I had occasion today to run across an illustration I picked up years ago and what a powerful statement it made. Let me share it with you, for I am confident that the Lord will work in your heart as he did in mine.
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,
who worked down the road, unknown to the minister had only half an hour
for lunch. Lunchtime was his prayer time, for finding strength and power.
The old man looked up at the minister and replied, "I come to pray,
I can only stay a moment, 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, I LOVE YOU,
THANKS AND I’LL SEE YOU TOMORROW ‘BOUT THIS SAME TIME."
The minister was stunned and
humbled, feeling even a little foolish. He hardly knew what to say, but
managed to say, “Jim, that’s just fine. You’re welcome to come and pray
here anytime.” With a big smile Jim said, “Time to go reverend, ‘Thanks.’"
He hurried to the door.
The minister turned... and humbly knelt at the alter. His cold heart melted,
warmed with love, having met again in Jesus again in Jim. As the tears flowed
down his cheeks, in his heart, he repeated old Jim's prayer: "Jesus, this is me checkin' in. I just came 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. Thanks! I’ll see you hear again about this time tomorrow."
After several weeks of not seeing Jim, the minister became worried. At the
factory, he asked about Jim and learned that he was ill and in the hospital.
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 even
one visitor!
The minister came to Jim’s bed and expressed the nurses concern. Opening
his weak eyes, Jim looked surprised. Old Jim spoke up and with a winsome
smile; "The nurse is wrong, though she couldn't know, that all the while
He sits right down with me each day at noon, he 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 and every day, and so Jim, this is Jesus checking in, just letting you know I’ll always be here too."
{17}
pray
without ceasing; {18} in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you
in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18
Do you pray my friend?... If not... well... I encourage you to so!
God
bless you!
May
you see God in each and every day
May
you come to know God in every way
May
you grow to love God
May
you choose to serve God
Pastor
Ken
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, who worked down the road, unknown to the minister had only half an hour for lunch. Lunchtime was his prayer time, for finding strength and power. The old man looked up at the minister and replied, "I come to pray, I can only stay a moment, 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, I LOVE YOU, THANKS AND I’LL SEE YOU TOMORROW ‘BOUT THIS SAME TIME."
The minister turned... and humbly knelt at the alter. His cold heart melted,
warmed with love, having met again in Jesus again in Jim. As the tears flowed
down his cheeks, in his heart, he repeated old Jim's prayer: "Jesus, this is me checkin' in. I just came 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. Thanks! I’ll see you hear again about this time tomorrow."
{17}
