Old Jim's Prayer

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.
Frowning as he saw the
man hadn't shaved in quite a while.
 
His shirt was kinda shabby
and his coat was worn and frayed.
The man knelt and bowed his head,
then rose and walked away.

In the days that followed,
each noontime 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,
'What are you doing here?'

The old man said, he worked down the road.
Lunch was half an hour.
Lunchtime was his prayer time to,
for receiving strength and finding power.

'I stay only moments, see,
because the factory is so far away;
as I kneel here talking to the Lord,
this is kindawhat I say:

I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,
HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHERS FRIENDSHIP
AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.
DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY,
BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.
SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM, CHECKING IN WITH YOU TODAY.'

The minister feeling foolish,
told Jim, that it was fine.
He told the man he was welcome
to come and pray at anytime.

Time to go, Jim smiled, said 'Thanks.'
He hurried to the door.
The minister knelt at the altar,
Like 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 AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,
HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHERS 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 WITH YOU TODAY.'

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.

The week that Jim was with them,
Brought changes in the ward.
His smiles, a joy contagious.
Changed people, was his reward.

The head nurse couldn't understand
why Jim was always 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 He's 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 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 CHECKING IN WITH YOU TODAY.'

Submitted by Michael J. Hosemann, Class of 1958