Consider What You Know

I arrived at a hotel that had been booked for me by an event planner. I told the lady at the front desk my name. Before I could give her my driver’s license or confirmation number, she said, “Oh, so you are Mrs. Williams, welcome … which card would you like to use for payment?” I said, “My room has already been paid for by the organization with which I am working.” She said, “Oh, ok… let me look into something.”

After some time, she asked a co-worker for some assistance. I was then told to make myself comfortable in the lobby and they assured me they will take care of this matter.

As I’m standing there in the really nice lobby receiving this really nice customer service, I began to think some stuff over because something was just not right: I knew the reservation was made weeks ago and I knew the bill had already been paid. Therefore, me standing in this lobby for such an extended period of time did not make sense.

I thought more about it: I said, “Christy, yes, you received the email from the event planner weeks ago, you looked at the date, and the time, and part of the address, but did you actually look at and remember the name of the hotel?” With that question in mind, I decided to pull out my phone read the name of the hotel on the reservation.

Ooops!

Turns out, yes, they had reservations for a Mrs. Williams, which explains why they just assumed I was her when I told them my name, but I, Christy R. Williams, was in the wrong hotel. My reservations were made for the hotel next door.

I apologized for the confusion and walked next door. I showed that lady my driver’s license so she could see, and not just assume, my full name. Within seconds, she was handing me the keys to my room and telling me that I had full access to all of the hotel amenities, including WIFI, breakfast, and rewards points. She did not ask me for a credit card nor did she tell me to make myself comfortable in the lobby because I had an entire room that had been reserved just for me.

There is something sweet about knowing who you really are and knowing where you belong! So many times our past mistakes or our current hang-ups cause us to waste time settling for the comforts of a hotel lobby when an entire suite has been reserved, paid for, and made ready for us to occupy.

The next time you find yourself spending an extended amount of time outside of what you know you were told is for you, go back and read some stuff over, paying better attention to the details.

(And by “stuff,” I mean, God’s Word, the Bible 🙂)

 We can start here with what the Apostle Paul says:

“So, what do you think? With God on our side. . ., how can we lose? Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture [can separate us from Christ’s love] . . .”          (Romans 8:29-39 MSG)

Singer Lauren Daigle put it this way:

You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
You say I am held when I am falling short
When I don’t belong, You say that I am Yours …
The only thing that matters is what you say of me
In You I find my worth, in You I find my identity¹

With that in mind, know that the shame, regret, and fear that has you willing to settle for great customer service and a nice lobby because that’s all someone says they can offer you right now—yeah, that heavy stuff is not where you were designed to settle.

Know that, not matter what you’ve been through or have done, there is no real condemnation, no legitimate accusation, no successful opposition, nor any form of actual separation that exists in the life of a believer in Christ².  You belong in the reserved, paid-in-full comforts of your Heavenly Father’s love with uninhibited access to every amenity, namely salvation, joy, peace, and forgiveness (just to name a few).

When life, or a hotel clerk, suggest otherwise, consider what it is that you know, and walk boldly on over to where you belong!

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¹Daigle, Lauren “You Say.”

²Minister Byron R. Williams. “Why?” November 2018.