A Question of Compassion

With the Super Bowl yesterday and it being February already, the “Holiday Season” is officially over. Personally I love the holidays, giving thanks at Thanksgiving, sharing gifts at Christmas, and celebrating New Years in January gives us a chance to spend time with friends and family and show our love for each other. Giving thanks, sharing gifts and celebrating a new year feels good, as it should. But should it ever…..really….be over? A friend of mine recently reminded me otherwise.

Joe, you always take time to write and share, so I thought I would reciprocate. I sent this message to my Wife and Son as an FYI. Hope you get something out of it. Mike

While filling up my gas tank last week I was approached by a disheveled man asking for spare change. Although I gave my standard "No" reply, (I'll get to the reason why in a bit), there was something about this man that made me stop and think. He was about the same age as me, same height, and in good physical condition (although desperately needing a bath and a shave). I looked past the rough exterior and thought to myself, “This guy should be producing in society. Cleaned up with decent clothes, he could easily get a good job.”  He was also well spoken, polite and thanked me in spite of my negative look and negative answer.

The reason I always say “No!” is because I know what happens….these individuals buy Booze or drugs! However, this time I seconded guessed my gut and went back to the man with a small amount of money. “Be honest with me. If I give you money are you going to buy booze?” Without hesitation he said, “Yes sir, I am going to buy booze.” He was shaking as he answered me and said he needed to satisfy the craving in his body. I looked him square in the eye and said, “That’s why I usually say no, but this one time, I’m going to give you this money and hope you use it for something good. He said, “God Bless you sir, I will.” and we parted.

I know there are thousands of people out there who have potential… but yet are really struggling.  I wish I could have offered that man a job instead of a meager Del Taco meal but at least I didn’t turn my back on him.

I learned two very important lessons from this gas station encounter. 1) Always go with my gut. 2) There has to be a better way to help people like this get their lives turned around. Maybe there is… but I fear too many of them have sunk so low they’ve lost all faith and spirit and no longer desire to function in society. Most of them, I fear, are just anxiously waiting until it’s all over. A man without faith and spirit is truly a lost soul.  

Mike’s letter reminded me that compassion for our fellow man shouldn’t end when the holiday season ends. We’ll never know what that man did with the money Mike gave him, but we do know what Mike did with his!



Whoever has this world’s goods and see his brother

in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does

the love of God abide in him? My little children let

us not love in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth.

~ 1 John 3:17, 18