The value of a 50-dollar note

The story goes like this...

I met up a friend and passed him a $50 buck for his mission trip. Based on our friendship, it was really not much on my side. Yet my gift was returned with words of gratitude - "Thank you, it is a lot"

5 minutes later, I was walking back home, and a lady approahced me. She claimed that she's from China, HangZhou, just came to Singapore and has yet to settle down. She asked if I could kindly spared her and her friend some money for lodging and food.

Well.. She's a complete stranger, you know. Why should I give her any money at all? In fact, I was always taught to reject strangers' request for money, so why would I give her any money at all?

But call me guilble, stupid or anything you want. But I was reminded of Jesus' teaching to give to those in need, I gave them the remaining $50 in my wallet.

But I was given a shock when one of the girls said, "You don't really get our message. We need money for food and lodging. Can you spare us more cash?"

But remaining polite, and thinking that I won't be going to the ATM to just draw some more money to give them, I simply showed my wallet and said, "Sorry, that's all I have."

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Thinking back... It's the same note.

A 50 dollar note usually last me slightly shorter than a week. Sometimes it's just enough for a day when I'm out with friends. That's the denomination that I would use in general cases, and that's what the ATM usually give me... $50 bills.

Giving that piece of blue paper to a grateful friend left me with a feeling of appreciation and joy. And yet the same piece of paper given to another person invokes a totally different feeling that left me thinking if I should have done it. Isn't human beings simply complex and perplexed?