A Lesson in Compassion for a new Missionary

The family and I decided we would walk down the street tonight to a local restaurant that came highly recommended by a friend. Once we arrived we took a seat inside the completely empty restaurant. The waitress came over and while she leaned on our table, waited silently for us to voice our requests. After a bit of awkwardness, we ordered some drinks as well as our meals. As we sat there waiting for our Chinese dinners to arrive I couldn’t help but wonder how my family and I must appear to the outside world. We are all of a different shade than the locals. The girls especially stick out with their skirts, blond hair and blue eyes. Blurting out our conversation in English I would catch myself shushing our girls to try and avoid any more attention to ourselves than was blatantly obvious. Suddenly a man appeared at the edge of our table.

Noticeably disheveled and filthy this man was unmistakably a beggar. Because I was already in the survival mode I wasn’t really listening to what he said as he began to speak softly to us so as not to be noticed by the restaurant owner. He was telling us his story and that he needed help. I knew that I didn’t have any small change in my pocket so I had already made up my mind to get rid of him as soon as possible. My wife asked him if he was hungry. He replied desperately yes. She offerred him bread out of a basket on our table that had three rolls. I firmly told her to only give him one. She did and just as suddenly as he arrived he disappeared. In that instant I realized that this man was not trying to take advantage of us, he was hungry. I felt immediately convicted as verses of scripture ran through my mind regarding taking care of the poor. But my chance had disappeared. The man was gone. We could have invited him to be our guest, bought him dinner and shared the gospel with him, But he was gone.

We finished our meal and I looked over all our plates. Each plate on the table was at least half full. What a disgusting picture of our abundance. I didn’t want the food. I didn’t need the food. That man did. We paid our bill and left with our bag full of boxed food. With a feeling of disgrace I said to my wife, if we pass someone on the walk home that needs something, we are going to give them all of this food. We did. Shortly after we started walking we met another man thin and desperate for help. We asked him if he was hungry. He nodded. We then gave him the bag full of food and walked on. As we crossed the street I looked back and saw the man beginning to eat what we had given. We didn’t need it, his life may have depended on it. All around us are opportunities to love people to Jesus Christ. God help us to be more aware and in-tune with the Spirit. When He brings people by our way and we dismiss them, we miss manifold blessings both for them and us.

He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; And that which he hath given will he pay him again. Proverbs 19:17