What would you do?

DigitalMcScrapper

DigitalMcScrapper

Active member
What would you do if you were sitting in a church parking lot and someone pulled up behind you blocking your exit, got out of their car and walked up to your window. As you roll down your window (if you do, it would be awkward not to right?) they ask you if you have ever hear of (insert city and state of your choice) and ask you how far it is because someone they know there is dying and they just drove from the east coast and they need to get there and their car is going to run out of gas and they dont have a picture ID and they tried to exchange their Applebees gift cards for cash but they would only redeem them for food and beverage. Then they asked you if the pastor was in? What denomination the church was etc? How do you respond? Go!
 
That's a good one Lynn...

I'm not that quick, and always too gullible...scares me sometimes because I tend to get myself in not-so-desirable situations. I do, however, have a pretty good judge of character...and I do what my gut tells me. If I felt comfortable, I may offer directions or to buy their gift cards for cash. If I felt uneasy, I probably would send them to the church to talk to the pastor.
 
I'd be a lot weirded out and probably direct them to the pastor, since I'm not a big fan of confrontations. Scary!
 
Pretend I did not speak English.

Actually- something similar occurred at Mass on Sunday. A man appearing out of sorts and rather disheveled had crossed the parking lot from the shopping center nearby. He walked ahead of me into the church asking the usher about him receiving sacraments. I walked around and kept walking...[to my spot].

I don't know the outcome.
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I would send them to the pastor. I don't like to give out money on "stories," although I have done so occasionally at the gas pump if someone needs money for gas and they actually have a car there.
 
This reminds me of a story about my very recently departed husband :cry7:and his Dad. They would meet at the Church and go to Mass together. One day after Mass, they were chatting outside the Church when approached by a local homeless man asking for money to buy a loaf of bread. My husband (who would give you the shirt off his back if he thought it was helping someone) gave him a few coins and off the man went A few minutes later he was back wanting some coins for some margarine, my husband gave him a few more coins. His father (who was not known for levity) said "We'd better get going before he decides he wants some jam"!!! I miss my lovely gentle husband soooo much!!!...and now I am a weepy mess!
 
Awe Jill. What a sweet story. He does seem like a wonderful man and it is okay to miss him. Hugs to you.

I have never been in that position with anyone that wanted money on a story. I would probably have sent him to the pastor though. :)
 
LynnZant said:
"The police can help you. I'll call them for you."
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That's what I would say too. As someone living in a place where there are tons of tricksters/deceivers, I would definitely open my car window just right enough that I could hear him speak because you can't really be sure of what he's gonna do. One time our pastor told us a story of a man who said he was a pastor from a far away church and he's asking for money for fare so he could go home and some for food. Since it was lunch time, our pastor invited him to the church so they could all eat. But when the person got in and sat down, he started eating without even praying for his food. That was when our pastor realized he was a con. It would really be better to ask for what you really came for instead of making up stories...
 
Oh no, your husband sounds like he was an angel on Earth and now an angel in Heaven! God Bless! I am so very sorry to hear about your recent loss! May your happy memories carry you through this time of deep sorrow!

Jill said:
This reminds me of a story about my very recently departed husband :cry7:and his Dad. They would meet at the Church and go to Mass together. One day after Mass, they were chatting outside the Church when approached by a local homeless man asking for money to buy a loaf of bread. My husband (who would give you the shirt off his back if he thought it was helping someone) gave him a few coins and off the man went A few minutes later he was back wanting some coins for some margarine, my husband gave him a few more coins. His father (who was not known for levity) said "We'd better get going before he decides he wants some jam"!!! I miss my lovely gentle husband soooo much!!!...and now I am a weepy mess!
Click to expand...
 
Jill said:
This reminds me of a story about my very recently departed husband :cry7:and his Dad. They would meet at the Church and go to Mass together. One day after Mass, they were chatting outside the Church when approached by a local homeless man asking for money to buy a loaf of bread. My husband (who would give you the shirt off his back if he thought it was helping someone) gave him a few coins and off the man went A few minutes later he was back wanting some coins for some margarine, my husband gave him a few more coins. His father (who was not known for levity) said "We'd better get going before he decides he wants some jam"!!! I miss my lovely gentle husband soooo much!!!...and now I am a weepy mess!
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Jill, this made me laugh out loud. Good thing I was not drinking tea at the time. Big Hug.
 
Awww Jill your story is so sweet. Hugs!!!!

I'd probably give the person some money through the window and point them to the pastor and wish them luck. I wouldn't want to get out of my car though til they were gone. It would freak me out.

What did you do?
 
Jill, what a sweet story, and it made me laugh, too! Hugs for you!

I would tell him that I would call the police and have them help him. If he was blocking my exit, to me that is a threat. I'd be pretty scared. I wouldn't roll my window down much at all - just enough to hear him.
 
I would direct them to the Pastor. They are trained to deal with these kinds of things. I was a missionary in Ethiopia for several years, twice, and we were daily confronted with all kinds of situations. We developed a 'theology of giving'! I will pay anyone to do anything, clean shoes, wash the dog, watch the car, I even bought stuff I didn't need if children were selling it, (at least they were 'working' and not begging)! ANYTHING but generally as a rule I rarely give money. If there seems to be a real need I'll take someone with me and buy them food or give them food. We came across many people with such sad sad stories but often they were made up. People 'rented' children so they could pretend they had no job and no money and no way to feed them, so they could earn their living from begging. At the end of the work day we saw people walking home with crutches over their shoulders, they'd spent the day pretending they were lame, to beg. The only time I give money is if its clearly an elderly person who is clearly living on the streets and I've rarely found that.

I might add, my dad was a pastor and we sometimes found 'homeless people' in our garden. I asked my dad once (I was probably about 12) who one was and he explained that as a Pastor he often had people coming asking for money. He would ask them to do some job, weed the garden or wash the car or something reasonably easy and if they were genuine they would happily do so to earn the money. But others would be offended and leave, they just wanted money without working for it.
 
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