Jim Checkin' in

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 a man who hadn't shaved in a while.

His shirt was kinda' shabby, his coat was worn and frayed.
The man knelt, he 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 him, "Watcha' doin' here?"

The old man, worked down the road. Lunch was half an hour.
Lunchtime was his prayer time, for finding strength and power.
"I stay only moments, see, 'cause the factory's 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 have been
Since we found each other's friendship
and You took away my sin.
I don't know much of how to pray,
I need Your presence every day.
So, Jesus, this is Jim checkin' in today."

The minister, feeling foolish, told Jim That was fine.
He told him he was welcome to come and pray here anytime.
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, 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 other's friendship
and You took away my sin.
I don't know much of how to pray,
I need Your presence every day.
So, Jesus, this is me checkin' in today."

Past noon one day, the minister noticed old'Jim hadn't come.
As more days passed without him, he began to worry some.
At the factory, he asked around, 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, his reward.
The head nurse couldn't understand why Jim was so glad,
when no flowers, calls or cards came in, not a visitor he had.

The minister stayed by his bed; he voiced the nurse's concern:
No friends came to show they cared 'cause 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 right there 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 CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM, HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN,
SINCE YOU ACCEPTED MY FRIENDSHIP AND BELIVE I TOOK YOUR SIN.
I ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY,
I STAND BESIDE YOU EVERY DAY,
AND SO, JIM, THIS IS JESUS CHECKIN' IN TODAY."