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 woman came down the aisle, the minister frowned as he saw, the woman hadn't been in, in a while.
Her shirt was kind a shabby, and her coat was worn and frayed. The woman knelt, she bowed her head, then rose and walked away.
In the days that followed, each noon time came this lady, each time she knelt just for a moment, a lunch pail in her lap.
Well, the minister's suspicions grew, with robbery a main fear, he decided to stop the woman and ask her, "what are you doing here?"
I worked down at the volunteer, lunch was a half an hour. Lunch time was her prayer time, for finding strength and power.
"I stay only moments, see, because the volunteer is so far away; as I kneel here talking to the lord, this is kind of what I say:
"I just came again 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 everyday. So, Jesus, this is Jill checking in."
The minister feeling foolish, told Jill, that was fine. He told Jill she was welcome to come and pray anytime.
Time to go, Jill smiled, said "thanks," she hurried to the door. The minister knelt at the altar, 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 Jill’s prayer:
"I just came again 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 everyday. So, Jesus, this is me checking in."
Past noon one day, the minister noticed that Jill hadn't come. As more days passed without Jill, he began to worry some.
At the volunteer, he asked about Jill, learning she was ill. The hospital staff was worried, but she'd given them a thrill.
The week that Jill was with them, brought changes in the ward. Her miles, a joy contagious, changing people, were her reward.
The head nurse could understand why Jill was so glad, with all the flowers, calls and cards came, visitor's she had. The minister stayed by her bed, she voiced the nurse's concern: all the friends came to show they cared she had everywhere to turn.
Looking surprised, Jill spoke up and with a winsome smile; "the nurse is right, she would know, she's in here all the while".
Everyday at noon she'd hear 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, Jill, how happy I have been, since we found this friendship, and I took away your sin. Always love to hear you pray, I think about you each day, and so Jill, this is Jesus checking in."