Gas Station Guardians

Thirty-one-year-old Gerald Heffington was the manager of a gas station located in the small town of Morganfield, Kentucky. It was a rather rough section of town. Every night at closing time, his wife drove eight miles round-trip to pick him up since they lived out in the country. Gerald was hoping for a better job someday, but for now, he did his best to make sure every customer was treated well. He knew it was the way God would want him to act. He was on close speaking terms with God and always had been. Sometimes he also asked angels to guard him. They were in the Bible, so if they protected people then, he reasoned, why not now?

One evening at closing time, Gerald started to read the pumps and clear the cash register, just as he always did. His wife was waiting for him inside the station. “Just as I reached for the light switch, a dark blue Cadillac pulled up,” Gerald says. “There was one young man behind the wheel and he seemed nervous.” The man was looking from window to window and appeared to be talking, but there was no one else in the car!

Gerald decided to wait on him, even though it was a little past closing time. It would be the courteous and helpful thing to do, especially since it was so late at night. But as he walked toward the car, he asked God to send protection, especially for his wife who was just as vulnerable inside the station as he was.

“Can I help you?” Gerald asked the driver.

The window was down and the young driver, still looking somewhat nervous and scared, thrust a one-hundred dollar bill out to Gerald. “Give me fifty cents worth of high test,” he demanded.

Fifty cents from a hundred dollars! Now Gerald knew something was wrong. But, he pumped the small amount, keeping his eyes on the driver--who still seemed to be talking to someone--and tried to prepare for whatever happened next. But, as he put the nozzle back, the driver quickly turned on the engine and sped out of the gas station, tires squealing.

Gerald was astonished. What was wrong with this guy? He had acted so strangely--and then left his $100 bill without getting change. Gerald went into the office, told his wife the peculiar details, and took $99.50 out of the register and put it in an envelope. He wrote a note to the day manager about the extra money.  Then, he and his wife drove home.

Continued on page 2: Gerald looked up to see the same driver, in the same blue Cadillac... »