I Cannot Pass Them By

...and this is where I get the heat for being judgmental. Before you read, before you comment, please understand that I am not at all being judgmental, and if you feel that I am pointing the finger in your direction, maybe you should check yourself, because maybe, just maybe, it's the Holy Spirit.

Now that I've gotten that disclaimer out of the way and the pitchfork sharpening has commenced, allow me to continue.

As I drove over into the WalMart parking lot, the lady who I had shared campground space yesterday was flying a sign, asking for help with gas for her RV.

I wasn't in a giving mood. I rationalized everything I could; her RV was in idle, the TV and AC were on where her kids sat inside. To rationalize away would be easy, and maybe, just possibly, I would be right.

But what of the possibility that I could be wrong? What of the command not to judge? What of the command that if someone asks for your coat, give them your cloak also? What about the call to the sojourner? All of these things went through my mind as I gave, admittedly grudgingly. I've been feeling spent and bitter lately, and while I know that's not a good thing, I also know it's only a sign I am human.

I live in a world where the faith I follow calls me a fool. I have long cherished the amazingness of the grace of God who has given me so much, and so abundantly. My kids certainly don't see it, the world certainly doesn't see it, but I do. EVERYTHING I have and am belong to God, and when I see myself with so much while so many have so little, I feel that there is no response but to act.

I look at everything I have and wonder, when have I given enough? The answer comes back, when I have nothing to give. And that is the ONLY answer that lines up with Scripture, in my opinion.

The sad part of it is, the church in general does not agree. I've found one pastor in a thousand who will put the needs of the community over the material needs of the church. Yes, we serve, but when the need is still there, we must ask, have we served enough?

Being on the road has been the biggest blessing that I've ever known, as it has exposed me to the vastness of the need. Every time I put another drop in the bucket, I see how large the bucket is, and I wish my fellow Christians would understand that our ONLY cause is Christ, and everything else is just spinning wheels.

I'm not castigating folks completely; I've seen some amazing things from fellow believers, and I know they are doing as much as they humanly can and stay within their comfort zone. I'm not questioning that. But I am suggesting that, perhaps, we go beyond our comfort zone and surrender absolutely EVERYTHING, understanding that in the end, God will provide.