JUST CHECKIN' IN Author: Unknown A minister passing through his church in the middle of the day, Decided to pause by the altar and see who would come to pray. Just then the back door opened, a man came down the aisle; The minister frowned as he saw that the man hadn't shaved in a while. His shirt was kinda' shabby and his coat was worn and frayed. He knelt and he bowed his head, then he rose and walked away. In the days that followed, each noon time came this chap. Each time kneeling for just a moment, his lunch pail in his lap. Well, the minister's suspicions grew, with robbery main among his fear. He decided to stop the man and ask him, "Whatcha' doin' here?" The old man said he worked down the road. Lunchtime was half an hour. This was his prayer time, for finding strength and power. "I can stay only moments, see, 'cause the factory's 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 HAVE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM, JUST 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 altar- 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 HAVE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME, JUST CHECKIN' 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, his reward. The head nurse couldn't understand why Jim was so glad, No flowers, calls or cards came, not a visitor had 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 said 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 and 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."

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