[To follow The Ewellogy, please click on Leave a Comment above, fill in your name and email, and check the box: Notify me of new posts by email. If your comment is, “Notify me,” it won’t post publicly. If you don’t start to receive the blog by email right away, please write to me at bob@ewell.com, and I will see that you get on the list.]
The “unsung” part of the title may not be accurate since Ashley Smith has written a book, and there’s been a movie, but maybe her story is new to you. The incident hit close to home for us because we were in Montgomery, Alabama, about two hours away from the action, and our son David was within 10 miles…
On March 11, 2005, Brian Nichols shot his way out of an Atlanta courtroom. Here’s the short version:
Nichols was on trial for rape when he escaped from custody and murdered the judge presiding over his trial, a court reporter, a sheriff’s deputy and later a federal agent. Twenty-six hours after a large-scale manhunt was launched in the metropolitan Atlanta area, Nichols was taken into custody. The prosecution charged him with committing 54 crimes during the escape; and he was found guilty on all counts on November 7, 2008.
“Nichols was taken into custody.” How? It turns out that around 2 a.m. a young woman named Ashley Smith, single mother, very new believer, went out for a pack of cigarettes. When she returned to her apartment, Nichols followed her and forced his way in. It was a long night, but as morning came, Ashley said something like, “I’ll bet you’re hungry. May I fix you something to eat?” Over pancakes, she said, “You know, I’ve been starting my day with a chapter in the Bible and a chapter in this book Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. May I read to you?” They discussed the chapter on life purpose, and she said something like, “God has a purpose for you, and it’s most likely going to be in prison, but he does have a purpose.”
Around 9 a.m., she told him, “You know I have to pick up my daughter now. We have to be somewhere by 10.” He let her go, she called 9-1-1, and Brian Nichols surrendered to authorities.
When I was teaching seminary students in Haiti about helping people to progress from unbeliever to fruitful disciple, they asked me, “Teacher, how long does it take?” After thinking about it, I realized that the woman at the well in John 4, the demon-possessed guy in Mark 5, and Matthew the tax collector in Luke 5 all began fruitful mission work immediately.
Ashley Smith is in a long line of people that God has used that many of us would not consider qualified: new believer, cigarette smoker, former drug abuser, single mom… There are people who are lifelong believers who will be ready for mission work after they’ve had “one more course.” I believe God’s message is clear: “If I can use Ashley Smith, I can use you!”
He chose the lowly, the laughable in the world’s eyes—nobodies—so that he would shame the somebodies. For he chose what is regarded as insignificant in order to supersede what is regarded as prominent, so that there would be no place for prideful boasting in God’s presence. (1 Corinthians 1.28, 29, Passion Translation)
All at once, the woman dropped her water jar and ran off to her village and told everyone, “Come and meet a man at the well who told me everything I’ve ever done! He could be the Anointed One we’ve been waiting for.” Hearing this, the people came streaming out of the village to go see Jesus. (John 4.28 – 30, Passion Translation)