Street People

[Faith1]

Thank you all for your clarification...May God bless all people irrespective of labels or social status. Amen!

[Catsmeow]

LadyC: This is a really tough subject for me because I know what you're saying is true...

There are "mooches" out there. Some people without honor. They'd sell their own mother for a buck...

Even in Indonesia, where I worked with beggars and street orphans, the same could be said. Yes, indeed...you're right.

On the otherhand, I was once very, very poor myself. My self-esteem at that time was so low, I was crushed by it's weight.

I felt lower than dirt and worthless because of my poverty. I know what it's like to go hungry. I know what it's like to not have clothes...and I know what it's like to be rejected by a church because I didn't have appropriate clothing to attend the church service....

I know what it's like to sleep 9 months pregnant on a hard floor without a mattress...and to "LOSE" weight during pregnancy instead of gain it because of starvation.

I have lived among the poorest of the poor and because of that, I have to wrestle with the reality that some people are ungrateful mooches without honor, while others are desperate and grateful and ripe for the Kingdom, if only someone would reach out in love to them.

You make a valid point and I don't dispute what you say because some people are just exactly what you say they are...

On the other hand...the Father is kind to the unjust and ungrateful. He shows mercy to those who don't deserve it. He forgives some of the vilest sinners.

It is because of His exceeding mercy towards me that I can persevere and extend kindness, even to those who are "opportunistic" and "self-centered".

I say this because in terms of salvation, we Christians are also opportunistic. We eagerly accept the painful, bloodbought sacrifice Jesus made to save us from the inescapable sentence of death.

Since the Father is kind to the just and the unjust, it seems right to bestow kindness to the mooch and ingrate as well as the grateful soul.

[Guest LadyC]

cats, i do understand what you're saying. you know i have also suffered poverty, although not to the extremes that you have. but it was pretty bad from where i stood!

i don't fail to give when i feel led by the Holy Spirit to do so. i won't say i've never offered kindness to a homeless person. i just would rather give what i have to someone who i know is struggling to stay off the street, because they are more appreciative in general. i've been scammed by many "bums" in the last two years. i suppose my point is, be sure you're giving to someone who is truly in need and who is grateful for the assistance.

[Guest dove2]

One Accord, I would love to hear your story also.

[Guest dove2]

I have been reading and thinking on a few things. We have talked about whether to give to our neighbors, whether to give overseas in one thread and now whether to give to homeless or street people.

I don't think we should throw our money away but can we actually tell who to give to apart from the Holy Spirit? I don't think so. I have seen people that I would not give to on my own and the Lord told me to give to them. Some of these have been street people.

My husband had an ex- brother-in-law we had not heard from in years. We heard he was living on the streets of Ft. Worth. We went all over Ft. Worth trying to find him one time and never could.

A few years later there was a knock at our door. It was the brother-in-law. He had lived on the streets for 15 years. He stayed with us for almost 6 months. He said that he chose to live on the streets and that he enjoyed it but that he was sick and needed someone to care for him until he could get his social security started. We let him live with us in a little camper we had. Then we moved a building down further away from the house for him to fix up. Actually he wanted it out in the field so we put a fence around the house so the cows could not get to the house. The man would smoke and get drunk and we did not like that. We were afraid that he would get drunk and set everything on fire especially when the grass starts to turn. He did very little work to pay for anything. He was really sick and that is true. We gave him groceries but would not buy him wine or beer to drink. Once his social securtiy started he moved back to Ft. Worth and rented a little room. It was not but 3 months until we found out he had died.

I told him how I wanted to help the homeless. He told me that there was a difference in street people and the homeless. He said to help the homeless because street people would only take a person as a rule. He told me so many hard and cruel things that go on on the streets. There are all kinds of unspoken laws among street people. They will be killed if they steal from the other. They may be killed if they have too much and don't share. He said from his experience of living on the streets to help only the homeless because they are the ones that really care and really want help. There are families living on the streets and he said to help them. The way he talked had me so mixed up that I didn't want to help the street people anymore.

Then I was reminded that we give where we believe the Holy Spirit wants us to give and we are doing what he wants us to do. We may not know what is going on in a person's heart but the Father does. We used to take blankets, coats and all kinds of stuff around. We have not done that since the brother-in-law lived with us. Not because of doubt but because we have not made it back to Dallas or Ft. Worth to do so.

We will give blankets, hot chocolate or money if the Lord tells us to. I have discovered that if I give and the people know it is from the Lord and they use the money in the way the Lord doesn't want it is they who will be held accountable and not me. I have done what I believe the Lord wants me to do and that is all that is required of us. It is not to figure out who is a street person or who is actually homeless, it is did we even give a cup of water when told to give the water. Couldn't we just give to a person because we cared that they might freeze to death if we don't give them blankets? We never know when one little kindness might bring someone to Jesus. Does the Lord have to tell us to give to show a kindness to someone? I am really seriously seeking an answer to this.

I forgot to add that Gary had prayed for the Lord to send the brother-in-law to the house. He wanted him to accept Jesus. The man did not accept Jesus while here and he caused a lot of problems. He tried to take our home over, and then tried to take the trailer over and then we finally let him take the little house out in the field over and still he was not happy. We did everything for the man we could do. He had to go back to the streets. Gary said that taught him a lesson to be careful what we pray for. I am wondering if before the man died if he accepted Jesus. There is always that possibility. I hope someday we will find out that he did and if he didn't he can never say that he never had the opportunity to.

[Catsmeow]

I don't think we should throw our money away but can we actually tell who to give to apart from the Holy Spirit?

I have discovered that if I give and the people know it is from the Lord and they use the money in the way the Lord doesn't want it is they who will be held accountable and not me.

Patsy:

You've made two excellent, excellent points....

One: The Holy Spirit is the One who guides us to give ...and we hear His voice direct our hearts where and to whom to give....

Two: We don't need to worry where people spend money we give; when God directs us to give to someone, our obedience to His voice is all that matters....

I don't wonder if people will spend the money on a sandwich or a bottle of beer...I just listen to the "still, small voice" that tells me to help someone in need...and that's it.

I sense Him. I perceive Him. I know His Voice and I follow Him. He leads me and I follow. It's so simple.

That's why giving is a joy...and worry-free.

One day I woke up and found a PM waiting ....and there was an urgent request for funds for someone. I didn't have to wonder. I knew the Voice of the Holy Spirit, who told me to act on the matter immediately.

Somehow, someway...we just know when God wants us to help others and in what way....If unsure, just ask.

Great post, Patsy!