A few days ago I finished meeting with a client at Starbucks and was on my way back home when he called to see if I was still there. I stated to him that I had left but asked if there was something else he wanted to discuss. He informed me that he was so caught up in the conversation that he totally forgot about his brief case which he left sitting in the chair at Starbucks. He was sitting across from me but I did notice it with him when he first entered the building. So he asked if I could pick it up for him and hold it until we could make time to meet for him to get it from me. So I say sure and head back to Starbucks.

Upon entering I see the case sitting in the chair exactly where he left it. Now as I'm zipping up the case and preparing to leave a gentleman makes a comment behind me. Not knowing that this isn't my case he's basically telling me how lucky I am that it's still there. Mind you this gentleman wasn't hear earlier so he had to have arrived after I had left. So I acknowledge him and his response with a nod. He walks up and asks if he could talk to me for minute. Immediately red flags go up as I'm pretty sure of where this is going. Not wanting to talk inside of Starbucks, for obvious reasons, he follows me outside. It's cold, he's sipping coffee and I'm sizing him up to gage his intentions. He appeared to be an older gentleman and I notice that he's layered in clothing and from the looks of it without transportation. So he asks if I could help him get to a shelter and my immediate response was that I didn't have any cash. He says he could meet me across the street I'm assuming in case I wanted to stop by an ATM. Again I repeat, firmly, that I have no cash! So he then asks if I could give him a ride to where he could try to catch the bus before it got too late. I first say no and immediately began to realize the severity of his situation. So against my better judgement I found myself asking him where he needed to go; "up County Services Road to Austell Road where I can try to catch the bus" he states. So I picture the route in my head and see that it goes away from where I'm going. As I'm making him aware of this a new route appears and I see where it loops back to my original destination, which is home. It's cold and he continues to plead his case. So against my better judgement I agree to give him a ride to Austell road. He immeidately begins thanking me and making it known that I don't have anything to be worried about. Inspite of hearing that I casually asks if he's carrying any concealed weapons and make a half-assed attempt to see if I smelled alcohol on him. This he notices and chuckled while continuing to let me know that I didn't have to worry about. He then goes on to say that if anything he may need to worry about what I could do to him.

As we turn up County Services road I see a police cruiser and feel the urge to ride close behind it, maybe out of fear that if something happened I could get the officers attention. So the police takes a left and as we continue along the dark winding road I begin to think how quick things could go bad for me. I can't help but think of the number of good gestures that have been met with tragic ends. Being that we're already in the car I figure the best way to get through this was to remain calm and collected so I shook off my fears and kept it moving at the normal speed limit.

Once we arrived at Austell road he and I both breathed a sigh of relief. Him for not having to walk that cold road and me for getting him to his destination unharmed. So he leaves and as I'm heading home I reflect on my actions and immediately begin to grade myself. I'm sure it was obvious to the gentleman that I was annoyed by the confrontation therefore I'm sure I may have come across a little harsh. I didn't offer much conversation during the brief trip but he made several references to being Blessed for the both of us. I probably could've been a little more sympathic to his situation and offered my services with a "free'er heart" but I chose not to. In the end none of this mattered to the gentleman as he had one objective in mind, which was to make it up the road and get one step closer to his final destination.

I can't help but wonder why this gentleman would be in Starbucks at that particular time and why I'd be called back to Starbucks. The owner of the case could easily have went back to Starbucks himself but instead he was led to call me. I could've said no to the owner and went home but I didn't. Now that I'm reflecting on it I believe it was meant for me to be there and for our paths cross that night.

For those of us who walk by Faith and believe in the greater good we're often placed in situations which are designed to test our faith and moral compasses. If I say I'm working to be this "new creature" then how do I show this when tested. How would I respond to someone who asks for my help? Do I shun this person out of fear for my own personal safety? Do I give a hand full of change out of contempt and disgust? Or do I yield to any number of instructions provided as scriptures that speak to giving and helping those considered less fortunate:

1 John 3:17 – But if someone who is supposed to be a Christian has money enough to live well, and sees a brother in need, and won't help him–how can God's love be within him ? 

1 John 3:18 – Little children, let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions. 

1 John 3:19 – Then we will know for sure, by our actions, that we are on God's side, and our consciences will be clear, even when we stand before the Lord. 

Proverbs 14:31 – Anyone who oppresses the poor is insulting God who made them. To help the poor is to honor God.

Proverbs 19:17 – When you help the poor you are lending to the Lord–and he pays wonderful interest on your loan!

Proverbs 21:13 – He who shuts his ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in his own time of need.

Proverbs 22:9 – Happy is the generous man, the one who feeds the poor. 

I could go on and on but the last verse speaks volumes because it lets me know that this could easily be me. Though my journey has been plentiful I'm but a breath away from being in this situation. So in speaking from my own experiences I can attest to needing help from strangers. Although it's a position I'm constantly fighting to stay away from sometimes things happen whether by design, faith, or chance. So as I walk away from this test I give myself a "C" because even though I acknowledged the test, and gave, I didn't do so freely, nor do I think I would've. So I don't get to pat myself on the back, per say. I can only hope that as He continues to Guide my Flight and hold me accountable for my actions He takes into account my mindset, what's on my heart, and the possible circumstances that forces me to consider my personal safety before His Instruction. Therefore I won't end this post by saying we should all be good to our fellow man. Instead I say continue to be truthful to the person that you are and hope that the relationship with your chosen Saviour isn't strained because of the choices you'll have to make when tested.

Eph 2:9 Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it.

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This entry was posted by marvC on Friday, January 8th, 2010 at 2:04 PM and is filed under Encounters, News, Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.