Begging Sucks. Compassion Doesn't.

The young man at the intersection held a sign in his hands. "I like it," Rand said. "Me too," I agreed. We drove on, but the words were imprinted in my mind:

Begging Sucks. Compassion Doesn't.

Perhaps the fact that we kept driving is why we did what we did next. Or maybe we would have done it anyway. We'll never know.

We had driven to World Market, which we had a gift card for, and were in search of a cookie jar. After Rand and I got married, my new grandkids told me that the secret to being a good grandma was in the cookie jar. So obviously I wanted to live up to their high expectations!

While getting out of the car, two women pushing shopping carts approached. The younger woman with a child in her cart kept walking. But the older woman with the empty cart asked Rand if he could spare any change. His response: "Let me ask my wife."

I almost never give money to people who approach me in parking lots and Rand doesn't either. I'm not sure where this "rule" of ours comes from, except that I'm uncomfortable when people approach me directly. I'd much rather roll down my window or even hop out of the car and give money to someone sitting on a corner than I would someone who walks right up to me and my purse.

But we had driven right past the man on the corner with the compassion sign.

So I handed Rand $5 and he passed it on to the woman who expressed her appreciation.

Which would normally be the end of it. Except this time it wasn't.

We went in to World Market, perused the cutest cookie jars, settling on a yellow one shaped like a beehive, used our gift card to pay, and returned to our car in the parking lot. Where we saw the women we had just given $5 to loading bags into their trunk and driving off in a brand new jaguar.

Our jaws dropped. We went from disbelief to anger and back to disbelief in a matter of seconds. Finally settling on feeling sorry for someone who is so destitute in their spirits that they would ask for money they didn't need. Essentially taking money from those who do need it. Because even though we can do without that $5, maybe the man on the corner with the compassion sign couldn't. And instead of giving it to him we'd given it to her.

This is the challenge we face and why so many people choose not to serve others. Because they don't want to get taken advantage of by people like this woman.

But we are called to serve. We are called to listen to that voice in our spirit that nudges us to show kindness to others. Because for every woman who drives off in a new jaguar, there are dozens of others who are truly in need. Who truly hate begging and who are truly blessed when we show compassion.

So we must continue to serve. And not worry about what happens after we've given our time or money or love. But trust God to use it for His glory. Because for all we know, our $5 may be just what it takes to turn that woman's life around.