miracles
feature
Story by Ashley Elvington • Photography by Laura McBryde
ALBERT
SMITH
close encounters of the
most extraordinary kind
“As far back as I can remember, my life has been a story of miracles.” When
he was five years old, Albert Smith almost drowned in a public pool. Thankfully, his father jumped in and saved him before it was too late. At age 10, Albert
was outside attempting to plug in the family’s air conditioner that had been
struck by lightning. Because of the tin underpinning, he had to feel around
under the house for the plug. After receiving a jolt of electricity, Albert was rescued by his cousins. During his time in the military, he was struck by lightning.
Early in his law enforcement career, Albert was involved in a high-speed chase
with a motorcycle. “The man was weaving through stopped traffic. As I got
behind him, he accelerated well over 120 miles per hour. He passed an older
man and it scared him, so he hit his breaks. I swerved into the opposite lane
to avoid hitting him, where an oncoming car hit me head-on. My car went
into a skid, slid into a six-foot deep ditch, flipped over end-to-end, and settled
nose first.” He had another close brush with death while responding to a call
from a man who claimed he had accidentally shot his wife. “The husband met
me and asked me to go into the house to help his wife. When I got to the back
bedroom, I could see she was dead. This was no accident, so I turned around
and pulled my gun on him. After placing him in handcuffs, I saw the gun lying
on the washing machine right beside him.”
As a teenager, Albert accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. However, as a
young adult, he struggled with living a Christ-like life. Twelve years ago, Albert
rededicated his life and searched for ways to get on the right path. His life was
about to become a living testimony. On the afternoon of April 2, 2015, Albert
was in his office. He recalls telling his co-workers he was stepping out to the
restroom. The next thing he knew, he woke up in an ambulance. “Someone
leaned in real close and told me to relax, that I had suffered a heart attack.
Immediately, my mind began to race as I tried to wrap my mind around what
I was told. Suddenly, a calmness came over me, and I began singing a song
I had not sung since high school, ‘I Love to Praise His Holy Name.’ I got through
about two verses, then everything went dark.” CONTINUED...
136
NOVEMBER 2015
SHEMAGAZINE.COM