Pull over at the next gas station! The Lord spoke to me very clearly.

"But Lord," I argued, "I don't need gasoline! Besides, the gas will be cheaper in Stuttgart. I'll be there soon."

Tankstelle, 3 km. The sign announcing the next highway service station flashed by.

Again the Lord's voice spoke to my heart.

"But Lord, I'm tired and it's already 3 A.M. I've got to get back home. If I stop now, I'll lose another 15 minutes and ..."

Tankstelle, 1 km.

Like a father speaking to an errant child, the Lord spoke to me more firmly: You must stop!

I struggled to analyze and rationalize all of the reasons I was sure it was better to keep on driving. I had driven early the previous morning from Stuttgart to Frankfurt, Germany, to attend a meeting. It had stretched late into the evening, and it was almost midnight before I began the long drive home. I was exhausted! Besides, I would be needed in the morning but had to get some sleep first, and yes, the gas in Stuttgart was cheaper than at the highway Tankstelle. All these thoughts besieged my weary brain as the final exit sign neared: Ausfahrt.

Red tongues of flame erupted somewhere in the wreckage, illuminating what now resembled a battlefield.

Somehow the Lord managed to get through my confusion. I switched on my turn signal and checked the mirrors. I was already in the slow lane and was on the tail end of a line of Dutch holiday-makers heading for the Black Forest.

Lightening my foot on the accelerator, I eased the VW van off the highway and coasted up to the gas pumps.

As I opened the van door, the chilly night air was suddenly pierced by the sound of screeching rubber ... followed by a loud crunch of metal.

Immediately a chorus of screaming tires arose as other drivers desperately sought to avoid collision. In a moment, the remains of a dozen mangled vehicles were strewn across the roadway.

Red tongues of flame erupted somewhere in the wreckage, illuminating what now resembled a battlefield. Gas station personnel alerted the police, and fire departments and paramedic squads rushed to the scene. Wailing sirens and flashing lights announced their arrival.

I stood mouth agape, my senses reeling under the impact of what had happened. As the numbness gradually subsided, I was jolted by a thought that sent shock waves through my system so strong that they caused me to jump off the ground. My God! If I had not stopped I would be right in the middle of that carnage!

As I viewed the blackened, twisted metal, the words of the psalmist echoed in my ears. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me" (Psalm 23:4).