God's Two-for-One Special in Pigeon Forge

By Will Cupp Realty Executives Associates: Serving Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Sevier County and All of East Tennessee

I've been taking pictures around Sevier County and the Great Smoky Mountains for a little project I've been working on.

Now, you wouldn't think taking a picture would be all that difficult. Point the camera, push the button, and move on.

Well, apparently nobody told the power companies I was coming. Lol.

I've been trying to get a good picture of that enormous cross in Pigeon Forge. It's a beautiful sight, standing tall for everyone passing through to see.

But every time I found what I thought was the perfect angle, there they were.

Power lines!

I could move left, move right, back up, or practically stand on my head, and somehow those power lines would find their way into my picture.

I was beginning to think somebody had installed them just to aggravate me. 😂

Anyway, I was driving around that morning, still looking for the perfect picture, when I happened to glance down at my gas gauge.

Folks, I was running LOW.

You know the kind of low I'm talking about.

The kind where you keep telling yourself, "Just a few more miles."

Then a few more.

And a few more.

Until you finally realize there ain't no gas left in the tank!

I believe there's an old country song hiding somewhere in that statement. Lol.

Well, I looked over toward the Kroger gas pumps in Pigeon Forge, and wouldn't you know it, I could see that big beautiful cross from there.

And not a power line in the way!

I thought, "Well, look at this! I can get my picture AND fill up my tank."

Two birds with one stone!

Now that's what I call being productive. No wasted time, no wasted trips, and hopefully no walking home carrying an empty gas can. Lol.

Little did I know, the Good Lord had a completely different plan for my morning.

But first, let me back up to the night before.

I have to admit something.

I haven't been spending nearly as much time reading my Bible as I should.

So the night before, I decided to listen to Proverbs on Audible while I was going to sleep.

The fellow reading it would share the scripture, explain a little of what it meant, and every now and then throw in some good old-fashioned preaching.

I enjoyed it.

But there was one thing he said that really stuck with me.

We're living in such a busy world that we spend all our time asking God questions, but we seldom slow down long enough to listen for His answers.

Think about that for a minute.

We ask God for guidance, help, understanding, and sometimes a little patience.

Then we jump right back into our day, moving a hundred miles an hour, never giving Him much of a chance to answer.

I thought about that as I drifted off to sleep.

Now, back to the gas pumps.

I pulled up, got my picture of the cross, and started getting ready to fill my tank.

I entered my mother-in-law's phone number to see if she had any Kroger fuel points.

She's 88 years old, and apparently she's been collecting those points since Moses crossed the Red Sea. 😂

Because, lo and behold, she had enough points for 35 gallons of FREE gas!

FREE!

Now, I don't know about you, but free gas will make a grown man smile.

Especially one who's been driving around with his gas gauge begging for mercy.

I started filling my tank, and it didn't take long to realize something.

I wasn't going to need anywhere near 35 gallons.

In fact, I was going to have about 17 gallons left over.

And I sure hated to see those gallons go to waste.

So I looked up at that big cross standing over Pigeon Forge.

And I said a little prayer.

"Lord, send me somebody who could use this gas."

Nothing fancy.

Just a simple request.

I went about getting some bottled water for the car, figuring I'd pay for it and be on my way.

For a few moments, everything seemed unusually quiet.

And then...

BRRRRRROOOOOOM!

Mercy!

Here came a truck with a muffler loud enough to wake the dead! 😂

I believe if that truck had been any louder, folks in Gatlinburg would have started looking for a thunderstorm.

Two good old boys climbed out.

And I looked at that truck, looked at the gas pump, and thought, "Well, Lord, I reckon that's them."

Apparently, when you ask God to send somebody, He doesn't always send them quietly. Lol.

I walked over and offered them the remaining gas.

And that's when the morning took a turn I never expected.

One of those good old boys was Rusty.

An old friend!

Now, Rusty and I go back a long way. We knew each other from our basketball days.

And before I go any further, I suppose I should admit something.

Rusty was a better basketball player than I was.

There.

I said it.

Folks, you have absolutely no idea how difficult it was for me to put that in writing. 😂

But it sure was good seeing him.

We talked, laughed, and caught up a little.

And somewhere in that conversation, Rusty said something that stopped me.

"God's going to bless you for that."

I looked at him, and those words stayed with me.

Because as I thought about it, I realized something.

God already had.

I had pulled into that gas station hoping for a discount.

Instead, I got a tank full of free gas.

I had gone there looking for a picture of a cross.

Instead, I found an old friend standing beneath it.

And I had asked God to send me somebody I could help.

He sent somebody who blessed me just as much.

Maybe more.

Rusty got some gas, but I got something money couldn't have bought that morning.

A reminder of an old friendship, a few good laughs, and one of those moments that makes you wonder how many blessings we drive right past because we're too busy to notice them.

And then I remembered what I'd been listening to the night before.

We spend so much time asking God questions that we forget to listen for His answers.

Well, I had asked Him a question that morning.

And I believe He answered it.

With a truck that sounded like it needed a muffler. Lol.

You know, I've spent most of my life here in East Tennessee, and one of the things I love about the people of Pigeon Forge and Sevier County is that you never know who you're going to run into.

An old friend at a gas pump.

A stranger who needs a little help.

Somebody who makes you laugh.

Or somebody who reminds you that God is still working in the smallest moments of our lives.

Sometimes all it takes is slowing down long enough to notice.

And that brings me back to the beginning of this story.

Remember how proud I was of myself?

I had figured out how to get a picture of that big cross and fill my gas tank in one stop.

A perfect little two-for-one special!

No wasted time. No wasted trip.

I thought I was being pretty clever. Lol.

But God's two-for-one was entirely different from mine.

I was looking for a picture and some gas.

He gave me a full tank and an old friend.

I thought I was going there to save a few dollars.

Instead, two old friends walked away blessed, and I got a reminder that the Lord was listening all along.

And here's the part that makes me smile.

I spent all that time trying to get a picture of the cross without anything getting in the way.

Turns out, the most beautiful part of that morning wasn't the picture at all.

It was what happened beneath it.

"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Proverbs 3:6 (KJV)

God bless you, Rusty. It was wonderful seeing you again, my friend.

And if you ever read this, I still want a rematch on that basketball court.

Although at our age, we might need to have an ambulance standing by. 😂