THE TABLE CLOTH

THE TABLE CLOTH

Editor’s Note: The following short story was forwarded to me

by my niece. The story is supposed to be a true story related

by Pastor Rob Reid. But even if it is not so, the message it

relays is worthy of repeating over and over to everyone of us,

if only to reinforce the need for us to keep our faith in God’s

goodness.

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 the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

By that 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 as pale as a sheet as she quietly asked:
"Pastor, where did you get that tablecloth?"

The pastor then explained that he bought it at a flea market sale at the local business. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. Those 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 or heard from 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 encouraged 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 and did not know if she is still alive.

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 then witnessed the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

< >

This true story was submitted by Pastor Rob Reid who

ascribes this as yet another example of how God does work

in mysterious ways. When here is nothing left but God;

..that’s when you find out that God is all you need.

IN SEARCH OF THE BUTTERFLY

Editor's note:
This is a short story composed by me a few years ago. It dealt with
a set of events occuring at the time. But I believe it remains relevant
and applicable today.

In Search of the Butterfly
A Short Account of a Young Man’s Quest

1.

The young man laid prostrate on the dry, stony bank of the flowing river, his eyes glistening from the steady tears that trickled down his sad and convoluted face. This was indeed a low moment in his short and as yet, unfulfilled life. He had already passed one and one half score in years and had nothing tangible to show, except, an Apartment of his own, two Dogs and a new car. His faith was surely under siege but he remained steadfast in his resolve. Over and over he repeated the battle cry which had served to sustain the negro slaves in their moments of despair;

“I shall overcome, some day, some day.”

Day by day, he had faced slings and barbs from his closest family. His mother, whom he dearly loved, had recently adopted the “poor-me-one” approach. Whenever he was present, she will immediately become morose, depressed and withdrawn, go directly to her bed clutching her bible and repeat over and over;

“Why me Oh Lord! Why me?”
What have I done to deserve this punishment?”

The father, not to be outdone, displayed, in no uncertain manner, his absolute contempt and disappointment. In his classic, bone-chilling demeanor, he had adopted a degree of shearing sarcasm that rivaled the true masters. As soon as the young man appeared, he would immediately transform his attitude in such a manner as to leave no doubt about his displeasure. He compounded this unbearable agony by a total denial of even the slightest acknowledgement of the yeoman effort delivered by the young man. Although he received constant congratulations from all his peers for the conduct of the business, he never ever acknowledged the contributions of his son. He would rather give praise to his paid employees, often acknowledging Irene, Jaime or even Dwight, showering unsolicited praise upon them.

All of this was done as part of an elaborate scheme, planned and developed by his wife, to stimulate this young man “to action.” She was in fact very experienced in this activity; not only as a result of her peculiar genetic constitution, but also from her past experience in this matter. As a seventeen year old, she successfully planned, developed, initiated and implemented a coup on her unsuspecting husband-to-be, to the extent that he was transformed overnight into a state of “stupor”. Even to this day he remains “mesmerized” in her presence.

2.

One day, as the young man sought refuge on the bank of the river, there came upon him a “visitation”. Instantly he recognized the true import of this visit as he recalled the words of the wise old man, whom he knew only as “Papa Da” and frequently visited to seek comfort and counsel. The old man would provide support, advice and encouragement, and would always remind him that he must prepare himself for the “visitation”. When pressed, he would always add;

“You will know when it comes by the sound of the wind.

Just listen for the sound”.

The memory of this day is indelibly etched in the depth of his soul and remains as vivid now, as he replays the events in his mind’s eye, as they did at the fateful moment of occurrence. No doubt they will continue to remain as crisp, in perpetuity, passing on from generation to generation. He had drifted into a self induced hypnotic state in the manner taught to him by Papa Da, and as he entered the “place of secure enchantment”, he became aware of a soothing, gentle breeze blowing across his face. It was so gentle yet awesome, so quiet yet as thunderous as a booming cannon, so sweet, yet as overpowering as the finest perfume.
With the breeze, he became aware of a sound, quite unlike anything he had heard before. Although he knew better, it felt as if he was at The "Royal Vic” listening to the greatest rendition ever, of “Handel’s Messiah” by the London Symphony Orchestra, or at the “Royal Albert Hall” enjoying the solo renditions of Joan Baez at her very best. His heart was racing, trying desperately to keep up with his screaming mind, but never quite catching up. His body felt as if he was deep inside an active “Mt. Kilimanjaro”, but he knew this was not so, for he was cool to touch. He knew instinctively that this was indeed the “visitation” promised by Papa Da. He also knew that the time was at hand and that, ready or not, his life was about to undergo a significant metamorphosis.

3.

The moment had indeed arrived. The culmination of a long and tortuous journey that took him to the far corners of the world, crossing continents, time zones, oceans and islands. Meeting and exploring peoples, cultures, attitudes and appearances. Studying genetics and genealogy, likes and dislikes, family and non-family, and yet finding nothing but disappointment and his mother’s frustration. This was more than he could handle. But for the steadfast support of Papa Da, he surely would have succumbed to the machinations of his mother and settled down with a “nice family girl.”

For one fleeting instant, he was overcome by the aura of the most beautiful butterfly he had experienced. It fluttered gently and gracefully around his face and as it did so, he was aware of an indescribable sensation of sheer joy and surrender. He recalled it was not unlike the feelings he experienced when he opened the bottle of pure, extra distilled, Vintage Virgin Olive Oil extracted from the first crop of olives from the sacred Olive Groves situated at the foothills of Mount Olive in the ancient hills of Lebanon, given as a special gift to his father. Suddenly, he was overcome with the desire to search out this butterfly, to gently caress its beauty and take her home to meet his mother.

He woke up with a start, he must find the butterfly, but except for the Olive Grove, he had no idea of how to begin. He thought that he may have to visit Lebanon and search the sacred groves. But that was not easy to do and there was no guaranty of success. The vision consumed his every moment. He was driven to solve this dilemma.

4.

His parents were not helpful. His father questioned whether he was on “crack”. His mother said that she would speak to Fr. Mullen who knew everything and also advised him to go to confession and to daily morning mass.
Papa Da on the other hand, was not surprised. In fact he was expecting this news, for had he not spoken to him in the past and advised him to listen for the “sound”. Taking hold of the young man’s hands, the old man guided him to a special garden with a gentle stream and a pond filled with the most beautiful Koi fish he had ever seen. He closed his eyes, paused for a brief moment and then spoke thus:

“Young man, you must never forget that;
The most exquisite Flower always grows in your own garden.
The most beautiful Rainbow is seen from your porch.
The Sun is strongest and the Moon is brightest from your window.
Your Heart’s desire is always present at your finger tips.
Seek out your wishes and they will find you.
Open your heart to Life around you,
and you will find the Life is within you.”

And so it came to pass, armed with this advice, the young man moved resolutely forward to search out his destiny.

Upon hearing this, his mother miraculously recovered and began to shower him with love and attention. Instead of the bible, she brought out her I-Pod and resumed listening to her old favorites, Barbara Streisand, Elton John and John Lennon. The father, not to be undone, immediately perked up, and holding the latest photo of his son wearing a “speedo” outfit, did not hesitate to brag to all, about his one and only. He even went so far as to admonish his sons-in-law to be more like him.
……..Life was indeed getting good again.

5.

It did not take long to happen, nor was it a chance encounter. For It was written in the ancient scrolls of life and just required the correct juxtaposition of events to come to pass.
……..And so it did one warm and beautiful August day!

On that fateful day he suddenly became aware of a strange feeling within him. He remembers it well. It was a hot, still summer’s day, yet he felt a cool breeze blowing over him. There was not a sound to be heard, yet he was sure that he experienced the most beautiful music he had ever heard. He looked around to identify the source. There was no one of consequence. His sister, still smoking, his two nieces and a “friend”, were busy in the kitchen, baking a Coconut Pie.

He had seen her many times before but never noticed her. But today something was different. He is still uncertain whether it was the smile, or her large black eyes, or the way she carried herself. Or maybe it was the confluence of all these things coming together in concert with destiny and the hands of fate. Whatever the reasons, the result was an almighty explosion of joy and contentment. It was indeed reminiscent of the description by Khalil Gibran of his first love, when;

“The heavens opened and his soul soared in joyous recognition of God’s pleasure”

.…. At long last, he knew he was in love!

As you would expect, the reciprocation was instantaneous, and it is said, that Cupid collapsed with exhaustion from all the arrows that flew back and forth.

The word of this happening spread far and wide, and except for those homes where maiden hopefuls had waited in silent anticipation, there was an explosion of joy and celebration.
Her parents were justifiably happy, not only because of the boy and his family, but also because they had finally got rid of the last child and can now plan their “second honeymoon”.
His mother was no less overjoyed, for the girl possessed all the attributes to guaranty her being a good mother and wife. And his father is now something to behold, as he proudly struts and frets, cigarette in hand, feathers ruffled and voice booming;
……. “Heidi has nothing on me now!”

6.

And tonight the story unfurls further as this momentous year closes. These children of destiny are beginning their journey along the true and tested path that many others have gone before. Their success or failure will depend not only on the love they feel for each other, but equally upon the depth of commitment and trust they are willing to offer upon the altar of marriage. For it is written:

“Much is expected, but for those who succeed, the rewards are indescribable.”

Also, let us not forget that they will always have the wisdom of Papa Da to guide them in times of concern, and recall his words of assurance;

“He who loves all, deserves all”.

.........The Butterfly Has Indeed Landed!

THE OLD LADY AND ANA (ROMANS 8:28-36)

Editor’s Note: This is the twelfth of series of short stories dealing with

my personal interpretation of selected verses from the Holy Bible offered

under the title “The Old Lady and Ana”.

THE OLD LADY AND ANA
12. ROMANS 8:26-38 (GOD’S LOVE)
Ana was worried all day long and just could not find an answer to her problem. Finally she sought out her favorite grandmother who was sitting at the dining room table cleaning the family silver ware. Taking a chair next to the old lady, Ana, looking intently at her, asked:
“Gramma, how does God know when we need help and how does he choose
who should be helped and should not be helped?”

The old lady put down the vase she was cleaning, turned to her grand daughter and smiling reassuringly, whispered quietly but firmly:
“No my dear Ana, God has no favorites, he loves us all in the same way and does
not choose sides. He knows our needs and does everything for us. The bible is very
clear about this, let me read to you from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans:”

The Holy Spirit helps us because we are weak.
We do not know how we should talk to God.
But the Holy Spirit himself talks to God for us,

while we cry and cannot say any words.
God looks to see what is in people's hearts.
And he knows what the Holy Spirit is going to do.
The Holy Spirit talks to God for God's people.
And he asks for them what God wants them to have.

“He is telling us that the Holy Spirit takes care of us. He knows our weaknesses and our fears and in fact, is always interceding for us. He carries our needs to God and speaks for us even when we are not able to do so. St. Paul went further, listen:”

We know that God works out everything for the good

of those who love him.
They are the people who are part of his plan.
He knew all along that he would choose them.
He chose them to be made like his Son.
Then his Son would be the first one of many brothers.
He chose them and he also called them.
He called them to himself

as if they had never been bad people.
He made them right with himself

and he also made them great in heaven.

“God is making it quite clear that he loves all those people who love him. In fact he assures us that he sees us in the same way as he sees his own son. He went further to state that Jesus is the first of many brothers and as far as he is concerned he sees us all as part of his family and worthy of heaven”.

The old lady paused for a while to allow Ana to assimilate the information and then slowly continued:

So what shall we say about this?
If God is on our side, who can be against us?
He did not keep his own Son, but gave him up for us all.
Because he has given him to us, will he not also give us all other things?
Who will say anything against God's chosen people?
For it is God himself who says they have been put right with him.
Who will say they are not right?
Jesus Christ died. Yes, he was raised from death.
He is at the right side of God. And he talks to God for us.

“ What could be stronger than this statement of the commitment of our God to us? By Jesus dying on the cross for us and subsequently raising from the dead, he has guaranteed our eternal salvation and given us security in obtaining God’s love and the right to be called his chosen people. Even after becoming one of us and suffering and dying for us, Jesus continues to seek our salvation before God. So you see the bad people of the world can try to destroy our good name but Jesus, by paying the ultimate penalty has earned us the right to be declared righteous before God and he has given us his promise that he will do so”.

Ana, beaming with joy and relief was about to exclaim her pleasure and satisfaction, but the old lady gestured to her that there was more, and continued to read from her bible:

Who can take us away from Christ's love?
We may have trouble. We may have hard times.
People may make us suffer because we believe.
We may have no food to eat and no clothes to wear.
We may be in danger. We may be killed with big knives.
Can any of these things take us away from Christ's love?
I am absolutely sure that not even death or life
can separate us from God's love.
Not even angels or demons, the present or the future,
or any powers can do that.

“What a beautiful promise we have received from our God. Nothing, not trouble nor hard times nor starvation nor death nor demons nor anything else, can separate us from the love of Christ. We are indeed truly blessed and secure in the knowledge that we are eternally loved ".

Ana jumped up from the chair hugged her grand mother as tightly as she could and exclaimed in a voice meant to be heard around the world:

“Our God is the greatest, most awesome God, and I am so glad that he loves me!”

THE OLD LADY AND ANA (PSALM 64)

Editor’s Note: This is the eleventh of a series of short stories dealing

with my personal interpretation of selected verses from

the Holy Bible offered under the title “The Old Lady and Ana”.

THE OLD LADY AND ANA
11. PSALM 64:1-10 (Dealing with the Evildoers)

Ana listened quietly at the dinner table, as her mother recounted the rumors that were being spread about her brother and his wife. Some wicked people were determined to destroy his good name by accusing of him of illegal business activities and mixing with questionable people. This was causing him to worry a great deal and he was getting very depressed.
Later that night while her grandmother was helping her get ready to go to bed, Ana asked her;

“Gramma why does God let these bad people say these things and hurt

Uncle Joe. Everybody knows he is a good man?”

The old lady, sensing an opportunity to teach her grand daughter, replied that she was not correct in thinking so, for while God does not control what evil people may do, he certainly does not abandon his faithful. Sitting at the side of the bed, she beckoned Ana to sit next to her as she opened her favorite bible to Psalm 64. “Listen to these words and see if you recognize them”. she said:

Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint;

protect my life from the threat of the enemy.
Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,

from that noisy crowd of evildoers.
They sharpen their tongues like swords

and aim their words like deadly arrows.
They shoot from ambush at the innocent man;

they shoot at him suddenly, without fear.

Ana thought for a minute and then confidently responded;

“That sounds like the person is pleading to God to protect him from all these

bad people. They seem to be trying to destroy him with words and arrows,

just like what they are doing to Uncle Joe”.

The old lady nodded her head in agreement and by way of reinforcing the idea she added:

“Yes Ana, this is what they do when they want to destroy good people.

They don’t hesitate to plan and devise any means to trap them, malign

them and spread lies about them. Let me continue:”

They encourage each other in evil plans,

they talk about hiding their snares;

they say; "Who will see them?"
They plot injustice and say,

"We have devised a perfect plan!"

Ana, obviously perplexed and confused that God, knowing all this about evil people, allows them to continue to cause so much injustice and suffering to the good, God fearing people. Turning to her grandmother she wondered whether God might be too busy to pay attention to all these people.

The old lady reacted quickly and replied:

“Heavens no my child, God knows and cares for all his people. He is

all powerful and does not hesitate punish those who deserve to be

punished. Listen to these words:”

Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.
But God will shoot them with arrows;

suddenly they will be struck down.
He will turn their own tongues against them

and bring them to ruin;

all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.

Visibly relieved, Ana smiled broadly, for her confidence in God was restored, and raising both arms high over her head she proclaimed “Thank you God for never forgetting your faithful”
The old lady happy to see the relief in the face of her grand daughter, smiled broadly and replied:

"Yes Ana, we must never ever forget that God will never abandon his faithful.

We should never be afraid to declare our loyalty to him and always praise

and honor him. Listen how the Psalmist spoke on behalf of all of us:”

All mankind will fear;

they will proclaim the works of God

and ponder what he has done.
Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD

and take refuge in him;

let all the upright in heart praise him!

Bouncing out of the bed with renewed joy and confidence, Ana hugged her gramma tightly, kissed her, and announced at the top of her voice, as she ran out of the bed room:

“I’m going straight to Mommy and tell her that she does not have to worry

about Uncle Joe anymore, because God will take care of the wicked people

and destroy them!”