"Just Checking In Today"
A Minister passing through his church in the middle
of the day,
Decided to pause by the altar
To see who came to pray.
Just then the back door opened,
And a man came down the aisle,
The minister frowned as he saw the man hadn't
shaved in a while.
His shirt was torn and shabby,
And his coat was worn and frayed,
The man knelt down and bowed his head, then rose
and walked away.
In the days that followed at precisely noon, the
preacher saw 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 and ask the man, 'What are you
doing here?'
The old man said he was a factory worker and lunch
was half an hour.
Lunchtime was his prayer time,
For finding strength and power.
I stay only a moment because the factory's far
away;
As I kneel here talking to 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.
Don't Know Much Of How To Pray,
But I Think About You Every day.
So, Jesus, This Is Ben, Just Checking In Today.'
The minister feeling foolish,
Told Ben that it was fine. He told the man that he
was welcome to pray there anytime.
'It's time to go, and thanks,' Ben said as he hurried
to the door.
Then the minister knelt there at the altar, which
he'd never done before.
His cold heart melted, warmed with love,
As he met with Jesus there.
As the tears flowed down his cheeks, he repeated
old Ben's prayer:
'I Just Came By 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 Every day. So, Jesus, This Is Me, just
Checking In Today.'
Past noon one day, the minister noticed that old
Ben hadn't come.
As more days passed and still no Ben, 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 Ben was with them,
Brought changes in the ward.
His smiles and joy contagious.
Changed people were his reward.
The head nurse couldn't understand why Ben could
be 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 had come to show they cared. He had
nowhere to turn.
Looking surprised, old Ben spoke up and with a
winsome smile;
'The nurse is wrong, she couldn't know, He's been
here all the while.'
Every day at noon He comes here,
A 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, Ben,
How Happy I Have Been,
Since We Found This Friendship,
And I Took Away Your Sin.
I Think About You Always
And I Love To Hear You Pray,
And So Ben, This Is Jesus,
Just Checking In Today.'
If this blesses you, pass it on. Many people will walk
in and out of your life, but only true friends will
leave footprints in your heart...
May God hold you in the palm of His hand
And Angels watch over you..
Please pass this on to your friends
& loved ones. If you aren't ashamed.
So, FRIENDS & FAMILY, this is ME ..."Just Checking In
Today"