My family and I are on the way to Orlando to meet my siblings for a small vacation. We decided to break the trip up into two parts, so we got a room in Lake City. Here’s the point of this post. We don’t know the area well, so we grabbed a cheap hotel. (Most of the hotels were around the same price. We did try to get a nicer one, but everything was full due to the Florida game). Anyway, we got to the hotel and I was really disappointed. It was just nasty, so I just started expressing my thoughts about the room. I was full-blown fussing and gagging. On the way to the room, we ran into this lady who was obviously poor and probably on drugs judging by the looks of her. I asked her if there was an elevator or just steps. She didn’t know, so I walked away complaining about how nasty it was. Literally, I would not walk on the carpet without my socks. I finally just started manning up and apologizing to the Lord for complaining, but that didn’t teach me anything. It was just done methodically. As I lay in bed talking to the Lord, I began seeing the lady’s face, and my heart started breaking. I thought oh my gosh!! I think I’m too good for her. I just started weeping in my heart hoping she did not hear me complaining. Not for my sake, but for hers. I had a chance to be so sweet and love her, but instead, I was acting like I was too good for that place. I finally fell asleep, and when I woke up the Lord began speaking to me about His birth. He was born in a nasty, dirty, and smelly stall!! It wasn’t like he didn’t have a choice. He chose that place to be born. Why? One reason is that He loves that woman with an intensity I can’t understand. I can only be shown. There is not a depth that He will not travel to find us. I’m posting this because I’m in absolute awe at His depth of love for us!! He chose a hotel like the one I stayed at last night on purpose for me!!! He is not too good for us. He loves us in our brokenness and will stop at nothing to have us!!! I think also He chose that birth to show us that we are not too good for it!!! There is no one richer or more glorious or classier than He!! Let’s get over ourselves and love each other as He does.
If the Lord would leave Glory and go to such a lowly place for me, of course, He is still doing that today through us!! We should not only be looking but expecting to be sent to lowly places!! Actually, it’s only lowly if you can’t see His presence there!! Anywhere Jesus is present is Glorious.
I want to add something cool. I was never down on myself. Instead, I was just blown away by His love for us, and it radically changed my heart and perspective on staying there!! That’s Grace!! Law would have done nothing but make me feel bad, and zero change would have taken place!! My heart was broken in a glorious way!!! All I can think about now is how glorious and beautiful Jesus is!!! That’s Grace!!
TC