I find it interesting to gather people’s opinions on what the right thing to do is when you are hit up for money.
One very compassionate person said, “What would Jesus do?” as she gave the beggar a five dollar bill. But another very kind person told me, “I give to a charity. Giving out dollars on the street doesn’t help anyone, and only contributes to many drug addictions.”
One woman said, “I give whatever change I have, and then if the person buys drugs with it, that is on their conscience. For my part, I’ve done the right thing.”
Another yet another: “Honey, you need to close the Borchard Endowment Fund!”
Sometimes giving feels good, like you are doing the right thing. But other times it makes you feel resentful–signaling a boundaries issue–like when I opted to watch the bookstore clerk’s daughter, paying the clerk five dollars an hour to do so. Man, how I’d love to get five bucks an hour from the sitters who watch David and Katherine.
I get fairly confused every time I try to set some rules along the “charity/Good Samaritan” policy in our house. For the time being, there are still no decision makers living there.