Today we are so honored to host our dear friend Ashley McGlothin. We have known Ashley for quite some time, and she is one of many people who stepped up in huge ways when David was first burned. We’re so blessed by our community, and grateful for people like Ashley, who teach us about the love of God all the time. Enjoy!
Howdy from Texas, y’all!
First of all, I’d like to emphasize how incredibly honored I feel to write for Bowers Ministry. Their story is so huge, and I have so many feelings that it’s difficult to know where to begin. And the thing is, I thought I knew all the emotions I had about David’s 
accident and what their family went through. But after reading Walk Through Fire and, in essence, reliving the tragedy of sixteen years ago, I realize that there are so many more emotions attached to the event than I understood at the time. I was eighteen then and old enough to know some things about the world, but to read Carly and David’s account as an adult changed my perspective entirely.
In 1999 I was, as far as anyone could tell, your typical, bright-eyed teenager, fresh out of high school and ready to conquer the world. Internally, however, I was broken. My world had recently fallen to pieces when my parents ended their marriage of twenty-three years in divorce. I was in Carly and David’s youth group, and through an unshakable devotion to Christ and to me, Jesus used them to pull me out of the darkest season of my life. I felt so much gratitude and when I got the phone call about David’s accident, I knew it was time for Jesus to use me to help them through darkness.
I am very grateful that I was able to “do life” with Carly and David during the months following the accident. I found joy in watching Samantha and Nathan for many reasons. Mainly because I love the Bowers, but also because I knew that Jesus was allowing me to meet a need for them, and I enjoyed being helpful. As it turned out, even though I thought I was the one helping Carly and David, watching them navigate their new “normal” ended up helping me become who I am. I think differently as an adult because I watched Carly hold on to hope. Because I watched David maintain his sense of humor. Because I watched them both cry out to the living God.
Witnessing an event changes the way you think. Growing with people through the aftermath of an event changes the way you live. Here are three ways I am able to live my life differently because of the faith I witnessed in such a difficult time.
- Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.
I know, I know. It’s so cliché you may have gagged a little when you read it in bold. It’s probably half of America’s senior yearbook quote. But hearing it a million times and living 
it are completely different, and I never truly understood the value of these words until I saw the way Carly and David worked through their circumstances. God created each of us with specific desires, things we like and are passionate about. I am passionate about children. I
am a pediatric speech therapist, and I love making children’s lives just a little better. Whether I like it or not, I don’t know how much time I have left to make a difference for a child, for twenty children, for a hundred. But I cannot stress this enough: Every moment counts. In this age of technology, we have difficulty being present. David’s accident taught me that being present is everything. When you have nothing left to give, your presence is all you have. And it will always be good enough.
- Be who you are; God doesn’t make junk, and He doesn’t make mistakes.
This was huge for me. I thought it would be difficult for me to see David after the accident. I feared the burns would be jarring, and at least on the outside, he would seem a remnant of his former self. But when I saw him for the first time, I realized that not only was he the same David I knew and loved, but he was even stronger. He was thriving when the world said he shouldn’t have survived at all. Where statistics said death, God said life, and David embodied all that God called him to be through every trial he faced. I’ve learned to embrace that same spirit. If Jesus tugs on my heart about something, I listen. I don’t second guess, I don’t ask why. I simply remember that He made me on purpose, and I bring Him no glory by hiding. I do not serve God by playing small, so I do my best to humbly give the Lord and the world my authentic self each day. I tell myself that if I can’t do it genuinely and passionately, it isn’t worth doing.
- Give others the benefit of the doubt. You never know what a person is facing.
This one is still a daily struggle for me, but whenever I fall short, I always remember David. How was a stranger who ran across Carly to know what was going on during that fearful time? I have no way of knowing the immense weight of suffering every person I encounter may be carrying. All I know is that I fundamentally refuse to contribute to it. The key word here is grace. In all my daily efforts, this is the most important – to show grace unconditionally. An unfathomable amount was poured out on me; who am I to withhold grace from anyone else? Be kind. Always be kind. It goes so much further than you would believe.
Upon reflection, I realize that it wasn’t David’s accident that shaped the adult I am. It was Jesus, loving me unconditionally and using Carly and David to show me what that looked like. I can honestly say that without the two of them loving me with Christlike love, teaching me to seek Him through the most painful nights, I would not be here today. I am truly grateful for the love and grace I was and am continually shown. As an adult I feel I can honestly say I am able to live a life of freedom – all because I got to watch God be faithful to Carly and David Bowers. And I watched Carly and David Bowers be faithful to God. A journey like that will change your life, and I count myself privileged to have been on the ride.
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