The Message

I was born a city girl and knew nothing of farms, gardens, and animals except from television and books.  I had two dogs while growing up, but after childhood never really cared about the animal kingdom. I had no idea I was marrying a man who had such a heart for animals and people in trouble.

Stephanie, our daughter, found an injured baby chicken who eventually laid green eggs. One day, after returning home from the grocery store, I found the chicken in the house. I had strict rules about animals in the house, but Steve enjoyed breaking them. My first husband was a bit of a rogue and very independent. He prided himself on taking care of his own life and his family with no help from outside sources. He wasn’t prone to be social unless it was a family gathering.  Steve did give his heart to the Lord in later years, but while we lived in Easley didn’t pay much attention to spiritual matters, until the spring of 1980.

It was very early on a Monday morning when Steve awoke me.  “I just had a vision. It wasn’t a dream, it was a vision and I was walking around in it.”

“Tell me about it,” I mumbled, half awake.

“I was in a place with beautiful mountains. The hills were lush and green. I saw my Grandpa Masters walking toward me.  Sylvester Sylvanus Masters was Steve’s maternal grandfather who had been dead since 1956.  He spoke to me, “Steve, there is a lady in our family who is very ill and she’s afraid. She doesn’t have much longer to live. I need for you to give her a message. Tell her everything will be alright, she doesn’t need to fear, she’s going to see Jesus.”

“Grandpa took me to a white house and a man opened the door. I went inside and there were several people there.  Grandpa Masters told me that this man would lead me to the sick lady.  Grandpa hugged me and said goodbye and that was all I saw of him. Now I’ve got to figure out who this lady is and how to find her. I’ve been made a messenger for God.”

This was pretty amazing to hear when I first woke up. I asked him if I could help but he said, “No, I’m going to see if my cousin Weldon knows if anyone is sick in the family.”  Weldon Masters worked for Duke Power out of the Liberty, SC office.

Steve later recounted his conversation with Weldon. “I called him first thing when I got to the office. I asked him if anyone in the family was on the verge of dying. He said he didn’t know, but would call his mother.”

Later that night Weldon called. “Steve, it seems there’s a lady in the family, a Christine Riggins, who is a cousin of ours. She has a serious heart condition and on her deathbed at Greenville Hospital.”

“Thanks Weldon…Steve paused. Do you know if she has a pastor?”

“Yes she does, I have an aunt who keeps up with family better than I do, I think I wrote down the name of the church, Praters Creek Baptist. After he gave Steve the name, Steve hesitated, “Weldon, do you believe in visions and God?” Weldon replied, “I believe in God and I’m sure he can send a vision.”

Steve told him the details of the vision. Weldon wished him well in his search and asked Steve to let him know the outcome.

Steve called the pastor of Christine’s church and made an appointment. Steve got the impression that the pastor didn’t think Steve was mentally stable. Later,  he shared the details of  his road trip and his conversation with the pastor:

“After I turned off the highway, I turned on the road to the pastor’s house. The road and his house were exactly like the one I saw in the vision. I knew the man that opened the door because that was where Grandpa Masters had left me in the vision.  The pastor led me into his house and we talked. I asked if he had a member named Christine Riggins. He said, yes, but that she wasn’t a member, but her husband, Luther, was.

“Christine hasn’t been to church in a long while. She’s been ill since the mid-50′s with a heart condition. When I have visited her I’ve noticed her Bible that’s very well worn from use.”

“Pastor, you may think I’m crazy, but I have a message from the Lord and my Grandpa Masters for her. Could you take me to see her?”

“Yes, let me call Luther and see if we can go to his house to talk with him, if he isn’t at the hospital.”

After the pastor called, he and Steve rode over to see Mr. Riggins. When Steve explained why he was there and the vision, he wept. “We have been praying for a miracle in this community. There is so much sickness and depression. This is that promise of eternity and encouragement we all needed.”

Steve felt so strongly about his part in this that he made a recording about the entire event. That recording is one of only two audios of his voice that we still have.

He remarked at the end of the recorded message. “I’m glad that God saw fit to make me a part of the message that needed to get to this lady. I hope, if I ever have to take a message to someone else that he will fit me in better clothing to be His messenger.”

That spring of 1980, Steve didn’t know what the years ahead would bring him, but he was about to take on the clothing of an eleven year journey that none of us would have ever envisioned, or wanted, for him.

Ann and Steve Massey Circa 1980 at a friend’s wedding