As I parked my car to pick up some lunch I noticed a group of guys yelling at another guy who I presumed was asking them for money. As I got out of my car, I sensed this ‘other guy’ approaching my car. My immediate reaction was to avoid him, so I actually returned into my car as if I was still looking for something when the thought about how idiotic I was being struck me (especially since I am smack in the middle of facilitating a ‘Doable Evangelism’ class at our church!).

I got out of the car and sure enough this guy approached me and simply asked me if I had some spare change. I said I would have some just as soon as I leave the store I was heading into and that I’ll be glad to help him out. He told me the other guys in the parking lot were just yelling at him and told him to ‘get a job’ - to which he said, ‘That’s easy for them to say since they have 2 working legs’. You see, this guy was using a walker just to get around. I honestly never had the thought if he was faking the need for the walker or not - it didn’t matter to me. I told him that was ‘just wrong’ for those guys to ridicule him like that.

I went into the store to get my lunch and returned outside to find him walking away - the store was busy and it took longer than usual. I got in my car and drove across the parking lot to where the guy was asking someone else for help. I stopped him and told him I was longer than usual but did not forget him. Before I gave him some money, I asked him his name. He told me it was Tim. I looked Tim in the eyes, shook his hand and said, “Hi Tim, my name is Joel. Nice to meet you - here ya go”. His reaction was a big sigh of relief as he said, ‘Thanks - and, thanks for not making fun of me’. I paused to reflect on that and told him, “No way - why would I do that?” And then I prayed that Tim would make it thru the day without anyone else making fun of him.

-Joel McBride