So last night I learned two major life lessons in an unconventional way:
1. Charity is its own reward
2. Picking up a bumm in your new BMW from a gas station is a bad idea
So while fueling up last night before I headed to a friend's bday party in uptown, I stopped to get some gas. As I spoke to TJ on my cell a man approached waiting to talk to me, so I hung up the phone and as is sadly not that uncommon a small greasy man popped up and approached me with the very typical "hey bro, no disrespect but do you have any change..." He then proceeded to tell me the awful story about being homeless with pregnant girlfriend, blah blah, and needing money for food and a hotel room.
Some background into why I did the next thing is that I have been praying for service opportunities, and really felt like I should help this guy out. so I told him that I wouldnt give him money but would get him food. So I told him to get in and we would go to the jack in the box across the street. Things were going well and he was very thankful and respectful but as soon as he had the $14's worth of food (alot for two people) he started asking for $15 dollars that they were lacking to get a hotel room. I told him no, and he continued to ask. I told him I would drop him off and he said that his wife was down the road in a park. Turns out "down the road" was 5 miles away, and the whole drive over the begging continued and proceeded to get more and more aggressive. By the time I got to the park I completely did not buy his story and had already picked out numerous contradictions in it. I stopped the car and got out to shake his hand and he stayed in the car, still begging angrily, with statements like "you gonna make us sleep on the street for $15?". I responded with "I didn't make you do anything, you're choices got you here." At which he got more and more frantic and proceeded to yell at me about how I wasn't a good christian. I then ask him to get out of my car at which point he got out pissed and slammed my door and took a step foward like he was going to come after me, which, in true christian form, I reacted back with "take another step and I'll break your jaw" and then gave him a 5 second countdown to back away which he luckily did.
I drove off telling him that he was a leach on society and is exactly why people dont help people. At which he acted like he was going to throw his, or should I say my, coke that I bought him at my car. Luckily he didnt and I drove away angry frustrated and confused.
From one of the worst experiences of my life I drove away having learned alot.
1. I need to be more careful (and thankful nothing happened)
2. I need to calm my temper and bite my lip
3. That you cant shape the way people you serve behave or accept your help
4. That charity is its own reward and last night the only reward I walked away with was learning my own weaknesses and naiveness
So there you have it how I went from "what would Jesus do?" to bumm fights in 30 mins.
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