We welcome a guest blog from our friend Marge.

If you are like me you wonder if beggars on the street corners are really homeless and in need or if they are faking it trying to take advantage of unsuspecting souls such as us. It’s a perplexing question for sure. We are left wondering, should I do the Christian thing and help them out or avoid their eyes and ignore them? They all look so downtrodden (or so they want to appear) with a hopeless look on their face hoping that you will feel pity on them and cough up some cash. Yes, they want cash, not food or any material donations. What are they going to do with that cash? Buy cigarettes, booze, pay for their
cell phone usage? Or are they for real? Before you can make up your mind if they are legitimately in need or not, the light changes and you’re off.

To paraphrase a devotional in the Word in Season devotional book that you find in our Narthex, there are two Christian men who encounter such a beggar at a street corner. One of them stops to give the beggar money. The other man questions the giver and says “how can you trust that he is not a fake beggar and give away your money like that? He’s just going to go squander it on something frivolous. He doesn’t need it”.  The giver said that what the beggar did with the money wasn’t of his concern but rather what he (the giver) did with his money was his concern.

My Christian conscience tells me to help those in need and less fortunate than me. But that little devil who sometimes sits on my shoulder tells me no don’t fall for this beggars plight. It’s the age old battle of good vs. evil. What to do, what to do…….

One night on our way into Taco Bell for dinner, Jerry and I were stopped in the parking lot by a woman with three teenagers in a car asking for monetary assistance so that they could eat that night. The devil sitting on my shoulder took over and said that we didn’t have cash on hand, that we were paying for our meal with a credit card (which was true). We went in, ordered and were eating when the woman came inside the store to talk to the manager, trying to solicit his help. The manager shook his head and
turned her down. I then realized that this woman was legitimate in her despair over feeding these kids.

Between Jerry and I we had $6.00 in our wallets. We were indeed paying for our meal by credit card. I took the money out to the woman’s car and explained that it was all we had and we hoped it helped. The look on the woman’s face was priceless. Thank you poured forth from all in the car. I returned to the restaurant to finish my meal feeling much better when the woman and kids entered, debated over the menu and ordered. As they left to take the food out to the car to share, one of the teenage boys came to our table, thanked us once again and handed over the change from the $6.00 we had given
them saying “this belongs to you”. I was totally speechless and in tears. He left before I could gain  control of my voice or emotions. By the time I finally got control of my senses, the woman and kids had driven away. To this day I regret not running back to their car, bringing them all inside and paying (with my credit card) for meals for all of them.

There is a lesson somewhere here. I now look at those more unfortunate than me with a different perspective. I think there but for the grace of God go I. It’s still hard to decide if a beggar is legitimately in need of help or not. Regardless of their situation, they are children of God and need help. And God loves them unconditionally as he does you and me.

Marge