Reflect on a time when you made a sacrifice to stand up for something or someone you believed in or felt called to defend. Has someone ever done this for you?
By Richard Jenkins
Unwittingly, I once found myself defending my beliefs to some friends. I was visiting California for a comic book convention. Here I would be focused on promoting my books, networking with other cartoonists, and shopping for new comics to add to my library. Amidst this intensely self-focused time, to keep God's presence close, I made it a practice to be mindful of the large homeless population present there in San Diego. Giving a small bit of money to one person each day, who asked for help.
I was going to dinner with some friends when a gentleman sitting on the sidewalk asked for a handout. Without a second thought, I gave him a five-dollar bill that I kept in my pocket for such occasions. Immediately, I was beset upon by my friends. They condemned me for giving money to a potential drug addict who certainly did not deserve or need the money. "You're enabling him not helping," they said.
I did my best to explain to them that the act of giving was for me as much as it was for him. "He asked. And I gave." This was a way for me to stay connected to God. My friends were not satisfied. We arrived at the restaurant and the topic was dropped.