Do you have any spare change?

Today, I want to discuss a struggle that I often have inside myself. In the last couple months, I have many instances where people come from out of nowhere and ask me for money to help them out. There is always a story that goes along with it that I always find hard to believe. One time a guy came up to me on ACU campus asking for money because his car was out of gas. Well, I offered to get him gas and take him to his car. After going on wild goose chase, I finally dropped him off at a friends house and gave him money that he needed to make it to San Angelo.

Another guy came to my house because he had been kicked out of his house because he couldnt pay rent. He told a good story despite the alcohol on his breath. So I gave him the $10 he needed to be able to stay in his house that night.

There are so many instances of people asking me for money where I highly doubt that their "story" is anywhere close to the truth. My thoughts tell me that these people are going to use their money for alcohol or drugs or something else that is not what they are telling me. But I often end up giving them money anyway because I feel that I am suppose to help those in need. But then I struggle because I leave feeling that I did not really help them at all but just enabled them to continue getting their fix or whatever. I try to have a heart to help people. I want to help those in need. But when people just come up asking me for money and then exit my life I do not feel that I helped them at all. There is no relationship built so I that I can continue helping them and showing them God's love.

Maybe by giving them money they do benefit because they see love from me that they do not often see. Or maybe they leave me feeling proud of themselves because they just dooped another person with money. So that is a struggle I have been having lately. I never feel good when I give people money because I feel that I have just been taken. I dont know what to do in these situations. When I dont give them money I feel selfish and heartless. When I do, I feel like I have just been taken for my money. Lately, I have quit carrying cash for a different reason. But it almost makes me feel good to tell people that I dont carry cash. Am I really loving when I think this? But am I really loving when I give them money?

Does anybody else struggle with this? What are some suggestions or thoughts about better things to do? I want to learn how to love these people and show love to these people but I dont know if giving them money is the best way.