Grace Misunderstood

It was a nice hotel suite. Nicely decorated, comfortable, well-equipped, and clean...or so it appeared. But in the middle of our second night, my daughter's foot felt something under the covers. Imagine her shock when she pulled back the covers to reveal a dirty pair of men's underwear! This sweet, reserved little girl was instantly traumatized at the thought of having slept in the same dirty sheets as a strange, naked man. As time passed, her repulsion turned to anger as she considered how such a thing could have happened. Surely, everyone makes mistakes. But this was clearly no mistake, as though an employee simply forgot to clean something thoroughly. No, this bed was intentionally made with dirty sheets. Someone deliberately tried to cut a corner and get away with it. This was not a simple human error; it was a calculated decision to give the impression that dirty sheets were clean. It was not an issue of competency, but character; not a matter of inexperience, but of integrity.

As we reported the issue to the management, we tried to remain courteous and calm, of course, while expressing our deep disapproval. And to the manager's credit, she understood that the issue went far beyond cleanliness. The far greater issue was TRUST. If a hotel employee cuts corners in one room, how many other sheets went unchanged? For every man who leaves his underwear behind, there are probably thousands who don't. Were the sheets changed after each of them?

Some people seem to think that granting grace means there are no lasting effects, but I know this to be untrue. Grace does restore relationships, but not always at the previous level of trust. Grace heals wounds, but not necessarily without scars. Grace removes shame, but not responsibility. Grace allows life to flow forward once again, but often it must cut a new path. For those who think that real grace means never remembering the past, I am intrigued by the dealings of God (the epitome of the most amazing grace) with King David. He said, "Your sin I have put away". Yet, this same God actually inspired the recording of David's evil deeds for all future generations to discuss and learn from for the next 3,000 years. Is God lacking in grace because He doesn't erase His memory (or ours) of David's past? Of course not, and David's relationship with Him is fully restored. But life for David has changed forever; his family, his kingdom, and his reputation are all affected. And as a result, David himself is changed...for the better. Interestingly, this changed, refined man never accuses God of being ungracious or unforgiving. His understanding of grace has matured tremendously. The reminder of my past is not necessarily an unloving thing. On the contrary, it can provide ongoing lessons, and be a continual motivator to avoid certain patterns, watch for dangers ahead, and aspire to healthier living. In fact, the lessons of my past are the allies of my future.

The hotel expressed remorse and backed up its apology by not charging for our stay. I expressed my appreciation for the manager's professionalism in the midst of a very unpleasant and embarrassing situation. Were they repentant? Yes. Were we gracious? I definitely think so.

Will we ever forget this incident? I strongly doubt it.

Do we have a vendetta against their hotel chain? No.

Do I trust them enough to stay there again? I guess I'll know the answer to that when we visit that town again.