CHOICES

After getting home from class tonight, I looked out the window to see a gentlemen standing on the side of the street. He looked a little destitute and after watching him for a good five min. I sent Jake out to check on him. 

Turns out his brother had just died, in the St. Mark's hospital down the street from our home.  He had been drinking and had thought he was at a bus stop...he had been sitting there for long over a half hour. Jake talked to him for a few minutes and realized he would be safe if he took him down to the trax station and get him on his way, so he left.  On his way down there Jake found out that he at one time had owned a home for three years but had lost it due to drugs and alcohol and now lived in a tent. Jake had a few dollars in his pocket and gave the money to him to help him on his way, I felt so bad for this man sleeping outside in the bitter cold weather. 

 After Jake got home we sat the kids down and talked to them about the choices this man had made that had led up to him being homeless.  When we told the kids that we tried to help him and that daddy had given him money, Holden asked "what happens if he just buys more drugs with the money"?  So we explained to him that we have to help them, and then if they make bad decisions with what's given them, then it's between them and the Lord, but that we need to always be willing to give to others no matter what.  We then used it as a opportunity to talk to the kids about "The Good Samaritan" story in the BofM.

 

Such a great teaching moment!  I just wish I would have been a quicker thinker (is that even correct) and offered the little old man a warm plate of food!