Life is funny I’ve gone from watching Home Remodeling shows on tv to listening to videos on Facebook with a couple ladies I admire. There always using a Blackstone Grill. I decided I needed one but knew I wouldn’t purchase one for myself because of the price.
David and I stopped in Walmart for groceries. David went to look at the grills. He showed me The Blackstone Grill he wanted. We had the money to purchase it that week but decided to wait until we could get the back porch cleaned off.
I have to believe that was the LORDs will because we found out sometimes waiting pays off. I wanted to get a new grill for David but it wasn’t a Blackstone but another grill he had been wanting.
I thought about buying the other grill for his birthday. Then I thought maybe it could be his Christmas present. But sometimes you have to wait until the money is there, and I just wasn’t able to make it happen when I first wanted to.
Then we walked into Walmart and I let David know I wanted a Blackstone Grill and he said he did to. We walked into the gardening department and there it was. A Blackstone 28″ XL Griddle with a hood—the grill David had been wanting. The price was $229.
I looked at David, and I thought, We’re going to get this. But then I stopped myself. I told him, “Let’s wait until Monday incase something came up over the weekend and we needed the money.
I know that was the LORD telling me to wait and I’m glad I listened to that little voice. Because when we went back, things had changed. There was one price tag on the front that said $129. There was another tag on the back that said $179.
This confused David and I. We wondered if they were the same grill? Or were they different grills? Why were there different prices? And if you’ve ever shopped at Walmart, you know that sometimes finding someone to help you can be an adventure all by itself.
But this time, I found someone. I found a young lady and told her I needed help in the grill department. She said she would get us a gentleman who could help us. By the time we got back to the grill department he was waiting on us.
I wish I had gotten both there names because they were really, really kind. He came over and started trying to figure out what was going on. He looked at the grill, the signs and the different prices.
And he was just as frustrated as David and I were. Nothing was making sense. So he called the manager. The manager came out and started looking everything over, and he was frustrated, too.
Finally, he had enough. He started taking the signs down. Then he told us that we could have the grill for $129. He wasn’t going to fight with all those different signs anymore. “Just take it.”
Well… David and I weren’t going to argue with him! So David finally got his Blackstone. For $129. But there was even more to the story. The manager Tim who had helped us didn’t just point us toward the grill and walk away.
He actually took it to the front service desk for us. He put his name on it. Then he found us while we were walking around the store, reminded us of his name, and told us that if we had any problems at all, we could call him.
His name was Tim. Tim works over the gardening department and the barbecue area, and he told us how difficult it has been trying to keep those areas clean and organized. And you could tell he was stressed.
That poor man was doing his best. But even with everything he had going on, he took the time to help us. He didn’t have to go that extra mile. But he did. And I am grateful that he did.
When we got home, we started looking up the Blackstone we had just purchased. That’s when we realized what a good deal we had gotten. The Blackstone 28″ XL Griddle with Hood is currently listed for considerably more on the Blackstone website.
And suddenly, that $129 Walmart price looked even better. Because remember… The first time we saw it, it was $229. Then we came back and saw $179. I actually had the money and was ready to buy it for $179.
But something made me say, “Let’s wait.” So we waited. And when we went back, the price was $129. That’s a $50 difference from the price we were prepared to pay—and $100 less than the first price we saw.
And I believe that wasn’t an accident. I believe God told me to wait. Sometimes we don’t understand why we’re supposed to wait. We think we’re missing out. We wonder if somebody else is going to buy the thing we want. We worry that the price might go back up. But sometimes waiting is exactly what we’re supposed to do.
David had waited a long time for his other grill but that day we was both able to get the Blackstone Grille we had been wanting. Although, at first I had waited because I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend the money.
And when the time was right, we didn’t just find the grill. We found it for $129. We also found three Walmart employees who were willing to go above and beyond to help us. And that is something I don’t want to forget.
So, if you’re shopping at the Walmart on Rufe Snow and you happen to see Tim working around the gardening and barbecue areas, please take a moment to tell him what a great job he’s doing.
He’s trying. He’s working hard. And from what we saw that day, he genuinely cares about helping people. In this day and time good customer service is a true Godsend. As for David… Well, he finally has his Blackstone.
And if you know David, you already know what that means. It’s time to cook. We’ve already started putting it to the test with Steaks that turned out absolutely delicious. Next time come join us for dinner.
This isn’t the end of our Blackstone story. It’s just the beginning. We’ll be sharing more meals, more experiments and probably a few lessons along the way as David learns everything he can do with his new grill.
And knowing David… I have no idea what he’s going to cook next. So be watching for future meals prepared on our Blackstone. Because around here, the backyard kitchen is officially open. And I’m pretty sure that $129 Blackstone is going to be getting a whole lot of use.
Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
