Can We Talk 2

Street Beggars

         Let me start out by saying that I believe in the power of prayer. If you don't agree, stop reading here.

         I see street beggars everywhere I go. They stand in the median of busy intersections and hold up signs and take handouts. They might walk down the line while the light is red, hoping someone is going to pitch in while just idling the car. They may have a coat or a lunch bag or backpack which they leave at starting point.

         I don't give because we've been told it's bad for them psychologically. We are to find some other means of helping, which range from supporting the homeless shelter, giving to the food bank, or creating new entry level jobs. I can't pull over my car and give advice about places they can go. (I have found most needy people don't want your advice of agencies or procedures to get help.) I can pray for them, which they will never know.

         Every time I see one, man or woman, I am reminded to pray. I ask that the individual will not be hurt in traffic and will be safe this day from all harm. I ask that he or she find some better, more productive way to spend his time. I pray for their employment, shelter, medical assistance, mental and spiritual needs. They also have social needs; they still want to mingle and interact with others in a non-judgmental environment.

         Reporters tell us that some of them make a killing which they could not make on a low-level job. So, they get used to the degradation and disregard the stigma. We've even heard of a beggar who had a really nice new car parked a few blocks away. But I also met one who slept under the bushes outside my employer's door. They are not all alike. We've even been told that they work for a "pimp" who delivers them in the morning and picks them up in the evening and takes a cut of what they've collected. Maybe some do.

         Regardless of his or her circumstances, and "business" arrangements, they are still children of God and in need of His peace. I can pray for them until they disappear or I do.