Have you checked in lately?

By Father Dan Debano
RR Ministerial

A minister passing through his church in the middle of the day, decided to pause by the altar and join the others who had come to pray.
Just then the back door opened, a man came down the aisle. The minister was shocked at what he saw. The old 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, everyday at noon, in came the old man. Each time he knelt just for a moment with a lunch pail in his hand. Well, the minister’s suspicion grew and he decided to stop the man and ask him one day, “Why do kneel so quickly and pray?”
The old man said, “I work down the road and my lunch break is only a half-an-hour.” Lunchtime was his prayer time, for finding strength and power. “I stay only a moment , because the factory is so far away. As I kneel here talking to the Lord, this is 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, checking in.”
The minister was speechless and told Jim he was welcome to come and pray anytime. Jim had to go, smiled and said, “Thanks,” as he hurried to the door. The minister knelt at the altar, and his heart melted with Jesus’ love. 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 checking in.”
Just 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 Jim was ill.
The hospital staff was worried, but he had given them a thrill. In the week that he was with them, Jim brought many changes in the ward, with a smile and a contagious laughter. Changed people were his reward. The head nurse couldn’t understand why Jim was so glad when he received no visitors, no flowers, calls or get-well cards. With a minister by his bed, he voiced the nurse’s concern, why no friends came to show they cared and why he has nowhere to turn. Looking surprised, old Jim spoke up, and with a winning smile explained:
“The nurse is wrong! She couldn’t have known 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 me and whispers 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 and I think about you each and every day. So, Jim, this is Jesus checking in.”
Sometimes we can forget who are friends really are, but let us never forget the one constant friend who stands by us through thick and thin, Jesus Christ. When was the last time you checked in for a visit with this friend? If you haven’t taken the time to sit and visit with Jesus lately, now is the time! On behalf of all the ministers in Rainy River and the surrounding communities we invite you to join us each weekend in prayer and fellowship.