The sign-holding people I see...

I'm sure everyone has seen them as some point - the people who stand along the highway off-ramps and hold signs saying something like "Homeless, will work for food, God-bless".

This phenomena throws alot of guilt on a lot of people. We're all very blessed, and are taught that we should love other people and help them as much as we can. But we also know the sad truth that many of these people are substance-abusers, and their need for drugs trumps their need for food. Some people give, some people don't.

I used to give. Then I started to work at a non-profit food shelf in the inner-city. Now I don't give. I've learned that there are dozens and dozens of organizations out there which exist solely to help individuals such as these. Some are government funded, some are privately funded. There are food shelves, shelters, places that give free meals, ect. It is VERY difficult to go hungry in this city.

If someone is actually homeless, it is also very difficult to go through life without knowing about organizations such as mine. Walk into any church, and the odds are they can direct you to someone set up to help you. Also, there ALOT of networking that goes on and a lot of community to be found. Odds are you'll eventually hear about something, or meet someone who knows something.

Last night I was driving to Bible study, and I saw a man holding his sign. Now, I would have liked to chat with him and discover his story, but I only had a a minute until the light changed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him bend down and wave at me to get my attention. Instead of asking for money, he just waved and smiled. I found myself instantly smiling back at him. In that minute, he really was a delight.

So, I got to Bible study and we had a conversation about it. Is it worth the risk of giving someone money, if there's a chance they could hurt themselves with it and buy drugs, while they know there are organizations out there put in place to help them? I tend to lean that its the more loving thing to do to NOT give them money. The prodical son ran away from home. Soon, he'd spent all his money on rough living and came home. His father loving and un-judgementally accepted him back. He did NOT, however, send money over to him so he could continue in his current lifestyle. Sometimes the loving thing means being responsible as well as compassionate.

I do have friends that believe that you should give when asked, and its up to the people to whome you give to decide what's right for themselves. I think of my father - he's given me an uncountable amount of money over the years, and always keeps giving whenever I ask. He never asks how I spend it, and never tells me how to spend it. He's always trusted me to make my own decisions. I can't tell you how much I love and respect him.

What's the most loving thing to do? I don't think there's a universal response. I think it varries with every individual person. I feel peace about this thought: unless I can sit down with someone to learn their story, hence learning how I can most help them, I shouldn't just give irresponsibly. I know that they can come into my work and sit down with the interviewers there, and they can learn how to best help them. Often, my work can help them fulfill other needs besides the ones they come asking about - they're just so much better equipted. In the future I'll throw some stories on here from work, about how we've helped different people in the cities.