Many years ago when I was attending Christ’s Church Assembly of God, I asked Pastor John Fowler, “How do you know when to give to a homeless person or not?” I explained to him that I worked in an area that had quite a few homeless people, and I knew that I couldn’t help them all. His answer was quite simple actually. He said, “God will tell you! Sometimes God will tell you yes, and sometimes he won’t. You just have to listen.”

I try to live by this statement when money is available. Sometimes I do my best  not to make eye contact; let alone look at the person with the sign. We all have probably done this because it makes us uncomfortable and we are afraid that we might feel convicted to give. Other times I ask God and I don’t always get a yes, but I can feel it in my heart when he does.

While driving the other day on the north side of Houston, there was a young man with a rough beard and a sign asking for help. He was sitting there with his cardboard sign, just watching. At first I just wanted to avoid eye contact because I didn’t want to give, but heard in the back of my mind, “You have two dollars in your wallet.”At first the thought came, “What can two dollars really do anyway, but it is Christmas and I do have it.”

Pulling the money out of my wallet, I rolled the window down and and gave it to him. His comment to me was “God bless you.” Hearing this many times before I didn’t think too much of it, until he sat back down and said a little prayer. This isn’t something that I have ever seen before. He thanked God for the little that I gave him. What a $2 to $10,000 lesson that was. When do we truly sit down and thank God for the things that we have, especially at the Christmas season. What a lesson that I get to take into the new year. I just hope that I can be grateful for the things that he gives. Who knows, maybe that was the whole purpose.

Hebrews 13:2(NIV)

² Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.