Compassion

Today when we were driving, after I'd stopped and purchased a $2.75 iced coffee, we saw a homeless man with an "Anything Helps" sign. Garrett saw him and asked me to read the sign to him. I did, and he didn't say much for a few minutes. Pretty soon though, the questions started coming. At first they were seemingly unrelated.

"Mom, how big are cars that people live in?"

"So some people live in cars smaller than our van?"

"I guess our van would be okay to live in. You could take these seats out and lay down."

His questions and observations continued as we drove. Eventually he asked if we could give that homeless man some food and money.

What a hard question. I want my kids to be compassionate. I want them to know how fortunate, how blessed we are. I want them to have generous hearts and be empathetic people. But then we also know that those people are often addicts and cons. People who have made their beds, and now have to lie in them. I didn't tell him no, but I talked about soup kitchens and food banks and how many people in those situations know that they can go to safe places to get food. But for some reason, this man has been put on Garrett's heart, and that's who he felt he needed to help.

I must shamefully admit that I hoped when we drove back past that spot on our way home that he'd be gone and the entire topic would be over. There must be a lesson in this for me though, because over an hour later, he was still there.

So we got home and he set to work filling up a grocery bag. Jerky, fruit leather, Diet Coke, Capri Sun, some candy, and a cough drop. And then Garrett, who is diligently saving up for a $185 playmobil castle, went upstairs and counted out 8 quarters and 4 pennies.

I have a knot in my stomach. We are about to leave now for this errand, and I am uncomfortable. It's awkward. It's not unsafe, but I also wouldn't want him to recognize my car or where we live. But wouldn't that be a bigger lesson? Mom wouldn't let me help someone? Mom was too uncomfortable, too nervous?

Garrett just said, "Mom, it's time to go help that man."

Ack.