Daily Archive

Last night, while leaving a restaurant I was carrying my youngest to our minivan while I walked past a beggar. He was sitting on the curb and looked up at me and said “Sir?”

In the past I would ignore these people as if they did not exist three out of four times. I am sorry to say that I did just that as I walked by. The fact that I ignored him was a reflex move.

As I ignored him I started to feel that I shouldn’t have. Was that the spirit prompting me?

As I walked closer to my minivan – I thought in my mind that I have to go back. I had read scripture on this and it is now ringing in my ear.

I put my little boy into his car seat, packed up and we started to drive away. As we drove I started to console with my wife:

“I should go back there and help him.”

She, who has exampled charity many times since I’ve met her, told me that if I felt I should, then I should.

My wife pulled back up to him and I rolled down the window and asked him if he’s hungry. He nodded his head yes.

I hopped out of the car and asked him to follow me in and I will buy him something. He didn’t want to.

“I can’t, I’m eight-sixed” he said.

I replied, “That’s OK, tell me what you want to eat and I’ll bring it to you.”

He put his head down and shook his head no.

“Can you just give me some money?”

“No” I said, “I don’t give money out but I will feed you if you are hungry.”

He said “nevermind.”

I asked him “are you sure?”

He nodded yes.

I went back into our minivan and then we drove off.

The scripture that I had read was of what Jesus Christ taught:

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Matthew 25:34-40)

I am wondering, should I have given him money?

He was hungered and I offered to feed him. My reasoning behind not doing so is so he doesn’t use it for things that would not help him.