I am a storyteller and when I find a good one, I love to pass it along. It seems that “many years ago in a small hotel in Philadelphia, USA, an elderly couple, on a business trip from England, approached the night clerk seeking a room.

‘We have tried several other hotels,’ said the man, ‘but it seems there is a convention in town, and they are all full. Do you by any chance have a room you could let us have?’

The hotel clerk shook his head sadly and said, ‘I’m sorry, all our rooms are taken as well.’ Then, seeing the couple’s dejected look, the clerk thought hard and came up with a suggestion: ‘Look, I will be working on the desk all night and so I don’t need my room. Why don’t you take that?’ The couple were taken aback by his kindness and generosity, and after a little more persuasion they accepted his offer.

The next morning when they were checking out, the elderly man said to the clerk, ‘Young man, you would make a great hotel manager. How would you like me to build a fine hotel for you in New York City and then you could come and manage it for me?’ The clerk smiled politely and jokingly said, ‘Sir, I would like nothing better in the whole world.”

You can guess the end of this story. The older gentleman was William Waldorf Astor. His hotel was the (now-famous) Waldorf-Astoria on the corner of Fifth Avenue in New York City, where the clerk, George C. Boldt became one of the greatest hotel managers in the world. (R. Ian Seymour)

The moral of this story is obvious. Our calling, as God’s kids is to serve others. Serve someone every day. Serve someone when it is convenient and serve them when it is a hassle. Serve them when someone else is watching and when you are alone. Serve someone with grace and compassion. Just serve them! (See I Pet. 4:10-11.)

Who knows, maybe you will end up as the manager of a big fancy hotel!