Old Jim and Jesus

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 a while.  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, "What are you doing here?"  The old man said he

worked down the road.  Lunch was half an hour.  Lunch-

time was his prayer time, for finding strength and power.

"I stay only moments, see, because 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 FOUND

EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU 

TOOK AWAY MY SIN.  DON'T KNOW MUCH

OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT 

YOU EVERYDAY.  SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM

CHECKING IN."

The minister feeling foolish, told Jim, that was fine.  He

told the man he was welcome to come and pray just any-

time.  Time to go, Jim smiled, said "Thanks."  He hurried

to the door.  The minister knelt at the altar as he'd never

done it before.  His cold heart melted, warmed with love

and 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 OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP, AND YOU

TOOK AWAY MY SINS.  I DON'T KNOW MUCH

OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU

EVERYDAY, SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME JUST

CHECKING IN."

Past noon one day, the minister noticed that 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.  The week that Jim was with them, brought changes

in the ward.  His smiles, a joy contagious.  Changed people

were 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 nowhere to turn.  Looking surprised, old Jim spoke up

and with a winsome smile; "The nurse is wrong, she couldn't

know, that in here 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.  ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR

YOU PRAY, I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH

DAY, AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS

CHECKING IN." 

Author unknown