Comfort at a Gas Station                                                                        December 17, 2020

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I was ready for the Christmas break from Ouachita Baptist College. One semester of my freshman year was behind me. The finals were completed and I had proved that I could do college level studies. I had even been able to pay off the entire tuition which I had to do before I could take my final tests.

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I had arranged for my folks to pick me up sometime after 9 o’clock because I had to finish my cafeteria work at breakfast, the last meal served before the break.

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As I had packed what I thought I’d need to take to Memphis with me, I thought about how I had just barely made it through financially. My summer job at the used car lot had provided me with the start of the tuition, fees, and books. The campus work in the cafeteria had been sufficient to cover the room and board as well as incidentals. However, there was nothing left for the start of the next semester. 

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So, the joy of Christmas had a dark shadow of needing to earn enough to give me a start in January.

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Many of the kids had already gone so the dish room work was fairly light. I was working the tray window when I noticed a man in a suit standing there. The window was low enough that I couldn’t see above the chest but I recognized the suit as one I had seen many times. 

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“Pop!” I called out and then to Charlie, “You’ve got the window.” I rushed out to give my folks a hug. They had arrived early.

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“I have to finish here but I’m almost all packed so we should be able to leave pretty soon.”

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“Take your time. We’ll just wander around the campus until you complete your job. We’ll meet you in your dorm room.”

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It was a busy couple of hours so I had no time to worry about finances. Soon we were on our way.

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I got into the driver’s seat of our ‘56 blue and white Bel Aire Chevy. Pop rode shotgun and Mom had to settle for the rear seat along with some of my stuff that wouldn’t fit in the trunk.

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We had not gone far when Pop said, “Let me tell you what happened this morning on the way here.”

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Now, my dad was a good storyteller. He could make almost any story interesting and often humorous. I knew the next few miles would be a good recounting of some adventure or challenging activity.

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“Since I woke up early, I was anxious to get on the road. You know how Mom likes to sleep late.”

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“But he made enough noise that I gave up and got dressed ready to go,” Mom added.

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“It was still dark as we crossed the Mississippi River bridge into Arkansas. The traffic was light and we were making good time. The sun was just coming up by the time we reached Little Rock.”

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“Since we would be too early to pick you up, I suggested that we go out of the way a little and visit Malvern.” That is where Pop pastored while he and Mom attended OBC.

 

“As we entered the city limits, I said, ‘I think we’ll get gas here so we don’t have to fill up after we get Bob.’

 

“We pulled into this Sinclair station. I got out to talk with the guy as he filled the tank but the wind had me shivering so I went into the station.

 

“I noticed a young blond lady sitting at the desk behind the counter. She hardly glanced at me but I went ahead and greeted her anyway. My comment about the cold weather hardly got a response from her.

 

“It was quiet for a minute or so, then she started without looking up, ‘I guess you are wondering what a woman would be doing at a gas station at this time of day.’

 

“I wasn’t wondering but I made a response to her statement because I felt she wanted to talk. 

 

“‘Yes, why are you here?’

 

“‘That’s my husband out there filling your tank. We had a baby boy that was born a few months ago. He wasn’t very healthy and he kept getting worse and worse.’ she replied before a pause.

 

“‘He passed away a few days ago. I just couldn’t stand to be in the house by myself. It is so depressing. So I came down here. At least I’ll have my husband to talk to while he works.’

 

“‘I’m sorry to hear that. I know it is very painful.’ I added.

 

“‘I need someone to talk to.’ she continued. “Just last night I was telling Bill, that’s him, that when I was a young teenager, we had a pastor whose son died. I’d give anything to be able to talk to that pastor. He’d understand.”

 

“‘Do you remember the name of that pastor?” I enquired.

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“‘Yes. We called him Bro. Duffer.”

 

“I already had my credit card out so I handed it to her. ‘Who's name is on that card?’”

 

“‘Russell Duffer! That’s you, isn’t it?” she answered as she looked at me intensely for the first time.

 

“‘Yes, it is.’ I said as she charged around the counter to give me a big hug.

 

“Bill came in about that time. ‘This is him!! The pastor I was telling you about last night. Bro. Duffer! He’s here!”

 

“Then Bill gave me a hug”. 

 

“‘Let me get R. A. in here.’ I suggested as I went out the door.

 

“As Mom came in I explained what had taken place. For the next forty-five minutes we sat and talked about how God works to strengthen and comfort the children he loves. We shared our experience with Danny Frank’s death and how God had used it to bless other people. We had a prayer together and as I said, ‘Amen!’ a car drove across the bell, the first one since we arrived. God kept them away because He didn’t want His appointment to be interrupted.

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“Wiping the tears from his eyes, Bill headed out to help his customer.

 

“The lady shared tears of joy as she gave both of us another hug.

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“Wasn’t that amazing?” Pop asked me.

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I didn’t reply because I was having a little trouble seeing to drive with tears. 

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It was very quiet for the next few miles as each of us was lost in our own thoughts about God’s miracle in caring for his own.

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Very quickly it was Christmas eve. At the candlelight service, surrounded by lights and inspired by carols, we were directed to God sending his son because of his love for each of us. My thoughts turned to God’s demonstration of that truth in the divine appointment. “If God can bring one couple 180 miles from Memphis to Malvern early in the morning to comfort a mourning couple at a special gas station in answer to a prayer, then I should not worry about my little bit of financial problems." Then God comforted me. 

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And we experienced the season of great joy for all people.

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Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:10 “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”