaves me in AWE how He works!  <*\\\>< When you can't make up your mind Which way is right for you, Stop and softly ask yourself, What Would Jesus Do? |
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Willem Member
since 1999-11-18
Posts 139Inverness, FL, USA |
Rebecca, after I read this story I had to wipe my eyes... Oh God, how great Thou art! I've read and heard a lot of sad war stories and could tell you some of my own, but this one is such amazing and convincing evidence of God's providence that it made me feel really humble and secure in His love. Why He let those two old people suffer so long before reuniting them is not for us to figure out, and all we can do is thank Him for bringing them back together again... Thank you for this piece of first-class reporting on the workings of the Holy Spirit! Willem [This message has been edited by Willem (edited 02-10-2000).] |
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Lost Dreamer Member Elite
since 1999-06-20
Posts 2464Somewhere near the Rainbow |
What a truly wonderful story, The mysteries never end and miracles will always be waiting to delight someone, somewhere through the wonders of his love. Thanks Rebecca my eyes needed a cleansing. |
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WhtDove Member Rara Avis
since 1999-07-22
Posts 9245Illinois |
Very moving it is! God's timing is always perfect!!!!!! I'm so glad this is touching so many. |
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sandgrain Member Elite
since 1999-09-21
Posts 3662Sycamore, IL, USA |
How often we forget God is Not making a mistake....On the program, 'It's a Miracle', A female reporter wanted to do a piece on a religion and was told by more than 1 to contact this particular woman. She did, wrote the piece, but was so intregued with all the meaning in everything this woman explained, she became a member of that faith. Later, having moved hundreds of miles away, she attended srevices, met a young man who took such an interest in her. They dated and discovered that woman she'd interviewed in that far away city is this young man's mother. They're happily married. |
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dovesongs Member
since 2000-01-29
Posts 102Michigan |
What a powerful, moving testament to God's work in people's lives. On this Valentine's day we should remember that God's Love is all powerful and moving. What a testament to an enduring love of a married couple. Something that is unfortunately not as valued now. |
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