UNSCAMMED

Why is it that people love to scam churches??!! For 20 years, I have listened to story after story from men and women who come to the church for help. Each time, I consistently feel that there is clearly a story behind the story. To make matters more complicated, Jesus told us to feed the hungry, fill the thirsty, clothe the needy and welcome the stranger. I know that this is not a multiple choice question and we are really supposed to do it, but it's hard. I listen with patience, but I am just not sure....

Enter stage left, a visitor we will call Robin. While I was running from one door to another, juggling food and clothing, Robin came in for a

prayer. As I sat on the pew and looked into some big brown eyes, Robin described a domestic dispute that led to sleeping in the car in

a parking lot. Robin wanted to get on the road to stay with some relatives....

After a few minutes, Robin asked if there was some work that could

be done at the church. If you ask anyone at our church, they will tell you that there is always work to be done-cleaning, organizing, and general maintenance. I quickly identified some tasks and Robin got to work. For someone who slept in a parking lot, Robin worked hard, completed every single task and insisted on calling me, "Maame."

After the work was done, I had a prayer with Robin and made a small

donation to the traveling expenses. Then, Robin reached into a backpack and pulled out some yogurt, handed it to me and said,

"I have this yogurt and I wonder if you might be hungry." I took the yogurt and walked Robin to the door, just before I burst into tears.

As I watched Robin walk to the car, my eyes filled with tears and I gave thanks. I was in fact, UNSCAMMED. Robin wanted to work, gave me food and surprised the dickens out of me. I have officially been UNSCAMMED and it feels great!