Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 13:1, 3

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 13:1, 3

"Verily, verily, I say that I would that ye should do alms unto the poor; but take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them; otherwise ye have no reward of your Father who is in heaven.

But when thou doest alms let not they left hand know what thy right had doeth;"

This chapter is very similar to Matthew 6. The Lord is laying his foundation of how the saint should live. The law of Moses is done away with and there is a new law. The words of "alms to the poor" has been a weight upon my mind. It bothers my soul to walk away from the homeless that beg for money because I am told they are professional beggars or addicts. That giving money doesn't help them. I feel like I'm breaking my heart when I walk pass them. I'm training my heart to be cold. The more I read the scriptures the worse I feel about what I am doing.

As I have reflected on them I cannot help but think that even the addict needs food to eat. He cannot live just off of drugs or alcohol. I had decided that I needed a way to give them food but haven't worked out the whole matter. I really wish I could buy some type of voucher to give them so they had something to eat or a way to get toothpaste or soap. I totally understand the law of the fast and giving an offering or giving to humanitarian causes. These are all things that I know are monitored and given in a manner I know is truly helpful. Yet I cannot help but think of the beggar on the street and how he is training my heart to be cold and I don't like it. I don't have a perfect answer. When I read these verses I notice the part of not letting my left hand know what the right hand had done. I had to ponder on that and I think its telling me not to over think this. Just give to the poor and needy and not judge.

 

Day 366 Tami Fitzgerald Harris

Posted: 28 Mar 2016