by John Zienkosky

Created on: March 24, 2009   Last Updated: April 09, 2011

I was on my way to Peoria from Decatur in my Ford van and singing at the top of my lungs with the worship music that was in my tape player. It was the early Eighties and I was a recent convert to the more fundamentalist sect of Christianity that was popular with people and TV preachers alike in those days. My experience with God was genuine and my conversion was obvious to everyone.

I was in love with the Lord. I was really flying high with the music and worship but I had drank too much coffee that day and so needed to find a rest stopand soon. 20 minutes outside of Peoria I found what I needed. I pulled into the empty rest area and shut off the van and the worship music. I pulled the keys and jumped to the ground. Shutting the door I walked as fast as was reasonable to the large glass doors of the rest stop building.

With thoughts of The Lord and hymns in my heart I glanced at the wall to my left having 2 doors marked restroom. The farther door was obviously the women's from the symbol on it and so I quickly pushed into the door nearest me. Not even glancing at the rest of the bathroom, I walked to the nearest stall and shut the door behind me. I unzipped and breathed a small sigh of relief.

As I began to zip up I heard the door to the restroom open and female voices. For a second I thought they were talking to their men folk at the door but then I realized that they were entering. "Man", I thought, "are they in for a surprise." But as they continued in I heard the door open again and what sounded like 2 more females entered. This was when I decided to re-think my position. It didn't take much re-thinkin' before it hit me like a thunderbolt: I was in the women's restroom, in a rest area, that had been empty up until this point, off an interstate highway, with at least 4 other women.

I, being ever so quick in these matters, immediately sat down on the toilet and put my head in my hands. Here I was, brand new Christian, the voice of God, a follower of Jesus and I was stuck in a stall in the women's restroom. I thought" Oh God, don't let me be caught here and bring reproach on your name!" My face was hot as a skillet in July and I kept my head down so as to not inadvertently see something I shouldn't. But at the sound of a voice nearby I instinctively looked up only to realize that I had not locked the stall door! I slowly reached for the lock and slid it ever so quietly to the left and sighed more relief as it slid into place. Not a minute too soon either as

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