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Monday, March 28, 2005
God of New Beginnings
Two days before Easter the newspaper reported on a special little ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ashley Smith was rewarded for her role in the apprehension of Brian Nichols, who killed four people a few days before. In the middle of the night, outside her apartment, he'd stuck a gun in her ribs and then held her hostage inside for the better part of a day. Fortunately, she lived to tell about it. And her story has been buzzing all across America ever since.
A single mom, Ms. Smith pled that her captor spare her 5 year old daughter from becoming an orphan. Nichols had no intention to kill her, it seems, but was incredibly anxious about his situation. He bound her hand and foot and bought some time to settle down. Eventually he unbound her. And they began to talk. For hours. She even fixed him breakfast by and by.
Mainly, they talked about faith and fear, purpose and failure and redemption.
Ashley Smith learned about such things in the school of hard knocks. Her young husband died in her arms not too long ago. As a teenager she'd been arrested and even did some jail time. She'd abused alcohol and drugs. Then one day her life was transformed by faith in Jesus Christ.
So transformed, in fact, that now she spoke calmy with Brian Nichols about what God might have in mind about them meeting in such a soul collision. For she couldn't doubt God did have a purpose in it all.
To make her point, she read to him from her daily spiritual guide, "The Purpose Driven Life" by Pastor Rick Warren. That day's chapter was about "how real servants act." And she embodied a servant's attitude: caring about the people you're with, paying attention to their needs, looking for God's opportunity in the situation, and doing the best with what you've got.
As the conversation progressed, she moved from fear to confident faith. Maybe God wanted her own story to plant a seed of hope in her captor's heart? Might God intend to change his life too? What if justice and mercy conspired for a good outcome to this horrible chain of events?
What we know for sure is this: Brian Nichols eventually let Ashley Smith leave her house, taking her cell phone with her. Then he waited calmly for the police to arrive.
At the award ceremony, Ms. Smith said, "I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for his love and his grace. My life is a testament that God can use us even in the midst of tragedy, and miracles do happen."
The governor chimed in, "Through the long, frightening hours, she pierced the murderer's heart. Ashley was not alone with Mr. Nichols, because of her faith. There was someone else there with her."
Two days after that report, we celebrated the festival of new beginnings.
Easter's empty tomb opens a doorway into eternal life. Out from the shadow of death, we walk faith's path step by step accompanied by the invisible, invincible Risen Christ. Miracles do happen. Someone Else is always there.
posted by Jack Buckley at
11:14 AM
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