Starbucks gives you gas... haha!

"At the end of life, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by, 'I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in.' Calcuttas are everywhere, if only we have eyes to see... find your Calcutta."

-Mother Teresa

Last week, my friend Rebecca and I were sitting in my car outside of Starbucks talking, late one night while the boys were practicing. It's one of my favorite parts of the week, since usually when she and I are hanging out, we're surrounded by at least 4 crazy guys who talk about the most ridiculous things. It's always good to spend some quality time with my friend. Anyway, while we were sitting there, a woman comes up to my car, looking worried and tired. She tells us she'd just driven from out of town to get her brother, because of something happening with his family, and that her gas was about gone, and she had no way to get home. She asked if we had a dollar or two to add to the 75 cents she'd found in her car.

I do not carry cash. I should. I should keep money in my wallet for times like this, but I don't. I ended up offering to follow her to a gas station to fill up her car with a little bit of gas, since I couldn't give her cash. She seemed shocked that Rebecca and I would be willing to leave our happy little parking spot at Starbucks, to help someone out.

I don't tell you this story to brag about how amazing I am for going and helping someone in need... trust me, I can be incredibly selfish, and even as I filled up her gas tank for her, I was thinking in my head about how low my own bank account was getting, with every dollar I put in. It made me sad to see this woman, who I found out is named Tara, look so ashamed and apologetic for having to ask for help. It made me sad that she felt so embarrassed once I got out of my car at the gas station that she barely looked me in the eye. Who knew that running out of gas could make someone feel less than another.

Am I part of the problem? Have I sat at stoplights, avoiding eye contact with a homeless man? Have I absentmindedly not given money to someone looking rough because I assume they'll just use my money for drugs? Have I allowed the money I have give me the right to dehumanize another? Am I living my life in such a way that I hold loosely to the things the Lord's given me, knowing that they really never were mine to begin with? Am I loving others more than I love myself? Sure, I'll go to Africa and be overcome with the realization of the needs surrounding me, but in America, we're not supposed to have those kinds of needs.

Whether it be monetary, or someone is lonely and unhappy... we're called to be Christ to the world. My life is so busy, sometimes I forget to look up and notice the needs around me, the stories of those trying to simply make it through the day. Man, I can't wait for Jesus to come back, and for suffering to meet its end... but in the meantime, what am I doing with my life?

"And I think that's what our world is desperately in need of- lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues they are concerned about." Shane Claiborne