I'm not talking about luxury. I'm talking LUXURY. From the expensive rooms and million dollar views of the ski park to the fine linen sheets, deep tubs and leather furniture--none of our needs were overlooked.
Fresh flowers and chocolate awaited us when we arrived. Just a moment ago I heard the caretaker shoveling off the walkway and checking the hot tub. I can guess now how the rich and famous live and my heart swells with gratitude.
The best part is my whole family is under one roof. Last night I sat on the floor and played with my toddler daughter and baby grandson. Priceless. In fact we'll be here for my grandson's 6-month "birthday." What a gift!
My family isn't the only one who's received the gift of a "set apart place." The guestbook is filled with notes of gratitude from people (ministry couples) all over the US. With each window I look out of, every lush chair I sit on, each fluffy pillow I prop against I'm reminded that this cost someone something great ... and I did nothing to deserve the benefits. In fact, I have little to with with it at all. The gift I've been given is a direct result of other's love for God.
My hosts declare this in their statement of purpose they have posted in the condo:
Our purpose: We will show our gratitude for Jesus in impulsive, spontaneous, lavish, extraordinary to those around us.
And then they refer to these two verses:
"...in as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren you did it to Me." Matthew 25:40 NKJV
Whoever speaks let him speak as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified. Peter 4:11 NASB
Being here, being one the receiving end of such a gift, has me pondering a few things.
1. If someone I hardly know has provided such an extravagant gift, what is my Lord--who knows me intimately and loves me extravagantly--preparing for me in His eternal kingdom?
2. It is a true gift when there is nothing I've done to deserve it. I couldn't earn enough to pay for what has been given freely. Accepting it with humility and gratitude is all that's desired.
3. With a heart full of gratitude, I desire even more to serve others with the resources God's entrusted to me. I can't offer the keys to a luxury resort, but I can prepare a fancy lunch for a teen mom and offer an listening ear. I can bag up some of my nicer clothes for Good Will. I can mentor a new writer. I can serve the children in my church with gladness and eagerness.
I have a feeling my hosts would find joy in my growing list. May God not only be glorified in their acts of impulsive, spontaneous, lavish, extraordinary service, but also in mine.
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2 comments:
Great thinking! And I know it would not only bless your hosts .. it blesses the Father! Imagine if we all aimed to do this once a year .. or a quarter .. or a month!
I love this! I was recently gifted extravagantly with a top-of-the-line, expensive sewing machine because the ladies in my church knew how I loved to sew and how much trouble my 37-year-old machine was giving me. It made me hunger to give, give, give - and to use that machine to honor God in whatever ways I possibly can. I love His extravagance and they way He shows it through His children!
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