Hotel Nobel

My stay in UB is at the Hotel Nobel.  My room is on the 5^th floor, and like most of UB, the elevators don’t work.  I don’t mind the climb, it’s better than a stair-stepper workout device.

My room is not too much different than other hotel rooms around the world.  One key drawback to the room is the absence of hot water in the shower.  I take a cool partial shower, because I need one, but at the next opportunity as I leave the hotel, I mention it to the noble Hotel Noble staff.  They say they will take care of it.

When I get back, I can see the solution to my problem was a simple extension cord run across my  sink to the hot water tank suspended above the shower.   

Now I have hot water, but in my daze I can’t figure out how to get it to the shower head.  It turns out there are two shower heads on the flexible lines that have become popular.  The one hanging on the wall gives no hot water, because a careful examination of the plumbing reveals that it has no hot water supply attached.  Fortunately the shower head lying on the floor does, and with some manipulation of the right valve I get glorious and very HOT water!  Hurray!!

But, my television is as dead as dead can be.  Learning my lesson from the shower, I examine the electrical wire taped with electrician’s tape leading to the multi-outlet extension cord.  Everything looks fine, but no TV.

On my next venture down 5 floors, I mention the non-functional t.v. and the only person in the hotel who speaks any English accompanies me back up to the room.  She examines the wires, just as I had.  She wiggles the plug, then pulls it out of one slot and pushes it into another.  Voila!  T.v.!  So now, at last I can see the Flinstones cartoon characters speaking Mongolian.  I can’t correctly pronounce “thank you”, yet these dumb cartoon cave people speak the language fluently!

My room is comfortable, and the double paned windows do a commendable job at isolating me from the noise of the busy streets below.  I hear not so much as a horn honk, and I am quite grateful for the peace.

G^d gives me a grateful heart for these small pleasures:

            A clean bed

            A working thermostat

            A hot shower

            A television with Chinese news and National Geographic channel

            A quiet peaceful place to rest.

G^d gives me very much, most of which I take for granted, and for which I never thank Him.  But, slowly I am recognizing that, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”  (James 1:17)

Above all, I should be grateful to G^d.  He has blessed me abundantly, and forgiven me much.  Which reminds me of a story I heard:

"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."

"You have judged correctly," Jesus said. (Luke 7)

L^rd help me to love you more, as I have been forgiven such an enormous debt!