We've all seen the guys on the street corners, holding cardboard signs asking for spare change. Some claim to be veterans, others claim that they will work for food, while there are others that simply ask for money. How uncomfortable does it make you when the light turns red and you discover that these guys are standing right beside your car?
As followers of Christ we suddenly find ourselves in a dilemma. On the one hand, do we want to be responsible for giving these men and women money only to have them spend it on alcohol or drugs? But then there is always the possibility that they might really use the money that we give to buy food and basic necessities for life. How in the world are we to decide whether or not to give? The answer to that is simple. We follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit and reach out the least of these in obedience.
Yesterday as I was running errands with my son Deacon, I saw a young man standing on a median holding a cardboard sign. He looked to be high school age. It was raining and automatically I thought of the umbrella that I had with me in the car. My car was stopped for the light several spaces back so I assumed that I would catch the next red light and that would be my opportunity to see what this guy was all about and at the very least give him the umbrella to shield him from the rain. When the light turned green it lasted longer than I expected and as I passed this now drenched young man he gave a smile and waved as if I was the one who had the need. Before I even made the turn at the light I knew that I had to go back to see if I could help him. The Holy Spirit of God was telling me to go back.
I turned around and pulled up beside him, calling him over to the car to see how I could help him. He said that he had lots of needs and so instead of talking to him in the rain I instructed him to get in the car. His name is Jacob, a high school drop out who now lives on the streets because his mom kicked him out. My first inclination was to bring him to my house - my kids have been asking for an older brother, as if you can just order one online - and once at my house we would figure out where to go from there. He told me that before we did anything he needed to go talk to his dad. "Where is your dad?" I asked. Jacob told me that his dad was on a different intersection right down the road. I turns out that Jacob lived with his dad in a tent in some nearby woods and they spent their days at different intersections asking for money.
My next stop was to pick up Jacob's father, whose name is Doug, and we headed down to Wendy's to get a bite to eat. Doug took to my son Deacon immediately and Deacon was delighted to have made some new friends. Once seated with our food I asked them their story. Without going into great detail, Doug was injured on the job and instead of relying on government checks he decided to make it on his own. His son Jacob had lived with his mother but when she no longer cared for the company that he kept she told him to leave, and that's when he met up with his father.
In my morning communion with God I had asked Him specifically for someone to minister to in His name and He wasted little time in answering that prayer. I began to share the gospel with the two of them and found out that they both understood the message of the cross, even if their understanding of certain Scriptures was little bit skewed. They agreed that there is salvation in none other than Jesus and that once our lives are surrendered to Him we must live lives that seek to glorify Him above all. I rejoiced in their salvation and encouraged them to seek daily to grow in their relationship with God.
After lunch they asked if I would drop them off where they lived. I offered to take them to the store for any supplies they might have needed but they told me that they had all that they needed back at their camp. I was struck with how content they were with their current situation. I was able to give them a little bit of money and after snapping a quick picture of them and giving them both a hug, I watched as they walked into the woods behind a set of railroad track, praying for them as they disappeared from sight. As soon as they were gone Deacon asked which car in the parking lot was theirs. When I told him they didn't own a car he then asked where there house was. With tears welling up in my eyes I told my son that our friends Doug and Jacob didn't have a home like we do. Deacon asked why, but before I could answer he told me that he missed his new friends and hoped that we got to see them again soon. I couldn't have agreed more.
The whole time I was with Doug and Jacob the words of Jesus echoed in my brain: "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did it for Me." It never occurred to me what they might do with the money that I gave to them and I didn't really care. My goal wasn't to pass further judgment on their lives or the decisions that caused them to live as they live today. My sole aim was to be the gospel to them so that I could speak the gospel to them. So often we question the agenda of others yet the only agenda that must garner our concern is our own. Jesus told us to love God and love people. What does it say about my love for God if I refuse to love those He places in my path everyday?
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