The following is a guest post by my awesome wife, Elise:

So I was driving home today and saw two men on two separate corners, both holding signs that said “broke, hungry”. My initial thought was that I should just drive on past. I mean, they had to have done something to get themselves in this mess, right? They both were young, looked able to work, and aside from being dirty, seemed to be dressed well enough. My next thought, as I drove by, was that they were probably on drugs or into some other sort of negative lifestyle that made them unable to buy food and still feed their addictions.

Sadly, I continued to drive by. However, I immediately felt convicted. Suddenly, I felt a voice in my head saying “who are you to judge them? You don’t know them. For all you know they could be out of work and homeless. But even if they are drug addicts or have made some bad decisions, who are you to judge them? I love them as much as I love you, which is more than you can imagine!”

Talk about a kick in the teeth! I then thought of my own children, and how they make sometimes awful decisions. I still love them, even when they’ve broken my stuff, have dirt all over themselves and the house, and all before lunch. Even when my two year old decides he is going to hit me, tell me no, and be openly defiant, all bad decisions, I still love him and would give my life for him. Why would God, who is bigger, stronger, and more gracious than me, feel differently about those two men than I do about my own kids? Bad decisions or not, I still love my kids, and God still loves me. He still loves those men, no matter what decisions they may have made or not made.

I prayed and asked God to forgive my judgment but also my inability to act, to show His love. I prayed that God would send someone this evening to fill the need for these two men, and I resolved to be better aware of “the least of these”. I hope God gives me another chance to show His love, and I pray that I am more aware of the opportunity next time.

“truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine you did for me.” Matthew 25:40