It can be difficult to love -- and sacrifice -- for some, especially for those who seem to be so undeserving and/or unwilling to provide for themselves. It can be difficult to obey Christ’s injunction to “give to every man who asketh of thee”, even “good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over”.
But will we be like our Lord — “who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not” — and serve others who are clearly undeserving, often ungrateful, and sometimes even rebellious and disobedient (like ourselves)? Or will we refuse to be like, and follow, Jesus?
Our hearts may recoil at the prospect of taking from our stores to give to monsters and reprobates, but it is not they who are "on trial", but we.
"Like hell I will!" you might say.
But then like hell you would be.
Yes, the heart does recoil. But that recoiling is what has to go.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the current lesson is to stop murmuring at it and do it.
Something to read.
ReplyDeleteA funny thing happened to me yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThru a series of circumstances that were set in motion when Scot mowed our lawn the other day, I ended up meeting his grandmother (who seems like a very nice lady.)
I get the impression that Scot is closer to her than he is his mother, but I think they share the same apartment, and my understanding is that he can only stay with them two weeks out of the month because of the number of occupants allowed under the lease (and how long visitors are allowed to stay without being considered occupants.)
But the funny thing that happened to me yesterday was finding out so much about Scot, from his own mouth, and receiving the thanks I received from him.
He mowed our lawn the other day, and I payed him more than he expected, and he said he was able to see that oral surgeon because of the money I gave him, but before the day was over he asked me for cash I didn't have here in the house (for prescriptions he said he needed filled.)
If I could have just gone to the ATM myself, without violating a legal agreement I made with the Department of ageing, and without leaving my dad liable to being placed in a home against his will (because I violated that agreement), I would have gladly given him that additional money the day he asked.
But you see, once when I was picking the 1993 van I use to transport dad up from the repair shop, dad had a bad dream (or something) and started screaming his head off here in the house before I got back.
When I did get back, the police were at the door, and (though they were very nice) they had to make out a report that got social services involved.
That's how I ended up signing that agreement, and I couldn't leave dad alone without violating it.
And because I didn't feel right about leaving Scot here with dad, and all of dad's meds and personal information, and because I thought he could probably get the additional money he was asking for some place else, and because it didn't feel right to me to drag dad out of bed at the time, I turned this last request down.
Well Scot called yesterday morning (I think from his grandma's phone, because the caller I.D. didn't say Scot), and from the way he sounded when I called him back, I assumed he was in so much pain that he just dropped the phone before I could answer his call.
(I know he has few, if any teeth, and his mouth really does get infected, because I've seen it swollen.)
I told him that if I got dad up and out I could get the money, and pick up the meds for him, and things started getting complicated, but not because he was lying.
It seems Scot's been (in his own words) red flagged because he's overdosed so often.
By this time he told me this, dad was in the van, and Scot and I were on the street (not far from the drug store where he was supposed to try to get his mom to meet us), and it seemed the simplest thing to do would be to have just give him the money and walk away.
But (whether it was right or wrong) I couldn't help asking myself how I could do that when he told me that he had a history of overdosing, so I asked him "how can I know you wont overdose on some street drug if I give you this money?", and that's when he said I could give it to his grandma instead of him, and he'd actually prefer it that way.
I dropped him off at his grandmother's, and when I met the old lady, and gave her the money he needed for his prescriptions, he again thanked me, and again said he preferred me giving the money to his grandmother.
He then added that he had asked others to do that, but I was the first to actually do it.
Did I do wrong?
P.S. I think I have a little over two hundred dollars of my own SSI money left, that I could give away (to anyone who asks) without dipping into dad's income (though I might have to ask our friends down in Eastern for some help paying the electric bill if I do.)
ReplyDeleteIt would be stealing from him to just keep giving when my money is gone, wouldn't it?
Yes, it would be stealing to give away someone else's money.
DeleteAlso, King Mosiah said that if a person has enough for their day to day living and that's all, not to give to a beggar. Instead, say in your heart, "I give not because I have not. If I had, I would give."
In other words, you don't give away the money you need for your electric bill. Or food. Or any other necessity. You don't give so much that you turn into a beggar, asking for necessities that you actually had been able to provide for yourself.
Not only does it not make sense to do that, Mosiah suggested one does not do that.
Let's not forget this example:
Delete12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. (1 Kings 17:12-13.)
Seems you're doing right; how do you feel?
ReplyDeleteI felt pretty good when I woke up yesterday morning, but I had a bad dream last night, and I'm still not sure of a whole lot.
DeleteThanks for asking.
I don't know if you've prayed for me and mine, but I again ask you to pray for us.
Have a good day (i.e. G-d bless.)