So Far Out of My "Comfort Zone," It's In Another Zip Code

As we continue to prepare for the arrival of The Tabernacle Experience next week, there have been so many things on the "To-Do" list that my mind doesn't want to turn off over night. It was especially bad the night before THIS! 


As hard as I tried to find ANYONE who would take THIS one off my list, there were no takers. So I arrived at the local CBS affiliate early Monday morning for an interview about the event, praying simply that He would be glorified. 

Looks like a normal hallway in an office building, doesn't it? Don't be fooled! It leads directly to the torture chamber.

I'm so glad I don't have to know what all those black boxes do.

I sort of hoped, since hardly anyone was there that early, that they had forgotten about me! After all, the Lord can bring whoever He chooses to an encounter with Christ at the Tabernacle Experience without a news interview, right? 

Apparently, it was necessary for me to suffer, though. 


They hadn't forgotten about me, much to my dismay.

The weatherman was very friendly and encouraging. He assured me that it wouldn't hurt a bit. 


I didn't believe him for a minute. 

The station is inside the mall and, just to make things worse, the studio has a glass wall so people may observe all the "goings on." Why would they do that?!!!


I was perched on the very edge of the "fainting couch", nervously awaiting my fate when, from directly behind me, I heard knocking!! I almost jumped out of my skin! When I turned around, there were two of the sweet ladies from church! Wanting to encourage me, we carried on a conversation in sign language back and forth through the glass. I smiled, then told them in my most polite body language to GO AWAY!!!! They laughingly understood and left me alone. 


The nice young weatherman offered to open the door and let them in! I told him, "NO! Do NOT open that door!" He just laughed. As did I, with my false bravado in fifth gear. 

Then they flipped on those horrid lights! EEEEKKKK! I think the end is near!

See that lovely young lady? She looks so sweet. But she actually wanted me to come sit in that empty chair across the table from her! Does she think I was born yesterday?! 


Then there's that sweet young man who had tried to lull me into a false sense of security by being friendly, all the while planning my demise. 


Somehow, I opened my eyes and I was, indeed, sitting at that little table with HER answering questions and telling all my most secret secrets. 


Okay, so it wasn't about me at all. 


She asked me questions about The Tabernacle Experience. 


Tabernacle??!! Never heard of it?


Project manager?  You must have the wrong person. 


Somehow, my mouth was moving and complete sentences were coming out of it! And I actually knew the answers to the questions she asked. Everyone was smiling. 


Then it was over. And they let ME LEAVE! I wandered through the halls trying to find the exit. Somehow, I ended up in an area I hadn't seen on the way in. That's a definite clue that a wrong turn was taken in my mad dash for freedom. 


There it was, an "EXIT" sign glowing over a door to the outside! Not the door I entered by, but when I peeked out, there was my escape vehicle! I half expected the world to look different somehow. But everyone else was going on about their business LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED!! 


The sweet friend who is handling all the Public Relations "To Do's," the one who actually went to all the work of setting up the aforementioned torture session, sent me a text after I had already made it back to the safety of my domicile that said, "Ummmmmm, did you get interviewed?"


What could I do?! That was just BEGGING for a practical joke! So my response? "WAS THAT TODAY???!!!!!!"


Pregnant pause.


Her response: "Yes."


Next: "Please tell me you're pulling my leg."


Time to let her off the hook.


Her next text (yes, she's still speaking to me):  "Hang on while I pick myself up off the floor."


Just thought someone else should have suffered with me for the occasion. :)


Several people sent me messages telling me they had seen it. It's funny, though, because the kids and I were busy and forgot all about it. Which is probably just as well.