A colleague (we’ll call him “Andrew”) told me this story while we were working together on a project.
It was Andrew's first year of marriage. He was due to leave ~ 10:30 pm to drive to Louisiana and go offshore for a long work assignment. That evening, he and his wife had an argument. As Andrew related it, “I didn’t respond as well as I could have” … and he left the house around 10 pm, 30 minutes early, while they were still arguing. He drove away angry and unresolved with his wife.
As per his usual habit, he first headed to a nearby gas station to fill up the car for the trip. As he was pumping the gas, another vehicle pulled up on the other side of the pump. A man got out and started also filling up his car. Suddenly, the man spoke to Andrew: “You shouldn’t leave like this.” “What?” Andrew replied. The man said again, “I felt led to say to you - you shouldn’t leave like this.”
Wow! A word from the Lord.
Andrew finished filling up his tank, and instead of heading down the road, returned to the house. His wife met him at the door, weeping, and they embraced and reconciled before Andrew left the second time for his work assignment.
My friend later said, “That could have been the end of the relationship if I hadn’t come back” - at the very least, it would have caused a wound in the relationship that would have caused strife and tension for months / years, until resolved. But God saw, God cared, and God intervened!
Source: Thomas Cogdell - Personal story