Left blinker on, waiting for light to change. He is holding a sign "Need help, Homeless" etched out on cardboard. He walks to the car ahead of me and points to the sign. Not sure if he is acknowledged as he starts toward me, again pointing to his sign. My window is down, not sure what to do. I take in his tats on his neck, arms, and calves. I look at him and suddenly blurt out,"Subway, down at the end of this road is hiring", He says "I already filled out an application." I said "Good", and mercifully the light changes and I turn into the plaza to bring my son to work. Has this ever happened to you?
What do you do? Be the hands and feet of Jesus should always be on the top of our list. But what does that mean? What does that mean to you? At a different intersection, in a neighboring town there is always one or two people standing with some sort of signs. I have on a few occasions stopped and handed out a 10 or a 20 spot. Once I was waiting for pizza at lil Ceasers. (yup had to wait, it happens even there) Staring out the window; I watched a 20 something man walking along the sidewalk bend down and pick up change off the ground, and partial smoked butts. He walked down to Bed and Bath and then back up past the pizza place. I got my 2 large ronis and went to start my car. He was sitting on a bench by Sun Tan City trying to light one of the butts he had picked up. Opportunity, yes! I took 2 slices and a $20, went to him and handed it to him. He smiled and thanked me, and kept asking "Really?" I said, "Yes, really. Jesus wants you to eat today. He loves you".
Thats how I want to respond all the time. Lately, I'm feeling a bit jaded. I am tired. I work very hard, and God has allowed me to meet all my financial needs. I have turned several jobs down in the last month because there are only 7 days a week. I was at the post office one day mailing out something I sold on ebay and this lady comes in when I'm at the counter. She says "Excuse me, I noticed all the cleaning supplies in your car, do you clean houses?" I had to turn that down. I was booked solid. The economy has been good for me. I am grateful, I am tired.
I know I have become jaded because instead of digging in my wallet when this guys started walking towards me, I am looking at his tattoo's thinking 'they don't give those away'. Instead of giving him money from the check that I had just cashed from cleaning today.I basically tell him to go work at Subway. I even consider parking the car to watch him and see where he goes, to see if he really is homeless. And I probably would have if I hadn't just finished a 9 hour cleaning day. Jaded. How to fix this. I think I need to fix this because I plan on retiring 9 years from now to be in full time ministry, in a ministry that is based on people helping people, while leading them to the saving Grace of Jesus Christ. If this is going to be a reality, I can't become jaded. How would or do you handle these things that come up in your life? I really want to know.
