The press building was old and dirty and noisy. The Christian repairman could hardly hear the voice of the maintenance foreman over the roar of the presses—and he regretted what he did hear! Orders were shouted with a steady stream of profanity and blasphemy, and Barry's heart ached as he listened. Oh, for some way to reach that man with the gospel!
But it was neither the time nor the place, and all he could do was slip a little gospel tract in with his work sheet before he went on to the next job. With it went a prayer: "Lord, how can I help this man?"
The old building seemed always to be in need of repairs, and Barry was called in repeatedly. One day he went and found a stranger in the place of his profane old acquaintance.
"What's become of Hank?" he asked.
"Hadn't you heard? He always bragged that he was never sick a day in his life, but he's nearly dead with cancer. He looks dead already—you wouldn't know him!"
Now indeed Barry longed to reach him with the good news of a Savior who loved him, but how could he find him? ("Lord, help me to find this man!
As the days passed he became more and more anxious that poor old Hank should not go into eternity without hearing once more the "old, old story" of Jesus and His love.
A little "puffery" job had been on his work sheet for some time, a job so small it "wasn't worth a special trip" and so was put off again and again. Suddenly the name on the sheet came into focus in his mind—Henry Johnson! Could it possibly be old Hank?
Into the truck went his tools and Barry was off to the job. It was Hank! Barry went to him and gently took his hand. ("Lord, tell me what to say!")
After a few words of greeting he said, "Hank, do you know where you are going?"
The man who had been the "terror of the press room" looked at Barry and the tears began to roll. "No, I don't know where I'm going. Can you tell me?"
Barry could answer that! Simply he told the sick man of God's love for the world, of Christ's death for sinners and of the open door to life everlasting. Simply he told the story, and simply Hank accepted it. Rejoicing, Barry knelt beside him to thank the Lord for the answer to his prayers and the mercy that was shown to poor old Hank.
"Likewise... there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." Luke 15:10.