What's our excuse- Only the Worthy Poor

WANTED: Clean Cut, Well Educated, Mentally Healthy, Sober, Gainfully Employed, Poor Person who is in desperate need of my generosity and wisdom.  Ability to pass a Criminal Background Check is A MUST.

It's like someone runs a cheese grater across my brain, seriously. "God helps those who help themselves."

I get the theory.  You want your money to go to a worthy cause.  Responsible giving, right?

If I am a Christian, then I must realize that the orders on my life to be generous and serve are pretty simple.  Christ never advocated for responsible giving. He said give. Period. No exceptions for us and no requirements from them.

Give to everyone, give to your enemies, give to the criminals. Give your clothes, your food, your time and your compassion. Give, give, give, give, give. I am truly thankful Jesus made it so simple, because I would tie myself into knots trying to decide who is worthy of my dollar.

Why do we allow our attitudes to become so hateful and prejudicial towards the poor?  Why do we fight the pull of our soul?

We don't want to be scammed. We don't want to be embarrassed. Is it really more responsible to give to a non-profit organization whose CEO is making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year? When we fall into the trap of second guessing our donations all the time, we will never give.  It's too easy to talk ourselves out of it and then forget that the need is real.  The pain and tears and desperation are out there waiting for our response.  

Our excuses-How Embarrassing

A few weeks ago, my husband and I were having a date night out to go listen to some music. While driving, my  husband spontaneously decided to switch lanes at the last second so we could toss some cash to a beggar on the side of the road.  He risked our reasonable insurance premiums by cutting off a couple cars and stopped on a dime next to the very nice gentleman who was actually not begging, but just waiting for the light to change so he could cross the road. 

Whoops. 

Then there was that time when I tried to help the wheelchair-bound-man move a  shopping cart.  He thought I was stealing the cart and starting yelling at me...loudly...at Walmart...during Christmas shopping days.

I've was on the opposite side of this last year when a kind lady, filled with compassion watching my husband and I tussle over the price of shoes at the Salvation Army, handed me a 20.00 bill and walked away before I could recover from my mortification to return it to her.

My point is that we are scared of embarrassingly helping the wrong person.  Of being shut out and shut down.  There are, of course, worse things to being embarrassed over.

Offer help, accept help.  I constantly have to force myself out of the "bootstrap" theology we are taught in the United States.  God put us here with instructions to help.  People are suffering in mind, body and soul.  I want to always make myself available.

"If people wish to help, let them come and see--the reality is more attractive than the abstract idea."
Mother T.