The Visitor

by Pastor Sharron Scott

June 6, 2008 Revised 1/23/10

It’s been almost three weeks since the visitor came, and people are still coming to ask me about it. So I will write down as much as I can remember, hoping that it will help someone in some way down the line. And in obedience to a brother in Christ who asked me to do so, saying that it needs to be documented.

It seems to me that it was Tuesday morning. I was sitting in the rocking chair in the store, by the front window, trying to get better internet reception on my little laptop. A woman walked in, and said “I really like the name of your store!” She had a peaceful voice. She was about my height, had blonde hair, and was dressed modestly but nicely in a light blue boat neck sweater and jeans. I remember wondering if she was too warm in that sweater.

I looked at her face, and said “You must know what it (the name of the shop) means, then.” She said “Oh, yes, I do!” and chatted a little about the “feel” of the shop. She never walked around and looked at the clothes, as most women do. Then she said “But let me tell you why I am here.” That was a curious thing for a customer to say, so she had my attention.

She told me her name was Barbara. She said that she had been to Florida. I said “Lakeland?” She smiled, and said “You knew that.” She was right. Anyway, she told me that it was an indescribable experience and that she encouraged people to go there if possible. But she said she was given (by God) four places to visit within the United States. She was to go and pray for those places. They were: (Somewhere in) Kentucky; Four Corners; Moab, Utah; and Weaverville, CA. I laughed hard at that and said “WEAVERVILLE???!!! WHY??!!” She said because Weaverville is calling for revival. That stopped my laugh and stunned me. She said:

God has heard our prayers, felt our tears, and wanted us to know that our prayers would be answered. Revival WILL happen here.

I was speechless. After all, she told me she had never spoken to anyone about Weaverville. And she had never been here, except for traveling THROUGH, on her way to the coast, many years ago. She had to look us up on a map.

She then said she was here for a specific reason, and that was to pray for our town. We went outside, and I told her about the National Day of Prayer the previous Thursday, and showed her the Bandstand where it took place.

She asked me if I knew of a body of water nearby…said that she had been called to a place where water flowed. I of course chuckled, and said that could be any number of places. She said this was a creek, or something like that, and in a central location where there was water on both sides. I thought for a second, and realized why she said that. She was being called to pray at a location that impacted many people. I directed her to the creek across from the Post Office….there is a little foot bridge there. I explained to her that virtually EVERYONE has to go there DAILY to pick up their mail.

She said she would go there, and then she would walk around town more, as she had been doing earlier, praying over the town and all of the businesses and people. She said she would come back and see me shortly. She asked me if I had ever been to Bethel church in Redding. I told her Walt and I had planned to go, but hadn’t yet. She handed me a program, and said quite seriously, “you need to go to Bethel”.

I went back in the shop, and had to calm down. I am blessed by Christian customers often in the shop, but not to this magnitude. I have been blessed many times by people praying for me and over our shop. But this was very different. I began to process the conversation I had been having, and the implications it had. WOW. God loves us SO MUCH he sent someone to tell us that HE HAS HEARD OUR CALL FOR REVIVAL. WOW. I never at any time got the feeling that this woman was a fanatic, or “off her rocker”, or looking for “contributions”, or a drama addict just seeking special attention. She was merely here for one purpose: to give us a message and to pray for us.

A couple of hours went by. I was still shaking my head, and trying to figure out what to do with a MASSIVE shipment of silk flowers my sister had sent me, when Barbara walked in again. She had her bible with her (no, I didn’t look to see what version it was). She said that she wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it, but that she needed to anoint me, saying that’s what she does. She said she had her oil with her. I told her I understood completely, and didn’t have a problem with it.

As a side note: I have noticed that whenever an important moment of prayer comes, the Lord gives us time. Customers don’t interrupt us. They don’t start coming in until after we are done.

As Barbara began to pray, She opened my hands. She looked into my eyes and said “you were given a gift—you have a ministry.”

(I was instantly taken back to when I attended an SCRC convention in the 80s at the Anaheim Convention Center. I experienced the amazing sensation of the Holy Spirit blessing me with the gift of healing. My hands and arms tingled, and the Pastor who was praying announced that 3 people there were feeling exactly that, and were being given the gift of healing. It was a very hard thing for me to understand, and it took me days to adjust.)

I said “yes, God has given me a ministry.” She said it God wanted me to know he will be calling me to serve in this way once again. She told me who and what I am in God’s eyes. God will use me as a foundation for regeneration in this town. I will be a leader and teacher, and bring unity to the faithful in our community. She continued to pray over the front of the shop, every item, and the prayer box. We moved to the center of the shop. She then began to pray for me, and anointed my forehead. I had to sit down. She knelt at my feet, anointed my hands, my feet, and maybe my throat by I’m not sure. This whole time she was praying, singing, laughing, asking for God’s blessing on me. I did notice that occasionally she would burst out in little exclamations, almost as if she were overwhelmed or surprised. And she softly uttered things in a language I didn’t understand. But I understood the meaning, if not the exact words.

Sometimes our joy and praise is so overwhelming it can’t be spoken in human words.

We then went back to the Library I kept in the back of the shop, called The Upper Room. I told her about our experience there with Pastors Steve and Josh and several others after the prayer at the Bandstand. She said she felt a sense of incredible peace and joy here, and that would increase. She opened her bible, and began to pray scripture…I remember hearing the words but more about praying each situation. I believe it was Isaiah 25 and 26. We prayed for our churches, and the divisions within them that the enemy is reveling in. We banished the enemy’s efforts, rebuking and barring evil’s access to God’s people. We prayed for the men in our community to take up their positions as declared by God. We prayed for the responsibility given by God to the women of our community to gather together as mighty prayer warriors for God’s purpose in our community. We prayed for the young people who are being claimed and seduced by the enemy. We denied the enemy further access. We prayed for the children who will be seeing the things in Revelations (our grandchildren). We prayed for this mountain. We were overjoyed many times and just stopped to laugh, when we realized that the Lord was indeed PRESENT IN THIS ROOM!!! And He has a very beautiful laugh, and BOY is it contagious!!! It was truly a joyous prayer time.

During this time Cathy, a friend who visited with me several times a week, came in. Barbara looked at me, then at Cathy, and placed her hands on Cathy’s head and began to pray for her. They sat down, and I walked in to the front of the store. I could hear them giggling and walked outside to feel the sun on my face. Cathy later spoke of them both feeling “drunk with the joy of the Spirit”. I didn’t ask specifics about their prayer.

Shortly after that Barbara walked out with Cathy and I to the front of the store. We chatted briefly about the day. I asked her where she lived, and she said she was living in Colorado, but was not quite sure what the Lord had in store for her future. I never felt it appropriate to ask more information of her—not even her last name or contact information. She never asked for money, prayer, and did not seem to be in need in any way. That is not why she was here. Strangely enough I didn’t even ask her to return. I embraced her, told her I loved her, and we grasped hands. I placed my hand on her head, asked God to bless and direct her, and thanked God for sending her to us that day. I said “I find great joy in knowing that we will be dancing together with joy in heaven!” We embraced again and she said that God told her to go and treat herself to an ice cream! I laughed, and told her she would probably enjoy the little snack stand at the antique store across the street. She walked away, and that was the last time I saw her.

We never actually said “goodbye”.

Since this event the Lord has been speaking to me in very powerful terms. He has given me instructions and guidance as to what my “job” is. I understand with renewed clarity what He has been trying to teach me about my relationship with the people in our community. I understand what they need to hear from Him. He is shaping and molding us to prepare us for His answer to our prayers. Regeneration and revival are here.

We need to be ready. Our community will be changed forever, and we need to be the light and salt.

In Christ,

Sharron Scott