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Checkin' In
A minister passing through
his church in the middle
of the day, decided to pause
by the altar and see
who had come to pray.
Just then the back door
opened, a man came down
the aisle. The minister
frowned as he saw the man
hadn't shaved in awhile.
His shirt was kinda' shabby
and his coat was worn
and frayed. The man knelt,
he bowed his head, then
rose and walked away.
In the days that followed,
each noon time came this
chap. Each time he knelt
just for a moment, a lunch
pail in his lap.
Well, the minister's
suspicions grew, with robbery
a main fear, he decided to
stop the man and ask
him, Watcha doin' here?"
The old man, he worked down
the road. Lunch
was half an hour. Lunchtime
was his prayer time ,
for finding strength and
power.
"I stay only moment, see
'cause the factory is so
far away; As I kneel here
talking to the Lord, this
is kinda' what I say:
" I just came again to tell
you, Lord, how happy I've
been since we've found each
others friendship and
you took away my sin. I
don't know much of how to
pray, but I think about you
every day. So, Jesus, this
is Jim, checkin' in.
The minister, feeling
foolish, told Jim, that was fine.
He told the man he was
welcome to come and pray
just anytime.
Time to go, Jim smiled, said
"Thanks." He hurried
to the door. The minister
knelt at the alter, he'd
never done it before.
His cold heart melted,
warmed with love, met with
Jesus there. As the tears
flowed, in his heart, he
repeated old Jim's prayer.
"I just came again to tell
you, Lord, how happy I've
been since we found each
others friendship and
you took away my sin. I
don't know much of how to
pray but I think about you
every day. So, Jesus,
this is me checkin' in.
Past noon one day, the
minister noticed old Jim
hadn't come. As more days
passed without Jim,
he began to worry some.
At the factory, he asked
about him, learning he
was ill. The hospital staff
was worried, but he'd
given them a thrill.
That week that Jim was with
them, brought
changes in the ward. His
smiles, a joy contagious.
Changed people, his reward.
The head nurse couldn't
understand why Jim was
so glad, when no flowers,
calls or cards came, not
a visitor he had.
The minister stayed by his
bed, he voiced the nurse's
concern: No friends came to
show they cared. He had
no where to turn.
Looking surprised, old Jim
spoke up and with a
winsome smile, "The nurse is
wrong, she couldn't
know that all the while,
Everyday at noon he's here,
a dear friend of mine,
you see. He sits right down,
takes my hand, leans
over and says to me:
"I just came again to tell
you, Jim, how happy I
have been, since we found
this friendship, and
I took away your sin. I
always love to hear you
pray, I think about you
every day, and so Jim,
this is Jesus checkin' in.
(If anyone knows who the
author is to this
beautiful writing, please
let me know so I can
give them proper credit.)
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