Old man in the upper room

Billy Grahams' "Decision" magazine published parts of this many, many moons ago.

On one of those timber tramps to Alaska, I was bunking near an Indian village. No logg'n camp so had to use the two washing machines in a makeshift building. The only time to find them empty was late at night.

The only occupant was a tall Indian women about 30 folding her clothes and humming a hymn. She acknowledged me and I her.

I dumped my bag into the washer. As it chugged along the only sound was dogs barking down in the village. I broke the silence. I sez, "That was a hymn you were humming?"

"Yes, it was," she answered, "I learned it as a little girl. Can I tell you the story?"

"Please do," sez I.

And so she began.

"Near the village is an old building with an upper room. It's on pilings over the cove and we had a minister once who held church in that upper room. After some time, not seeing any converts, he left.

Little did he know an old man believed.

This girl would play under the building when the tide was going out looking for shells. One Sunday a old man sat up there near an open window and sang that hymn. Sunday after Sunday he came and as the gentle waves from the cove lapped on the sea weed and rocks he sang that hymn."

She went on, "As life became hard for me with alcoholism rampant in the village and suicide all too common I then remembered that gentle old man and the hymn and gave my heart to Christ."

She picked up her bags to go. So sez me, "You can't go without telling me the name of that hymn."

With a pleasant look on her face she said, "Though millions have come there's still room for one, there's room at the cross for you."

She disappeared into the dark night, no flashlight and no fear because Jesus was walking with her. It was then I thought we Christians never know who's listening.