Thoughts on the Street Beggar


In a nutshell I am curious how others deal with the homeless begging on the corner of every shopping center in town. I understand times are tough and many are trying to make it for their families but how do you tell the difference between the professional street beggar and the one that is there out of circumstance.

I hate giving money to someone and having to worry they are just going to run out and buy smokes or booze. Boise, Idaho is such that there are many shelters and organizations that feed and provide shelter for the homeless so I struggle with handing money out my window to a stranger. I would much rather donate it to the local food bank or shelter to make the most of it. Plus handing money out the window seems so impulsive and to me that isn’t how we are supposed to be with our finances. I don’t know…

Any thoughts because I feel a bit callous about this whole thing.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I freely admit to being an idealist (not a callous cell in my body . . . ) but I love giving to beggars. I've even taken them out to lunch (rather than give them money.) I think it's what Jesus would do. I don't have much opportunity to do this, so I could see that my patience might wear thin if I was constantly exposed to it.

As for worry about what they do with the money . . . that is not a big concern for me, though I do think about it. I am giving to God not to the person, so it becomes God's business (and you can't out-give God.) The point is that the person begging received love from a stranger, which I feel is walking in Jesus' steps, being His hands and feet. Because, He does love them.

It's just a dollar or two and Jesus gets to express His heart through me . . . ? How cool is that?
November 27, 2009 at 8:00 AM
Unknown said…
When my wife and I lived in Chicago, I rode the el to and from school downtown. During a class outing, a friend handed out a couple of apples to people asking for money.

She explained to them (and I, of course, listened in) that if they were hungry enough to ask for money, they were hungry enough to eat an apple. If they didn't want the apples, she simply kept them. That way, she felt helpful and the hungry were fed.

I've kept granola bars in my car glove box to take care of my own hunger pangs during long trips, and if someone is asking for help at off-ramps, I will hand one of the bars out the window. I haven't had one turned down yet.
November 28, 2009 at 5:49 PM
Jason said…
Josh, that was an excellent story and a great idea. Today I was at the grocery store and there was someone on every entrance/exit and it is hard to see sometimes and I thought about giving out a can of food but didn't because I thought they may throw it back at me :-).

Fruit or a granola bar is a grand idea.

Thanks
November 28, 2009 at 6:57 PM
jeanette said…
hi. i stumbled upon your blog in hopes of finding wisdom for my brother who is separating from his wife and children are involved. i appreciate you sharing your stories here. i know they are a help and encouragement to others.

in response to your post "thoughts on a street beggar" ... i was reminded of the the www.iheartrevoltion.com (hillsong) movie trailer i saw earlier this spring

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X5O6DMJtY0
December 3, 2009 at 12:46 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Living Single – Feeling Left Out

Last night I attended a church meeting hoping to make some connections. Since my divorce a couple years ago I have struggled with making new contacts and friends. I have noticed that my patience for people has even diminished causing me to isolate myself more than normal. I guess I have lost confidence in others because of the divorce. To be honest I really didn’t pay much thought to it but recently I have begun to examine myself to see if I can figure out what is going on. The meeting was good but unfortunately the group was not what I was looking for. I was surrounded by people in their 20’s and/or families in their 30’s. As a single parent I really feel left out, even more so as a single dad. There seems to be a class or a group for single women but rarely for single dads. I would love a class like that! As a man living single is very hard. I really want to do what is right but I struggle with desires and female companionship. I often pray to God to help me be happy with where I am ...
Read more

Volunteering as a Family

As parents, you want to guide and support your children toward a healthy future. How can you set good examples for your children? How can you do more together as a family? Community service and volunteering are ways to do both. Following are some ideas on how you can be involved as a family in your community. With good adult supervision, even your small children can work as volunteers. What To Know. What To Do. Children whose parents spend lots of leisure time with them are less likely to do drugs than children whose parents do not. Community service is a great way for families to work together and offers a positive learning experience for children. Children learn selflessness and develop a greater appreciation for what they have and for the caring people in their lives. Check out city/local papers or the bulletin board at your grocery store or place of worship for places and events where you can serve together. Talk to single parents and seniors on your block about their needs; ...
Read more

Winning Child Custody For Dads

It was several months ago when I decided to file for primary physical custody of Madalyn. Of course I had my reasons but over the years I noticed that it was mostly moms that had custody of the children while dads got visitation every other weekend. To me this was absurd. I knew I had my work cut out for me but I also knew that in my case God was with me. How you ask? Well I prayed for years on whether I should make this move and it took that long for me to clearly see whether or not I was doing this for Madalyn or revenge. Yes, revenge was one of my motives in the beginning. Not very nice I know. Of course I though I had just cause to do it but I didn't want to hurt my little girl if I was just trying to get back at her mom. September of 09 sitting in front of a lawyer explaining what and why I wanted to do I had a peace about me. I can honestly say God was with me and my motives were purely for doing what was best for Madalyn. Even though it took nearly 6 months, and never making...
Read more