A few years ago, when my sister was about 12 years old, we were walking to our car in a parking lot when we were approached by a thin man with torn jeans and a dirty white t-shirt. He asked us for a dollar so he could buy something to eat. He said that he had not eatten in two days and was very hungry. My first reaction was to say “No, I don’t have a dollar” and walk away. Actually, that’s exactly what I did. I looked at the guy and said, "sorry,  I don’t have any money" and I started to walk away.

"Thank you and God bless you" the man said even though I hadn't given him anything.

It was about that time when my twelve year old sister said something that I still remember to this day. She told me that the guy asking for a dollar may be my guardian angel testing me.

I sighed and thought to myself “Oh man, I hate tests. Especially when they come from my guardian angel.”

My sister looked up at me and said, “You should give him the dollar.”

“He’s probably lying and will just use it to buy beer or drugs.” I didn’t know how much beer or drugs a person could buy with one dollar, but it sounded like the right thing to say at the time.

My sister looked up at me with sad little 12 year old eyes that seemed wise beyond their years, “If he’s lying and says he needs the money for food, but uses it for beer then he’s wrong, but if he does need it for food and you don’t give it to him then you’re the one who is wrong.”

Needless to say, I ran after him and gave him the dollar – okay, okay, I jogged after him and gave him the dollar. Alright, I walked quickly after him and gave him the dollar.

The reason I’m writing about this is because it happened to me again today. I was walking in the parking lot and a guy came up to me and asked if I had a dollar so he could get something to eat. I reached in my pocket and handed him all the change I had. 

I couldn't help but think, “Oh man, how many times will my guardian angel test me?”