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Be
Encouraged
Author Unknown
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 moments, 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 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 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 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 CHECKIN' IN."
Past noon one day,
the minister noticed that old Jim hadn't come. As more days passed with out 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, 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 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 EACH DAY, AND SO JIM, THIS IS
JESUS CHECKIN' IN."
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