There’s a third way as well: 3. We gave charitibly.

Beggars are not always the homeless. A couple years ago my wife and I planned a trip to Denver to watch the Braves play the Rockies. Before leaving I stopped at the grocery store and felt prompted to get some cash when checking out, which I normally never do. On the way there we stopped in Cheyanne to get some gas and stop at a rest stop. At the rest stop we walked around a bit with our 9 month old just to take a break and stretch our legs. While we were walking around I kept noticing a young couple sitting in their car looking very distraught. Just as we were about to leave, the young man behind the wheel got out and approached us. He explained that he had driven to a certain city for a job interview and during the experience a maid in their hotel had stolen all the money in his wallet. He asked if we could spare $10 for some gas money so they could finish their trip home. Was he telling the truth? Who cares? I was prompted to give him the $20 I got at the checkout before we left earlier that day. Of course it felt good.

Something interesting happened after that. As we got in our car I noticed that one of our back tires was getting flat. I had just check all our tires at the gas station ten minutes ago. To make a long story shorter we had to buy two new tires as the back two where quite bald.

There’s two ways to look at this I guess. 1. Wow what a sacrafice, we give $20 and then have to spend more for new tires! or, 2. We gave charitibly and the Lord then prompted me to check our tires (which obviously I also never do, or we wouldn’t have started the trip with bald tires in the first place). I feel we were protected from something that could have been terribly worse had we not been prompted to check our tires when we did.

I love to try to sit down and talk with people seeking needs. A few times I’ve had the opportunity to sit down at a Subway or McDonalds with them, and learn about their lives over a meal.

Perhaps you aren’t as evil as I thought you were ;)

Excellent question. I think that to one degree or another, we all fit (or have fitted) in that category. As King Benjamin says, we are all beggars. We all need each other’s help in our quest to “be an agent and steward” over our lives.

Perhaps a beggar is saving to buy a bike, so that they can find a job? Perhaps they are trying to pay for medicine, so that they can become healthy and then find employment? As K.D. comments (on this same post I put on Blogger of Jared), we are not to judge. We are to openly give to those who ask, just as we frequently ask the Father for things, and he gives.

One would hope that the beggar (be it them or us) wisely use that which is given, investing and developing their talent in order to become a wise steward. But as Brother Brigham pointed out, it is not up to us to try to ascertain who is being a wise steward, and who is not. Judgment is up to the Lord, and the blessing will be ours as long as we give. It is a commandment that we must fulfill.

I am happy to report that on my way to lunch today, I saw a beggar outside the restaurant I was heading towards. He did not see me as I voluntarily walked up to him (trying to act according to #4 in this post) and gave him some money. The astonished look on his face made my day. It feels good to give.

The humorous thing was when I walked out five minutes later. The individual approached me for some money. Confused, I told him that I had just given him some. He thought for a couple seconds, and finally realized that I was correct. Guess his mind was a bit clouded at the time… :)