'Captive': True Story of How Reading Rick Warren's 'Purpose Drive Life' Saved Lives During Hostage Crisis
"There were three different times he asked me if I wanted to use the drugs. And I really believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ really took the body of Brian Nichols. Brian Nichols was not asking me if I wanted to do drugs with him that night. Jesus Christ was asking if I wanted a different life.
"I really felt like Jesus was asking me for the last time 'Do you want to be a drug addict, or do you want Me to change your life?" she added.
Smith confessed that she thought God would take her that night and she made a decision to never touch meth again — even if it cost her life.
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After turning Nichols down three times, Smith said she finally felt "free."
Nichols never harmed Smith and even allowed her to leave the following morning to see her daughter. After leaving the house, Smith turned Nichols into police and he is now serving life in prison. Even though things ended badly for him, Nichols' impact on Smith's life is felt to this day.
Smith believes God gave Nichols a second chance in prison and hopes he uses it for God's glory, and that it also might lead to him one day meeting his son, whom was yet to be born when he committed the murders.
"I'm grateful that he allowed God to help him, not kill me. But he made some bad decisions and he took four innocent lives. He's paying for that right now. But he also is a sinner saved by God's grace, just like I am, and in that way, it's no different. I know life in prison may not seem like a second chance, but his only other alternative was death. And right now he still can impact people's lives," she told CP.
Smith, who read excerpts from the Purpose Drive Life to Nichols at his request during the ordeal, said she believes he is a Christian "fighting a spiritual war." She still keeps contact with his mother and revealed that Nichols has left it up to his son to decide if he wants to meet him.
Smith hopes the film will help people see that it's never too late to change and surrender to God.
"We make choices in our lives that aren't so good, but that doesn't mean God turns his back on us. And actually the only way to change us from those ways is God," she said.
The unlikely encounter with Nichols changed her "in every way, shape and form" and strengthened her relationship with God, Smith added.
She has been off drugs and leads a totally different life, and her experience will now touch millions of others through "Captive."
Shortly after her hostage ordeal made headlines, Smith was given the opportunity to meet Rick Warren.
Reflecting back on the incident, Smith knew that God had changed her life. But she was overwhelmed by news coverage that painted her to be some sort of "angel." She was unsure how to communicate her experience to others, but Warren encouraged her to glorify Christ while speaking about it.
"I was asked a couple times by different producers to minimize my Jesus talk when I was on TV or doing an interview. At first I did. But [Rick Warren] quickly encouraged me that I had a story and that story involved God. He encouraged me to tell that story 100 percent," she said.
"After he said that to me, every show I went on I was just like Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! This is all about Jesus," Smith exclaimed. "He helped me get through a point where I was struggling."
"Captive" stars Kate Mara as Ashley Smith and David Oyelowo as Brian Nichols and releases in theaters on Friday, Sept. 18.
