Ashley's Bible
© 1998 Don Rogers
The pastor was prepared to hand out Bibles to the children during the worship service. Each had been prepared with the signatures for the children who attended Sunday School regularly, and the pastor had asked for a couple of extra Bibles to be ready just in case.
Each child was called forward and given a Bible and, in the midst of the process, a note came from the teacher. It read, "Ashley is here!"
Ashley was not regular in attendance. She was also regarded as "slow". The pastor added Ashley to her mind and called her forward for her Bible. Later the pastor learned that Ashley's older sister had jabbed her in the ribs when the alphabetical list passed over Ashley and said, "See even the pastor knows you're retarded and can't read." She also learned that on returning to her pew Ashley had jabbed back and said triumphantly, "Pastor Lyn doesn't think I'm retarded, so there."
More news came a little later from Ashley's mother. She told the pastor that when her school class went to the school library to pick out books Ashley always picked picture books with few or no words. But in the first week after she got her own Bible she chose books with words AND came home and read them out loud. Ashley could read.
The final moment in the story came still later. The pastor asked Ashley if she would help with the opening worship service at the charge conference. Ashley agreed to read from her Bible. The evening came and they waited to begin because Ashley wasn't there. The pastor explained to the District Superintendent why the delay. Finally they could wait no longer and they began the meeting. But a little while later Ashley appeared at the door.
The Superintendent stopped the business they were in and said, "Are you Ashley? We would like to hear your Bible reading." Ashley opened her Bible and read one verse. Just one. All were blessed.