07/27/2021
A priest passing through his church
In the middle of the day,
Decided to pause by the altar
To see who had come to pray.
Just then the back door opened,
And a man came down the aisle,
The priest frowned as he saw the man
Had not shaved in quite 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 priest saw this man,
Each time he knelt for just a moment,
With a lunch box in his hand.
Well, the Priest’s suspicions grew a bit,
With robbery a main fear,
He decided to stop and ask the man,
"What is it you are 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 for a moment
Because the factory is 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 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 BEN,
JUST CHECKING IN TODAY."
The priest was feeling foolish,
Told Ben that it was fine.
He told the man that he was welcome
To come and pray there anytime.
"It's time to go, and thanks," Ben said
As he hurried to the door.
Then the priest knelt there at the altar,
Which he'd never done before.
His cold heart melted, warm with love,
As he met with Jesus right there
The tears flowed down his cheeks,
And he repeated old Ben's prayer:
"I JUST CAME BY 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,
JUST CHECKING IN TODAY."
Past noon one day, the priest noticed
That old Ben hadn't come.
As more days passed and still no Ben,
The priest began to worry some.
At the factory, he asked about him,
Learning that Ben 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 priest stayed by Ben's bed,
And 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.
Everyday 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,
SO BEN, THIS IS JESUS,
JUST CHECKING IN TODAY."
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If this has blessed you, you might consider sharing it. Many people
will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave soft footprints in your heart.
So, my FRIEND, this is ME . . .
"Just Checking In Today"
Bonjour mes amis . . .
Edited, adapted, and shared by The Easy Cajun
