COULD YOU SEND BREAKFAST UP PLEASE?

When I traveled with my Dad we always stayed in less than grand motel rooms. “We are not here to stay in a motel room all day,” he used to say, “we are here to enjoy this place. So why waste money on a room we will only sleep in?” And he was right. That is exactly what we did. We got up early, ran all day, and collapsed in bed at night.

As an adult at least half of my pleasure on a trip is moving into a nice hotel room or bed and breakfast and putting down temporary roots. I want to enjoy a cup of coffee, read part of my book, luxuriate that I can lay down in the middle of the day with no phone calls or pressing appointments, and I want to be able to buy something, plop it in the middle of the room still in the box and not have to put it away or pack it. If the hotel were nice enough, I could make a trip of not more than a mile and just stay there. Don’t get me wrong, I still like to go out and do all the things that Dad did, but the hotel room is equally a part of the trip for me.

Yet, no matter how thoroughly one moves into one of these temporary lodgings, you never feel at home for long. For most anyway, eventually there comes the feeling that, although everything is perfectly nice and you may enjoy it, it is not yours. Your own bedroom calls to you and the hour is coming when the hotel staff, as sweet as they have been, what you out so that they can prepare the room for someone else. It was homey for a spell, but you no longer belong there. It is time to go where you truly do belong.

That is not too far from our experience as Christians in this world. It is a great place to be. I look out the window and see flowers blooming, the hawks flying by, and clear, blue skies (a rarity as of late.) Sebastian sits at my side, my chair feels comfortable, and the AC is on. But this is only a temporary home. We are visitors on this earth. We have a home and a Father who expects us later (some earlier than others.) So when it is nice we should enjoy it. It is a grand hotel this earth. And when it is rough, well, endure. It is only temporary. Next to eternity, it is barely a blip on the radar screen. When you are done, leave a tip on the dresser and don’t bother packing. It will be taken care of for you. The service here is great.