The holiday season is supposed to be a time of family celebrations and friendly get-togethers. For one friend of mine, the kind of cheery warmth that most of us experience this time of year is, this year, overshadowed. For him, a cloud hangs over his Christmas and New Year.
Why? Simply because he tried to help out a few people who were in need.
Dave had sold his home and was moving his mobile property to his new place, or to storage. In order to make the move easier, and to help out some needy folk, Dave decided to hire a few "homeless" people to assist him. The day went reasonably well. At day's end, however, he drove the last remaining assistant to the store, where Dave had to run in and pick up a few things. When he returned, his van was gone. The remaining items to be moved were gone with it. Worse, his dog had been in the back of the van. Gone. In a minute, Dave lost his means of transportation, the items that he had been moving, and his beloved 14 year old pet, Gypsy.
Dave's spirit is broken. His hope is crushed. His trust in humanity is damaged, perhaps beyond repair. I have always known Dave to be almost unreasonably optimistic, hopeful, positive, friendly and sharing. I wonder if this experience will change him. Will he become jaded, distrustful, protective, angry and negative? I think that most might. I am not convinced that I wouldn't.
There is a deeper lesson here from which we might learn. The lesson is two-fold. Firstly, I think that Dave's story is a call to greater caution, even while being generous with assistance. It is wonderful to help people, especially if we are giving persons the opportunity to earn some much-needed cash for the holidays. Such assistance has its limits in rationality, however. Do not leave those you hope to help alone in your car or home. Do not give them the opportunity to do you damage, or to harm you. Do not over-trust. Some people will take advantage, even if you are trying to help them. Secondly, call those whom you assist to greater responsibility. Get their names. Figure out how to find them, should something happen. Let them know that you expect a certain relationship from them, payed to you and to others, in return for the kindness that is being paid them.
Finally, keep the reason for the season at the core of the conversation. If Christ is the motivation for the generosity that we exercise, let those whom we serve know exactly why we are doing what we are doing. One does not need to be "preachy." The context of our service should be very clear, however. While that does not necessarily protect one from the selfishness or greed, it establishes a relationship that is more difficult to violate.
The bottom line is complicated by Dave's experience. I sincerely hope that we continue to assist people who are in need. I also hope that we are realistic about the temptations that we place before those whom we mat attempt to assist. Be careful. Be wise. Be faithful. Extend the season to those who are in need, but be careful about how you do it.
Have a Merry Christmas!
2 comments:
Good news! The friend about whom this blog is written has since recovered both the van and his beloved dog. Seems that both somehow fell into the possession of someone whom this man had employed in the past. That person recognized the dog, and drove them to this fellow. Good comes around!
What a relief to know the story had a better ending than previously reported! The story is a good example of "lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil." While losing the possessions would have been terrible, losing the dog would be losing a family member without the family member knowing why.
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