This Zacchaeus is Different

I spent a little time with a good friend yesterday. I have no idea how his wife puts up with him. But she does and there are eternal rewards for people like Michelle Westbrook.


Scott Westbrook came to Butler, GA a dozen or so years ago as the chief Tax Appraiser. When I think about it I guess he was the only tax appraiser. Those people have never been the most popular people in the world. If you remember the lesson in Sunday School the crowds were appalled that the carpenter from Nazareth would actually notice a certain little tax appraiser called Zacchaeus who was in the top of the sycamore tree when he walked by - much less ask him to come down and invite himself to eat at his house. Like I said tax appraisers have never been the most popular folks around.

This Tax Appraiser was definitely the exception to that rule. I think Scott just may be the most popular person around.

Actually Scott was Chief Tax Appraiser for only a few years before he moved on to greener pastures. He and his family didn’t move on physically but they stayed in Butler and he opened his own Real Estate Appraisal Business. He quickly added the Real Estate selling business to his repertoire. And the Westbrooks went on to have three little Westbrooks and roots were quickly established in Taylor County. And they have made quite an impact.

I’m sure Nancy Payne is still impacted when she gets out of bed in the mornings. A few weeks after Michelle had their first baby, Scott walked in the Wednesday night fellowship supper at the First Baptist Church tenderly carrying the little baby carrier for their new baby. All the ladies were oohing and aahing as Scott walked in the fellowship hall. They were just waiting to get a glimpse of little Tucker as he made his first appearance at church. Of course Scott really didn’t have Tucker in the carrier but a little baby doll instead. But nobody knew that when Scott played like he tripped and the baby carrier and the little baby went flying through the air. Nancy wrenched her back trying to catch that little fake doll. Of course Michelle came in another minute and had no idea what Scott had done. Scott got a lot of laughs that night. But I don’t think I remember Nancy laughing at all – at least not that night. In fact I don’t remember Michelle laughing either.

And everybody was impacted again the night we were having an awards banquet at the church for the cast of our annual Easter Play. When Scott walked up to the podium to receive a certain award and to thank the group for the award, nobody knew that Scott had wired a contraption under his clothes. He was telling the religious gathering that he was so excited about receiving such a prestigious award that he was about to pee in his pants. About that time he secretly pushed a hidden button and a large puddle began to accumulate under his feet. A lot of people in the audience were impacted that night.

Scott has also been known to do some stand-up comedy and has appeared in Comedy Clubs in Atlanta and other places that have such clubs. You readers from other states may want to write his name down so you can catch his act coming to a city near you.

But be patient. Michelle won’t let him get too far right now because they have three children they are trying to raise. But in the meantime if you decide to visit Butler I will go ahead and warn you to be looking behind your back and over your shoulder and maybe even up in a tree. Unlike the biblical character, this Zacchaeus has an awful lot of friends. And he will probably be using some of them to help him figure out just the right moment to play a joke on you.

This Zacchaeus is definitely different.