Checking In!

Long ago I was told the story of a man named Jim. Every day at noon he went into a church and quickly came out again. A minister was watching and he wondered what he could be doing, he was in there such a short time. One day, the minister approached the old man and asked him the question. "I go to pray," the old man said. "Come now," said the pastor, "you are never in the church long enough to pray." The old man replied: "Well, you see, I don't try to pray a long prayer every day at noon. I just go into church and say, 'Jesus, it’s Jim.' It's just a little prayer, but I guess he hears me."
Sometime later, Jim was injured and taken to a hospital. There, he had a wonderful influence on the entire ward. Grumbling patients became cheerful, and often the ward would ring with laughter. One day, the supervising nurse said to Jim, "The other patients say that you are responsible for the remarkable change in this ward. They say that you are always cheerful."
"Yes, I am," Jim replied. "You see I can't help being cheerful. It's my visitor." The nurse was puzzled. She knew that Jim's chair in his room was always empty, for he had no relatives. "When does your visitor come?" the nurse asked. "Every day," Jim answered. "Every day at noon He comes and stands at my bedside for a few seconds. I see Him and He smiles at me and say, 'Jim, it's Jesus.'"
Maybe today is the right time for that truly short prayer. Maybe it is also time to listen as you work, struggle, or wonder. Maybe in your heart what you will find is Jesus standing right beside you.

Mid-week Prayer

Holy God, how many times have we been too busy to take just a moment and lift our voice to You? The prayer does not have to be long, just faithful. That is the way Jesus is with us. Glory to God. Amen.

This has been Rev. Jim Massey. What a joy to seek the live the promise of Jesus when He said: "I will be with you to the end of the age." Join me next week and we will find ways to put our work where our promise is.