“I had 911 on the phone, and fully expected to find a-a dead body there in the parking lot. Her body was broken and bruised and-and just not laying in a normal way, I thought there is no way that anyone would ever be able to get up and walk from something like this ever again. It was just the most traumatic thing I've ever seen in my life.” 

On September 13, 2011, Eddie Wilson was returning to work after a walk on his lunch break, as he approached the building something caught his attention.  

Eddie continues, “I heard the squeal of a car over to the right. And I look over and there's a big, huge black SUV just squealing its tires and taking off out of the parking lot.”

Just moments earlier inside the SUV, his coworker Whitney Wiser just broke up with her abusive boyfriend. Now, as she walked away from his car, he hit the gas and sped towards her.

“And then the next thing I knew is that the SUV absolutely plowed into her and then I heard the sound and saw her as she was underneath the SUV, and the tires were going over her. And at that point, I could not process what I was seeing, because you're not supposed to see things like that,” said Eddie.

He called 911 as he ran down to Whitney’s broken body lying on the pavement.

“You could tell that she was in tremendous pain, and at that point there was absolutely nothing else I could do but to grab her hand and pray with her right there on the spot.”

Whitney struggled to breathe as she clung to life. She had several severe injuries including a broken back and cracked ribs. She was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. RJ Harris was one of her physicians.

“I was on the way to see her, looked at her chart, and I was really surprised that she was still alive after reading what had happened, recalls Dr. Harris. “She was in pretty bad shape.”

Meanwhile Deanna Wall a pastor at Whitney’s church arrived at the hospital to pray for her, “I looked down on the gurney at a beautiful person, who was battered, bleeding, broken. And I got down as close as I could, and I said, "Whitney, God's got plans for your life. And He's going to bring you through this. You hang on."

Whitney had been a rising star in body building competitions, after her emergency spinal surgery, it was unclear if she would ever compete again or even be able to walk.

“I just didn't want to eat. I did not want to even try to walk. Just because of the level of pain that I was in,” said Whitney fighting back tears, “And I still like – I just didn't understand that coming from bodybuilding and the strength training, it's like I'm invincible, right?”

She began physical therapy with the same determination that brought her success in body building. Over the next weeks, she went from walking a few steps a day to walking a few hours a day.

She says she put her life, and future in God’s hands. “I had 100% faith and trust in Him, that I didn't understand why that happened or why it had to happen, but I trusted Him that I was gonna be okay. I also, within a couple weeks of it happening, I was able to forgive, uh, my ex-boyfriend for doing that, which clearly was not me, that's God. Because being able to forgive somebody that tried to take your life and everything from you, I feel like it's not humanly possible to forgive that, that fast. And so that was God, 100%.”

Despite her broken back Whitney trained hard and miraculously became stronger than before. She even returned to the bodybuilding stage at the top level, the Olympia.

Whitney smiles, “Not just that I got to the biggest stage and best stage in the world, but because I did it after what happened. And that's a miracle. That's God. God takes the most broken people to do things with. And so that's what I feel like His purpose was for it.”

Eddie followed her story and says, “It's a miracle. It really is. She is a strong person. The fact that she's walking through life with health. That she's walking through health with forgiveness. That she's walking through life with a purpose and a meaning and doing this all through her faith and her passion for the Lord, it's just an amazing thing.”

Through this experience, Whitney discovered God's purpose for her life. She started her own body building show, encouraging women to overcome their challenges, like she did, with the power of God.

Whitney confidently states, “When I tell people my story, it's like all barriers come down, all walls come down, and they're open. And they're like, "If she went through that, I can go through this." So it's just – it's empowering. God brought me back so much stronger, that I made it to the Olympia, and I was on a stage with the best athletes in the entire world after that. So the power of God!”
 

Tasha Cobbs shares the inspiration behind her book and song “Do It Anyway” and what’s next for the artist.

12-year-old Petrona lives with her family in a remote indigenous community in Mexico.  There, water is scarce, and this dirty pool is their only source for drinking, bathing, and cooking.

Petrona said, “Sometimes, it is full of mud. We know it is not good, but we drink it like that because it’s all we have. It smells and tastes rancid. It doesn’t feel right to drink it.”

Petrona’s mom, Veronica, said she’s been carrying and drinking water like this her whole life.

“Water is black all year long. We carry it home, wait for the dirt to settle, and drink it like that,” Veronica said.

During dry season, water must be rationed among 8 families.

Veronica explained, “Sometimes, we don’t have enough water to drink or cook. On those days, we all go thirsty.”

And the younger children are stuck in what seems like an endless cycle of sickness from drinking the bad water.

Veronica said, “My two youngest children had diarrhea for two weeks. We had to spend the little money we have on medicine.” 

Then, thanks to you, Operation Blessing came to the community.  We set up Water Harvesting Systems with purification for Veronica and 7 other families. Now, everyone has safe, clean water to drink.

Petrona joyfully said, “Our lives have changed. Now, I just grab my bucket and draw water from the tank.”

Veronica exclaimed, “We are grateful that Operation Blessing came to help us! Thank you!”

Do you know that CBN partners can reach people around the world for Christ every day? We invite you to join us in ministry together as we provide financial support to those in need through our life-giving surgeries, food and clothing programs, humanitarian aid, and so much more! When you give today and become a CBN partner, you’ll help transform lives in the name of Jesus Christ! Join us now!

TRAUMATIC CHILDHOOD

Ashley Henriott isn’t supposed to be alive. Her mother was in an abusive relationship when she got pregnant. Her boyfriend pushed for an abortion and even paid for it. Thankfully, her mom couldn’t go through with it and Ashley was born. She was alive but her life would be anything but easy.

A drug addict, her mother also struggled with bipolar and schizophrenia. Ashley explains, “On her best day, she forgot to pick me up from school. On her worst day, she was emotionally and physically abusive to me.”

Her stepdad was worse. He waited until the family went to bed and made Ashley stay behind to watch porn with him as a little girl. Nobody helped her, so Ashley lived in fear while learning to survive her dysfunctional family.

As a teenager, her drunk grandmother accidentally blurted out the truth—that she was adopted. Ashley pretended to act sad but was relieved her stepdad wasn’t her real dad. When she asked her mother who her real father was, her mom told her some things but left other details out. 

“For the longest time, I waited for someone to rescue you. When I was little, I was sure someone would. Maybe my mom would sober up and start protecting me from my stepdad. Maybe my real dad would come back or my grandma (who dealt with issues around alcohol) would get it together, and my life would be magically wonderful,” she says.

When Ashley found out her real father wanted her aborted, it was too much to take. Feeling worthless and unloved and that she was nothing but a mistake, Ashley hit rock bottom and tried to take her life.

Her mom found Ashley and knew she needed to act fast. So, she waited until her husband was gone to sneak Ashley over to live with her grandmother. When her stepdad found out, he came looking for Ashley and threatened to kill her. Ashley mustered up the courage to stand up to him for the first time and he left.

Her new environment wasn’t healthy either but at least she wasn’t being sexually abused.

Seeking peace, love, and safety, Ashley would sometimes walk to church by herself. “I always felt at home in church,” she explains.  

With more years of abuse ahead, Ashley tried her best to make the most of life but turned to substance abuse to numb the pain. One night, she and other teenage girlfriends went roller skating.

That night a 29-year-old woman named Kayla took a liking to Ashley and sought her out. Kayla frequently visited places where she could find young girls. Young and naïve, Ashley didn’t understand that Kayla was a sex predator.

At first, Ashley was drawn to Kayla because she seemed like someone who might protect her. After months of friendship, she and her girlfriends had a sleepover. They were all drinking and partying until they passed out asleep. That’s when Kayla made her move. Ashley woke up to Kayla sexually assaulting her. Sadly, because Ashley was so used to sexual abuse, she let it happen. After that Kayla followed Ashley around everywhere—school, her job, you name it. She was always there, and Ashley decided this new dysfunctional person might be better than her stepdad. But she quickly realized it was just as bad. The only person Kayla allowed Ashley to interact with was her brother, Derek. He was 15 years older than Ashley and showed interest in her. She thought Derek might be the only way to get away. So, she left with him and eventually became pregnant with his baby at 19.  

They moved to the Outer Banks, North Carolina where he found work. Since Derek was away working a lot, and Ashley was home alone with their son, she grew lonely. Seeking refuge in a place that always felt like home, she attended a nearby church called Cabin Swamp Church of Christ. One Sunday, Ashley responded and went up to the front of the church to pray. She explains, “As the end of service drew to a close, I walked up the aisle. I meant to simply bend down and pray like I had in other churches. Little did I know, I’d responded to an altar call.”

As the pastor came to talk and pray with Ashley, she poured her heart out to him. As tears fell down her face, the pastor explained how much Jesus loved her. Ashley knew Jesus was what she was looking for and prayed the sinner's prayer that day.

“I realized that Jesus was the one running after me, calling me by my name, drawing me toward him. He was ready to receive me with the love I’d always been looking for. I’d found my Savior, and my Father found me,” she explains.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CONFIDENCE

In her book, Confidence Is an Inside Job, Ashley is open and honest about the hardships she endured and how they affected her self-worth and confidence. She also shares how God has radically transformed her life. Now, Ashley wants to help others struggling to understand their God-given mission and purpose by sharing practical strategies to help cultivate self-confidence. If you’re struggling with low self-worth, Ashley says you should:

• Check your thoughts: Not every thought you have is true. Ask yourself what you’re thinking is true and if the standard to which you’re holding yourself is fact or fantasy.
• Challenge your triggers: Are you set off by people or messages you see on social media or in other areas of life? If so, try to limit your contact with them, and note how you feel after a few days.
• Water your garden: Take time to cultivate your life as it is today. Invest in your wellness and self-care and try to make room for these things.
• Run your race: In a race, runners each have their own speed, lung capacity, and more. Don’t compare your race with someone else’s; stay in your lane and celebrate your achievements, big and small.

FINDING HER PLACE

Ashley met and married Doug and they have four children. During COVID, when her entire family was on lockdown, along with the rest of the world, Ashley began sharing her heart on social media and people took notice. Now, with hundreds of thousands of followers, Ashley’s mission is to help others find their God-given calling and purpose in life.  

To learn more about Ashley Henriott click the Link! 

CREDITS

Author, Confidence Is an Inside Job (Penguin Random House, 2024); Host of Confidence and Coffee podcast; Content Creator on TikTok, Confidence coach for women; married to Doug, four children.