The Difference

I like to think I'm a kind, compassionate person but often I fail miserably.  Too often, we're not as good as we prefer to think we are.

The other day I was driving to Sears to purchase another pair of pants which I didn't need but just wanted.  As I waited at a red light, I saw a man begging and immediately felt a resentment that I usually feel about beggars.  After all, isn't it better to work at a fast food place than to beg on the streets?  Why should people who work hard for their money simply give it away to people who won't work?  Those were my immediate thoughts.

At that moment it started to rain but the beggar continued walking past the stopped cars with his little sign (didn't read it).  My thoughts were that the rain would put an end to his begging but it didn't.  A hand emerged from the car in front of me motioning the beggar to come over.  My thoughts were, "why do people encourage these beggars?".

As the beggar reached the car, the driver put an umbrella in his hand.  I felt shame for my very less than generous thoughts and a strange humbleness that there are still kind and generous people in this world...kinder and more generous by far than me.

And so I continued on my way, bought the pants plus a pretty top but, as I drove back to Shelley's, I noticed the beggar at the same intersection.  He was still busy begging but he was holding a completely different umbrella than the pretty one I saw given to him earlier.  I've been wondering what happened to the first one, wondering if the beggar came prepared with his own umbrella, and wondered again why we give money to beggars.  If you are relatively young and able and can think ahead to maybe needing an umbrella, you are capable of working and don't need to beg.

I still think I'm fairly kind and giving but I just think we should draw the line at beggars.