Are You Ready to Meet God?

May 31, 2026

We had a wonderful time on our trip to the Smokies last week. It was fun, relaxing, and rejuvenating. However, one thing happened that was very soul-searching. Let me try to paint the picture. We were at the Island in Pigeon Forge on Wednesday evening. We had finished eating supper and walking around, and we were sitting on rocking chairs around the fountain. The air was cool, the breeze was lightly blowing, and the water from the fountain was both mesmerizing and relaxing. At least it was relaxing until a gunshot rang out. Someone yelled “gun,” and suddenly it was total chaos. People were screaming and running everywhere. When I got up to run, I dropped my bag of candy, and, of course, I had to bend over to pick it up. It was candy, after all! After making sure my candy was secure, I started running. I was the last guy across the pavilion. This headline ran through my mind, “Fat man wallows around on the concrete after having been shot by a mad gunman. There is candy everywhere. Story at eleven!” Turns out, it wasn’t a gunshot after all. It was a truck backfiring. No one got hurt, everyone got a little cardio workout, and we all lived to be able to tell a pretty good story, and most importantly, both my candy and I were safe! Marie was safe, too. Everything and everyone turned out just fine. But I have been pondering on this thought all week. What if it had been a gunshot? What if someone did decide to shoot up the Island? In our world today, that thought isn’t so far-fetched. What if innocent people lost their lives that evening? What if I lost my life that evening? It makes you stop and think. We are all just a gunshot, or a car wreck, or a trip and fall away from meeting the LORD in eternity? If that happens, are you ready? If you aren’t ready for that moment, I beg you to get ready before it is too late. As Christ followers, I am pretty sure most of us, if not all of us, could be busier doing God’s kingdom work. We aren’t promised tomorrow. We need to get ready today.

Be blessed and then go be a blessing . . . Bro. Andy