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A minister passing through his church
in the middle of the day,
decid ed 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 kind 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 noontime 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 asked him,
"What are you doing here?"
The old man said, he worked down the road.
Lunch was half an hour.
Lunchtime was his prayer time, for finding strength and power. "I stay only
for few moments, see,
because the factory is so far away;
as I kneel here talking to the Lord,
This is kind 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 sins. I don't
know much how to pray, but I think about you everyday. So Jesus, this
is Jim checking in today."'
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 and 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, 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
how to pray, but I think about you everyday. So Jesus, this is me
checking in today."
Past noon one day, the minister noticed
that old Jim hadn't come.
As more days passed without Jim,
he began to worry.
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, br ought changes in the ward, his smiles, a contagious
joy, changed people, were his reward.
The head nurse couldn't understand
why Jim was so glad,
when no flowers, calls nor 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've been, since we found
this friendship and I took away your sins. I always love to hear
you prayer and I think about you each day. So Jim, this is Jesus
checking in today."
Many people will walk in and out of your life,
but only true friends will leave
footprints in your heart.
May God hold you in the palm of His hand
and angels watch over you.
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The
glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile
nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes
to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is
willing to trust him.
~Ralph Waldo
Emerson~
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Tim |