I saw someone on the street corner the other day…..

A few weeks ago I drove to the grocery store that my wife and I frequent.  Standing on the corner of the main road and the cross section was a rather large, younger woman holding up a sign.  I couldn’t read the sign, but I could tell that she had a coat on, so I assumed she was warm, was wearing what appeared to be clean clothes, and the hair under her hat was combed.

I’m embarrassed to say it, but my first thought was, “It looks like she could skip a few meals rather than begging for one!”  I immediately felt bad for my instant judgment and took a closer look at her.

What I saw was an overweight but attractive young woman.  She didn’t seem proud to be standing there holding up a sign asking for help, but she didn’t appear to be smug about it either, as if to say that the world owed her something.  I thought to myself, “I’ve got everything in the world I need.  Why can’t she have the same?”

I ran into the store and headed down the aisles with my list in hand.  I’ll be the first to admit that I hardly ever stick to it.  My wife will send me with specific instructions and I usually find something else that we “really need” or I “really want!”  It’s nice to have the luxury for sure, but is it fair considering that there is a young woman standing on the street corner begging for food?

As I wandered through the store looking for things on the list I asked myself what a conversation would be like with her.  What would I ask?  How would she reply?  Would she be offended by my questions?  Would I feel inclined to help her once I knew her story?

Just down the way there is a Starbucks.  I imagined myself going up to her and asking if she’d like a warm cup of coffee or some hot cocoa.  Assuming she’d agree, I’d take her to the Starbucks, pay for her beverage and offer to buy her something to eat as well.  Once seated I would ask her name, find out where she’s from, find out if she had any family close by, tell her something about myself, and talk just about everything other than the obvious, “Why are you standing on the corner begging for food?  What brought you to this place in your life that you felt you had no other choice than to stand there with a crudely made sign asking for someone to give you something?”  Of course, my hope would be that as we talked the information would eventually come out, but then what?  What would I be willing to do about it?  Anything?  Would I feel obligated since I bought her coffee and listened to her story?  Would I feel responsible for her if I ever saw her again?

Perhaps that’s why I didn’t stop when I first noticed her.  Perhaps I saw the conversation fast forward in my mind and didn’t like the outcome.  Perhaps I chose to use the excuse, “Give to them and they never learn to take care of themselves.”

But I’m not like that.  I know I was created with a tender heart.  I feel terrible that she’s out there, in the cold, and I’m standing inside a fully stocked grocery story, able to afford just about whatever I chose to put in my cart.

So where do I go from here?  The next time I see her will I simply ignore her again?  Act like I don’t see her as she holds the sign a few feet from my truck?  Roll my window down and offer her a dollar, feeling like I just paid her rent for the month?  Or will I stop, ask her if she’d like a warm cup of coffee and try to get to know her a bit better? 

She’s God’s creation, no different from me.  I hope I’m a big enough man the next time I see her I would do more than immediately cast judgment.  I would help someone else would do the same for me.

A Common Man