Living in a hotel for three months was not a fairytale. After awhile, the running back and forth between my home, work, and back to the hotel became tiresome. To my readers who may not know, during the storm of Memorial Day weekend, two trees fell on my house destroying five rooms. My mother was in the bed and the trees fell above of her, while she was sleeping, but God protected  her.

During this time, the power was out, which meant we could not see a thing. Unfortunately, we were forced to move because of the damage. We moved to the LaQuinta Inn & Suites, which did not last long because it was not clean, but, for now, I will not go there. Later, we moved to Homewood Suites on Poplar Ave. I have to admit that my stay at Homewood Suites… I cannot put into words. Let’s just say that God has a way of surrounding you with people that remind you that He has not forgotten about you, whether it be directly or indirectly.

My experience at Homewood Suites was exactly what my family needed. Take it from me, when you are dealing with insurance companies, contractors, and personal items being damaged, it can be overwhelming. Nevertheless, Homewood did their best to accommodate our needs. From the staff at the front desk, the cooks to environmental services, everyone provided superb service. I would like to acknowledge three people in particular,  who really made my experience enjoyable: Cora Moore, Ms. Vickie, and Kirby.

Often times I encounter people who do not take their jobs seriously, but I cannot say that about these three women. This was a reminder, even for me, that no matter who I meet, that I am careful with how I treat them because I never know what they are going through. People are going through so much, and a lot of times they are dealing with it alone. They could have made my circumstances worse with bad attitudes, poor service, and/or lack of compassion, but they did not.

Anywho…

I met Cora first. During her morning clean, she did not half-step in our hotel room– unlike others who would make up one bed but not the other, but anyway… Cora always had the best attitude. And trust me, when someone is coming into your room at 8-something in the morning, the last thing you want is someone with a bad attitude.

Ms. Vickie had a personality out of this world. She and Kirby were very down-to-earth. They were in charge of food. Every morning when I would walk to breakfast, they always greeted me and remembered what I liked. They were intentional about serving the residents. I appreciate them more than they know.

As frustrating as this experience was, I am blessed that God allowed me to meet some wonderful people. This does not just include the staff, but other residents as well. God never ceases to amaze me. Despite what was taking place in my personal life, God allowed me to meet people whose circumstances were worse than mine. Some people were not sure where they would even live once their stay hotel had expired. I am so grateful to God for how He continues to provide for me and my family. While a number of people were devastated for me (never understood these kind of people), I was content. I still had a roof over my head, food to eat, and my family. Let us not forget, I also had people making my bed and preparing my breakfast. In my mind, I had it made! It is called looking at  the glass half full. After all, dwelling on the bad never helped anyone.

I wanted to write this because a lot of times when we have a bad experience, we voice it. So why not share some good in the world. I usually let my readers choose whether or not they want to share my posts, but this time I encourage you to share this. Not only to spotlight Homewood Suites, but to spotlight the three women.

I also want my readers to understand that even when things seem to be falling apart around you, He is still in the midst. Although my living arrangements had changed, my God was still the same.

Be encouraged!