A minister passing thru 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 when he saw the man

hadn't shaved in a while.

His shirt was kind of 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 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,

lunchtime was his prayer time

for finding strength and power.

"I stay only moments, see,

because the factory is so far away;

as I knelt 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 other's 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, 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,

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 to 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 of you every day,

so, Jesus, this is me, 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.

That 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

every day 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,

AND I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY,

AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS CHECKING IN."