Homeless

I had to run an errand today, and I decided to take the kids to Burger King for lunch so they could play on the indoor playground there.  I know, I said I'd never do that again, but I was desperate.  All this freezing weather and snow has kept us cooped up inside and the kids needed some room to run without me yelling at them to be quiet and walk.

Sigh...

So we ran to Wal-Mart to pick up a night light and some craft supplies.  When we left the store a man approached us asking for change or a dollar.  I had to turn him away because I didn't have so much as a nickel on me.  But when I got into the driver seat, Cameron held up two dollars that he had found in my change compartment.  I told him we could drive around the parking lot to look for the man and give the money to him.  We drove around and around, but couldn't spot him in the crowds of people coming in and out.  As it turned out though, there were homeless people on every corner with cardboard signs asking for help.

Here in Utah, or in my town, rather, that is a rare thing.  We don't have people standing at freeway exits panhandling.  We don't see people sitting with their dog at the back of the Target parking lot asking for handouts.  We take notice when someone is standing outside with a cardboard sign because it's not something we're used to.  

There are a lot of different opinions about whether or not it's wise to give money to those people.  We don't know what they'll spend it on or if they really are as needy as they appear.  A lot of people say it's better to give money to a homeless shelter or a food bank than to hand out a spare dollar to panhandlers.  Well, that may be true, but I never do that.  I bet a lot of people never do that.  Have you ever driven down to a homeless shelter and written a check, or dropped off a sack of food to a food bank without someone coming to your door to collect it?  I haven't.  So giving someone on a corner my meager change is the best I can do.  It isn't ever much, but it's something.  And if my little something plus someone else's little something means that someone can buy himself a cheeseburger or some gloves, then that's a good thing.  If it's used to buy alcohol or drugs, then so be it.  I won't presume to dictate what my gift can be used for.  I've never walked in anyone else's shoes, so I can't judge.  

We gave up looking for the same man who had asked us for change and decided to give the money to a different man on a corner.  He was wearing a blue stocking cap and a red and black checked jacket.  He had a patch over one eye and his skin looked weathered and worn. Though he didn't smile, I could see that some of his teeth were missing.  His sign said something about being a single father, but I didn't read it all.  Cameron rolled down his window as we approached and held his hand out with the two dollars.  The man approached quickly, took the money from Cameron's outstretched hand, and with a strained voice from either cold or emotion he looked at Cameron and said, "God bless you.  Thank you Little Buddy."  I wished him a happy holiday, which seemed like an impossibility, and we drove on.

I don't know that man's story.  I don't know if he really was a single father, if he really did have a problem with his eye, if he was there by choice or circumstance; but I knew he was genuinely grateful for those two dollars.  I've handed money out of my car window enough times to know when it's really appreciated and when it's just another drop in the bucket.  Cameron felt it, too.  He said, "We really helped that man, didn't we?"  The truth is, not much.  But we did something.  Something is always better than nothing.

This time of year we think about the Savior and how he came into the world with nothing but the love of a family.  I feel so blessed to have what I do.  I may not be wealthy, but as I look at all the weariness and hopelessness in the world, I feel nearly crushed by all my riches.  And it might be corny or cliche, but we're all beggars.  We all need help from our brothers and sisters at some point in our lives. Today I saw Christ in the faces of all those people standing on corners holding their signs asking for help.  I hoped that they could feel the Savior carrying their burdens, whatever they are.