beggers can't be choosers

God told me to stop and talk to a homeless man today in the Walmart parking lot.
You know the kind that sit at a stop sign with a piece of cardboard that reads "no money, hungry, God bless you"
With what I had been spending doing Black Friday shopping, I figured it was time to give back.
So I parked my car, took everything but a $20 and my cell phone out of my pocket just in case, and walked up to him and had the strangest conversation...

"Hey, you need help with anything?"
He shrugs, "yeah, I guess."
"Are you hungry?" I glance towards a nearby restaurant.
"No, not really."
Strange. The sign says he is. "Well, do you need anything? I can walk into Walmart with you and pay for it if you need something."
"No, that's alright."
"Ok... so what brings you out here?"
"I'm from Greensboro, NC. Came out here looking for work." He points to an old car behind him, "I've got a car... it's just that work's hard to find with the economy... now I'm just trying to get some money for gas to get try and get back." He holds up the sign, "this is kind of embarrassing, but what can you do."
Great, we've figured out what he needs. "Oh, I see. Yeah, I hear ya... times are rough. You know, I normally don't just hand out money... but how about I follow you to a gas station and I'll fill up your tank."
He pauses to think for a moment, "No, that's alright. I got people helping me."
He does? Then why is he here? "Oh. Ok. Well, have a good day then."
"Thanks, you too. God bless!"
"Same to you!"



So, what I don't get is... he's sitting on a street corner begging for a handout. And he didn't look too rough or scary and it was a public place in daylight, so I offered help. Pretty much anything he could possibly need at that moment... and he turned me down THREE TIMES. For food, for whatever he could need at walmart, and for gas in his car.

Why?

I'd like to think he was being honest about looking for work... but it's hard not to assume he just wants cash to blow on... well, you name it. I was obedient, but that's not at all what I expected out of that conversation. Who knows what God may have had in mind for that meeting.