Entry #2 - The Begging Woman

            With the situation of someone begging for money, there really is no right or wrong answer. What will the person do with the money you give them? Do they just want drugs? There is really no way of telling; however these issues should not be a deciding factor whether or not you help someone.

            In the example given in class, a woman said she needed medicine. Some people said they would ignore her, others said they would give her money, and yet others said that they would point her in the direction of help. If this situation happened to me, I would not be able to do much. As a college student, I do not have very much money, or the power to help the woman in this situation. However, I would gladly point the woman to someone who could help her better than I.

            In my life, that means that I would point her to my father. My father is the assistant pastor of our church and often deals with situations of need. In this case, my father, along with other men and women on the church’s staff would take the woman aside and speak with her. The women would be asked questions that would help the church better understand both her situation and motivation for asking for help. If the woman were looking for handout, the church would provide her with a $25 Wal-Mart gift card or a $25 gas card to help her out. If the woman’s claims had appeared to be true, the church would do its’ best to help her get the medicine she needed for her husband. Although the church would do its’ best to help the woman in whatever way they could, they most likely would not give her cash. The church tends to feel that giving cash to strangers that appear asking for handouts is not a wise decision.

            Personally, if I were able to do something in this situation, I would want to help the woman and also get to know her better. In building a relationship with this woman I would be able to better help her, and hopefully one day lead her to Christ.

            In conclusion, in the situation of a random woman showing up to church asking for money so she can get her husband money, I would not be able to help very much. The most I would be able to do is point her to someone who could help her better, and maybe create a relationship with the woman in hopes of leading her to Christ.