I'm at the gas station today, getting ready to fill up my vehicle with gas. As I got out of my car, there was a 20-something man in a very beat up minivan. He approached me and told me he and his family were stranded -- he said they were from Loves Park, Illinois -- there two babies in the van -- they had no way to get home -- their minivan was riding on fumes at the moment. I looked inside the van and saw a couple of very cute kids sitting in car seats and a wife in the passenger seat. She gave me a weak smile. The man said, 'Anything at all would be appreciated.'
Ordinarily, I would just say, "Yeah, I'm sorry ... I can't really help you." I don't know WHY I would ordinarily say that, but it is what I have ordinarily said on these occasions. But for some reason, I felt a bigness in my spirit at that moment. So I fished in my pocket to see what I had. I had a few crumped ones -- and a couple of 20s. Nothing else. So I pondered it for about three seconds while he stood there watching me, repeating: "Anything will help." And so I ended up giving him a $20.
He thanked me profusely and got in his van. I watched him pull into a gas pump slot about four pumps down from where I was. I felt good about what I had done. About ten seconds later, I saw them pull out into traffic and scoot on down the road -- without putting any gas in their minivan.
At that moment I realized I had probably been duped - which is probably why I ordinarily do what I do on those kinds of occasions.
However ... it reminded me of something one of our KFA benevolence team members said to me years ago when I challenged her about people who would come into our church off the street asking for money. I told her that I felt people were frequently taking advantage of us and that it seemed wrong of us to be 'suckers' for that kind of treatment. (Now, I will pause here to say that our benevolence team has a VERY good record and an excellent process of defining who needs help and who doesn't.)
But she looked at me right in the eye and said: 'Pastor Kevin, we KNOW people are going to take advantage of us. We KNOW that. But our heart is to have the heart of JESUS -- and not worry about the ones that end up taking advantage. We know we're going to bless a lot more who really do need it' I've never forgotten that; and today, I remembered it in a fresh way.
And be blessed.
6 comments:
I never worry about getting "taken" like that. Usually for people to do something as desperate as this, they are not far from reaching the low point you thought they were in. Surely no one aspires to be a professional mooch, especially a professional mooch who takes their family along. They may not be down to their last drop of gas, but they don't have much farther to fall. God watch over them nonetheless.
Very well said.
We were "duped" by several young ladies during our adoption quest, who willingly accepted the payment of their past-due phone bills (so we could connect) and other legally accepted expenses . . . but eventually revealed that they had no intentions whatsoever of following through.
This was a tough lesson.
Eventually, God graciously showed me that we weren't giving to these girls at all - but to Him.
One young lady actually placed twins separately (through the advances of a rather unscrupulous attorney), after we had supported her (financially and emotionally) through many months. I have since learned, many years later, that she is still on welfare.
So that $50K they gave her really didn't change her life . . . did it?
But God knows. And God looks at the heart of the giver, perhaps way more than the hands of the receiver.
Pastor, you will be blessed. Heck, you already are! ;-)
Should have used your credit card and stood there while he filled his tank!!
Should have used your credit card and stood there while he filled his tank!! I guess the loss to you is the same but might have called his bluff.
RIGHT!
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