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Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. ~ Revelation 3:20
Country church at twilight for evening service…
A Pastor passing through his church in the middle of the day, assayed to pause by the altar just to see who came to pray.
Before too long the back door opened, and a man came down the aisle. The pastor frowned as he saw the man hadn’t shaved in quite a while.
His shirt was torn and shabby, and his coat was worn and frayed, yet the man knelt down and bowed his head, and fervently he prayed.
In following days precisely at noon, the preacher saw the chap, as he knelt for just a moment, a lunch pail in his lap.
The pastor’s mind began to race, with robbery the fear; so up he went and asked the man, “What are you doing here?”
The old man vowed he was a factory hand, his lunch was half an hour, so he made this pause his prayer time, for finding strength and power.
“I stay only a moment because the factory’s far away; and as I kneel here with the Lord, this is kinda what I say:
“I just came by to tell you Lord, how happy I have been, since we found each other’s friendship, and you took away my sin.
Christ calling the disciples to breakfast following his resurrection … The 153 fish in John 21:11
“I don’t know much of how to pray, yet I think about You every day. So Jesus, this is your friend Jim just checking in today.”
The Pastor feeling foolish told Jim that it was fine. He told the man that he was free to pray there any time.
“It’s time to go, and thanks,” Jim said, as he hurried to the door, while the pastor knelt there on the floor, which he’d never done before.
His cold heart melted, warmed with love, as he met with Jesus there. And as the tears flowed down his cheeks, he repeated old Jim’s prayer:
“I just came by 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, yet I think about You every day. So Jesus, this is ME just checking in today.”
Past noon one day, the pastor noticed old Jim hadn’t come. As more days passed and still no Jim, he began to worry some.
He went to see the factory staff, to ask about old Jim, and staying there a little while they told him Jim 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 and joy contagious, souls for Jesus his reward.
I AM the way, the truth, and the life…
The head nurse couldn’t understand why Jim could be so glad, no flowers, calls nor cards came, not a visitor he had.
The Pastor stayed around Jim’s bed, and shared the staff’s concern. No friends had come to show they cared; he’d nowhere else to turn.
So time ticked by ’til old Jim spoke and with a winsome smile, the nurse is wrong, she couldn’t know, He’s been here all the while.
Each day at noon He comes right here, dear friend of mine, you see. He sits right down and takes my hand, leans over and says to me:
“I just came by to tell you Jim, how happy I have been, since first we found this friendship, and I took away your sin. I think about you always, and I love to hear you pray. And so Jim, this is Jesus, just checking in today.”
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. ~ Matthew 28: 19-20
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Author unknown. If anyone has a proprietary interest in this story please authenticate and I will be happy to credit, or remove, as the circumstances dictate.
Culled and re-edited from WIT & WISDOM – August 21, 1998
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Soli Deo Gloria!
Link To DennisGHurst.com
