One Night in a Bad Hotel

Have you ever spent a night in a shady hotel? We left Colorado and were driving back to California. This was way before the days of cell phones, and I promised our kids we could stop at a hotel with a swimming pool. As evening approached we got off the freeway in Richfield, Utah. The hunt began to find a hotel with a pool and a vacancy sign.

As the sun was setting the search became more desperate as all the well-known hotels were booked. Finally, in the heart of the city a vacancy sign popped up with the all important word, “pool” flashing from the neon sign. The place looked a little run down from the outside but at least we found something.

Without going into too much detail……the pool was green, the room was dirty, and the residents were loud, all night. I have stayed in many hotels over the years, but I will never forget that very long night.  The dawn of first light could not come fast enough for us to pile in the van and head back to the safety of our own home.

The memory of that traumatic night was triggered by a quote I recently read from St. Teresa of Avila;

“The joy of what is to come will make the most miserable life feel like one night in a bad hotel.”

What a powerful sentence. It puts this life and the trials we go through in a perfect perspective. Because of the Resurrection we can claim this enduring hope planted into our hearts by the Holy Spirit of “The joy of what is to come…”

Hear what the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:9;

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

If you are feeling as if you are trapped in a dark, dirty, depressing, place and the night never seems to end, take a few minutes to open up your Bible and dwell on the promises found in Isaiah 25 and Revelation 7. Both prophecy “The joy of what is to come…”  The splendid sunrise which is about to break forth for all believers in Christ will be like a magnificent feast which will never end. The wine will run freely bringing the joy of a wedding celebration. The heavenly food will satisfy our deepest hunger, and rivers of living water will quench our parched souls.

All our sorrowful tears will be wiped away by a loving Shepherd who will bring us into the Father’s home. A home which is defined by the presence of a perfect, life giving, everlasting love. A love which we have longed for from deep within.

As a child I remember hearing this chorus sung in church from Psalm 30:5;

“Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning, weeping only lasts for the night…the darkest hour means dawn is just in sight.”

So hold on dear friend, you might feel like you are stuck in a bad hotel at the moment, but be encouraged the dawn of eternal joy is about to break forth.