"Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you"

Recently I have began to notice that this holiday season more people are in need then usual. I don't know, maybe I am just realizing it more, but it seems that everywhere I turn I am hearing stories about parents who cannot afford Christmas for their children. It makes me sad. What makes it a little bit worse is people's reaction to these sotries. In some context I see these stories on facebook. I follow a few FB pages that are free swap pages and a number of people are asking for help this season. And more responses then not are other members getting upset with these people, telling them to find a job or that they should be ashamed of asking for help. Then on ocassion I talk to others about this, and not always, but often enough, I get a response that these people are probably scammers or that they should be asking their families for help and not the public, etc.

It is frustrating to me on a number of levels. First, it frustrates me that so many families are in need this season and most of rest of the year too. Second, it frustrates me that people's first response is to assume the worst of these people asking for help. Now I get it, there are people out there who scam the system and others. And yes, some people are just looking for a free ride. Sure, I will concede to that point. I will agree that I have been taken advantage of and that probably you have too. And I will even agree that more people are taking advantage of others and the system now then ever before.

 But here is what I got, and I want to say this delicatly and carefully so I get my point across without offending anyone. So here it goes. God, and my faith, don't ask me to determine who is scamming the system, or me, and who is not. My God asks me to answer those in need. Matthew 5:42 says, "Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you." It doesn't say anywhere that we should question the one who begs from us. It says to give to them! Now I am not suggesting we should give what we don't have or that we should put our livlihood at risk in order to give to these people. But, I think we should be answering these calls if we can.

Now, looking at this situation in a secular, non religious view I will say this. I as a mom, would be humilaitated and ashamed beyond comprehension if I had to ask in a public forum, from complete strangers, for help. There is nothing in my being that would make this type of public embarassment and humiliation worth it, unless it was true. The only way I could possibly dig up the courage to admit that I was unable to provide for my children and my family to complete strangers would be if it were true and if I had to do it for my kids. So, yes, I think some people aren't as prideful as I am and might find it easier to scam others in this manner, but I like to think that more people then not would avoid this type of embarassment if not for their children.

And last, back on a religious note, this is the last thing I will say on the matter. Despite if these people in need are really in need or not isn't the issue for me. Like I said before, my God asks me to answer these people's call if I can and to give to those who beg and to not refuse those who would borrow from me. To me that means, even if their situation isn't extreme, that doesn't matter. I am not to refuse these people. At the end of the day my sin is not answering those who beg when I can help. And if they are lying and decieving me, that is their sin that they one day will have to be accountable for it.

So as I wraped my one sons 20th something present I decided for real I am done this time. I was going to go back to Kohls and pick him up a few more things with the Kohls cash I got, but instead now I will be answering some of those who are begging.  I feel really convicted about it this season. So that is it for tonight. Have a good night everyone!