Putting the "Go in Goodness"

I've spent my time focusing this blog on the really cool aspects of living in Alaska. Generally speaking I believe we need to "think on the bright side" and especially when we're putting things in 'ink', as the 'written' word is so powerful. But, truth be told, there have also been some tough things to deal with here, being so far from my kids and family, generally settling in, etc... (None of which I'm going to blog about today - I'm out of Kleenex!) And there are some not so nice things about Anchorage, however, I can see God using these things to shape and mold me into who he wants me to be, so in the midst of 'yuk' there is still 'cool' stuff happening and that is Amazing!

Sadly, Anchorage has a huge 'homeless' population and a serious alcohol problem. Somewhere along the line I came to believe that most of these people bring these problems on themselves... i.e. why don't they just get a job and get a life... and that helping them only aids them in their destructive lifestyle. I came to believe firmly in the verse that says "God helps those who help themselves."

One problem here .... that verse isn't in the Bible!

In the last couple years, God has really been teaching me about and in the last few days, convicting me (thanks to Pastor's Perspective, on my favorite blog list...) about the lack of compassion in my life, especially for those who need it most.

On Tuesday, I was running my errands and once again saw a homeless man with a sign... you know the ones... and all the typical thoughts went through my mind... "i.e. he won't want this bottle of water, he just wants money so he can by a drink" "even if he takes it he'll just sell it to buy a drink," and then I was convicted... it's not my job to search that man's heart (that's God's job) it's only my job to offer. As I pulled up to the stop sign, I just lifted up the bottle of water towards him, he shook his head yes, I rolled down the window and handed him the bottle before going on about my business. I was immediately reminded of the scripture about giving water in "his name" and thought about how many times I had told my children that "you have to do the right thing no matter what the other person does," yet I had never applied that in my own life, at least in this type of situation - one that is uncomfortable...

How easy it can be to put the "go in goodness" (you'll have to read Pastor's Perspective), and how sad that it's taken me so long to learn it! I don't know if that water made a difference in that man's life, he may have drank it, or sold it for booze, but I know that giving it was right, and it made a difference in my life!