As the Spirit moves you

Scripture: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
“Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:35-40)

Last Sunday, right after church, I went to the gas station hardly a block away to fill up my tank. While I fed the pump my debit card, I heard a woman’s voice coming from the other side of the gas pump. “Hello? Ma’am? Excuse me. Ma’am?” I looked over, and there was a woman probably in her early to mid 20s sitting in her car, and she told me she had no money, and would I please be willing to put a little gas in her tank. She offered me free movie tickets for the favor.

My first reaction was to be very guarded. How many times have I been approached, “Hey, can you lend me a few bucks?” “Excuse me, I need some cigarettes, could you give me just a little change?” How often have we driven by people sitting at the exits or entrances to shopping centers, holding cardboard signs in front of them, “Hungry. Need food.” “Out of work, please help.” As a single woman, often by myself, I feel I must first protect myself before giving my heart out to those less fortunate.

It is really sad in this day and age that instead of freely helping our neighbors; those less fortunate, those in need – I feel first suspicious, then sometimes, a little afraid. It’s a reasonable feeling, given the circumstances and the society which we live in. But nonetheless, as Christians, we are called to help those in need. Not that God wants us to put ourselves in danger or to be foolhardy, thinking everyone has good intentions, and are therefore harmless.

Too often I have heard news reports of beggars who will spend a weekend on a corner begging for money, and when secretly followed, they get into a nice car and go home to a nice house, having filched from a heartbroken society who thought they were helping someone in horrible circumstances.

I ended up holding back my suspicions from this young lady, declined the movie tickets, and put a few gallons of gas in her car. I just wanted to show God’s kindness to her without the expectation of receiving something in return. I believe she was genuinely stranded. She wasn’t asking for money, she wasn’t asking for a full tank. She was asking for whatever I could offer. I asked her how long she had been sitting there, and she said about 20 minutes. Even the men refused to help.

And this is the society we all live in. There is a fair amount of suspicion, a sense of protecting ourselves and then there are others who are just plain selfish. A “better you than me” mentality, it seems.

So as I have talked to the Lord about this situation, I keep hearing one thing in response. I could be wrong, so if anyone has a different point of view, I don’t mind hearing it. But what I heard, in a non-condemning way, was, “And who are you to judge?” It wasn’t a reprimand or a scold. It was a genuine question I feel I heard from the Holy Spirit.

Whether the need is real or materialized, who are we to judge? And I mean that within reason. It is not up to us, upon seeing someone in ragged clothing and uncombed hair - to decide if they are worthy of a few coins. If they pose no threat, and the Spirit moves you – then allow the Holy Spirit to lead you. Jesus died so ALL could be saved. By showing a bit of kindness to someone, are we not showing God’s love in action? Maybe the individual we give 50 cents to will buy a candy bar. Maybe he or she will save enough for a fast food meal. Maybe not. It’s not up to us to judge.

It’s a dark world we live in and we must always practice safety and common sense. But I have to admit to you right now, that there is a man that I pass by on the road once in a while who parks his grocery cart along side a 2-lane road in the middle of Oxnard’s agricultural farm land, and I will see him sleeping on the dirt along side the road.

Twice now, I’ve been moved to leave some food for him on his cart without disturbing his slumber. Twice now I have failed to take action. And I often wonder about that man when I am at home at night and it’s 40 degrees outside. I think about him when the rain wakes me up in the middle of the night, as it makes that familiar “slapping” noise outside the window, because it is raining so hard.

Where is he? Where does he go? Is he warm? Has he found shelter? I don’t know his plight; I don’t know why he is out there. But I am moved to compassion for this one individual I have seen a few times as I have traveled that road. I hope the next time I see him – if I feel the Lord’s prompting again, I will take action.

Prayer request: Pray for those in desperate need, who must survive on what little strangers give them, on whatever the government can offer. Pray for more Christians to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit to take action when they feel the familiar stirring in their hearts.

Prayer: Lord, we ask You to help each of us to hear Your voice more clearly, and to help us to move swifter when the Spirit moves us, because when You move us into action, You don’t send us into harm’s way. Help us to not judge so quickly those who need you so badly in their lives. These are hard times, Lord, and we may need to depend on each other some day as this world gets darker, and if we don’t practice now – how cold and hungry will we get?