CHALLENGING LIFE STORY OF RACHEL JOY SCOTT - AUTHOR UNKNOWN (TAKEN FROM THE INTERNET)

Rachel Joy Scott (1981-1999)

 

 

The Columbine High School Massacre took place on April 20, 1999 in Columbine, in the State of Colorado in United States. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, shot and killed 12 students and one teacher and then took their own lives. It was a heart breaking tragedy that shocked the entire nation.

Rachel Joy Scott was one of the murdered victims in the shooting. She was the first one to get shot by the shooters Eric and Dylan.

Rachel Joy Scott was a committed Christian. She was 17 at the time of her death. She was open about her faith in Christ and unashamedly witnessed in her school campus about Jesus. Her family said that she was not a super spiritual person. She had her struggles. She was like any other teenager but loved God greatly. Her diary revealed many things about her commitment to Jesus and her love for Him. Below are few of the excerpts and quotes from Rachel’s diary that her family shared with the public.

On April 20, 1998, Rachel wrote in her diary
, “I lost all my friends at school, now that I’ve begun to ‘walk my talk’, they make fun of me.

I don’t even know what I have done. I don’t really have to say anything and they turn from me.” 
She continues, “I have no more personal friends at school, But you know what? I am not going to apologize for speaking the name of Jesus. I am not going to justify my faith to them, and I am not going to hide the light that God has put into me. If I have to sacrifice everything I will. I will take it. If my friends have to become my enemies for me to be with my best friend Jesus, then that’s fine with me. I always knew being a Christian is having enemies, but I never thought that my ‘friends’ were going to be those enemies.

She states also, “If I have to give up everything, I will”.

Somehow Rachel had a feeling that she was going to die young. Less than a year before the shooting, Rachel had written in her diary, “This is my last year, Lord. I have gotten what I can. Thank you.”

Some more excerpts from her diary:

Rachel wrote addressing to God, “I want you to use me to reach the unreached.” The diary was in her backpack the day she was shot. “God is going to use me to reach the young people, I don’t know how, I don’t know when.” “I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.”

Three weeks before the shooting she had witnessed to the shooters Eric and Dylan. Eric and Dylan were the odd pair out and students mostly stayed away from them. But Rachel tried to talk to them and encouraged them to leave their hateful feelings and turn to Jesus. But they hated her more and even made homemade videotapes mocking her Christian faith.

On the day of the shooting, Rachel was outside the school building having her lunch. Eric and Dylan entered the school campus and first shot Rachel. They shot her in the leg twice and shot her again in the back. They left but returned seconds later. On noticing that she was still alive, Eric walked over to Rachel and grabbed her by the hair, lifted up her head and asked her “Do you still believe in your God?” Her response was unflinching and unwavering,
”You Know I Do”, and that provocated Eric and he responded “Then go be with Him,” and shot her in the head.

Millions of people have come to know Jesus in her death. It stirred and impacted millions of young and the old and solidified their devotion and passion for Jesus. 

When Rachel was 13, she wrote:

“These hands belong to Rachel Joy Scott and will some day touch millions of people’s hearts.”  

In the back of her diary she wrote in big, large letters: “I won’t be labeled as average.”

What I learned about Rachel and her last moments, impacted me greatly that day. It forced me to ask myself, “Would I have said Yes?”. It brought tears to my eyes and stirred my heart deeply. Her life and death added to my resolve to stay committed to Jesus and to live passionately for God.

 “Would I have said yes?” I pray, I would. Let’s resolve that we won’t be average in our devotion and love for the Lord. Sometimes, it is living for Jesus and taking a stand that will cost us everything. But isn’t He worth it all. 

As our dear Apostle Paul said:

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. [Philippians 1:21]

Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. [Philippians 3:8]

VIRTUOUS WOMAN - 2 (LOVE YOUR MOTHER IN LAW)

In the chapter of Ruth, Bible talks about a family who lived in Judah. 

“The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion...” – Ruth 1:2

There was a famine in the land of Judah and so he along with his family went to the country of Moab and remained there. Everything seems to be fine in their life but one day Elimelech died and Naomi became a widow. She wanted to find wives for his sons and instead of finding a bride from her nation she took wives for his sons from the country of Moab which actually was a traditional enemy to Israel.  

One of her daughter in law was Ruth. Ruth was not an Israelite woman. She was a Moabite woman. She would have married with so much of dreams and thoughts. She lived with her husband for nearly ten years but yet she was barren. One day her husband died. She became a widow at a young age. 

She might have sat and analysed the things. Her father in law died followed by her husband and brother in law. Every man in that family has died. She would have felt so much disappointed that she could not have a child through her husband. She might have felt that she was cheated by Naomi as every man has died in their family. 

One day her mother in law decided to return to her country from Moab. She had never asked the opinion of Ruth or the other daughter in law. Naomi herself decided everything and went on her way along with her daughter in laws. At one point she asked them to return back to their mother’s home. 

Think about the condition of Ruth. She had a hope when she got married to one of the sons of Naomi but later all her hopes were shattered. All in a sudden her mother in law took a decision to move out of the country where she lived from her childhood. And again suddenly she was asked to go back to her mother’s house. 

Ruth had all rights to get angry upon her mother in law. If I was in the place of Ruth, I would have thought that Naomi became crazy and unstable. Ruth has so many reasons to run away from her mother in law and to hate her. 

But my dear young women, you have to note that Ruth never got disappointed with her mother in law. Her husband and father in law died and she had no one to monitor the way she is going to behave with her mother in law. But yet Ruth loved her mother in law and respected her. 

Naomi had no hope about her own future and so she asked Ruth to leave her and go to her house. Ruth also had no clear picture about her future days if she decides to go along with her mother in law but yet she made a firm decision to stay with her mother in law and she said:

“...Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.  Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.” – Ruth 1:16,17

I was so surprised when I read the above verse. When Ruth took a decision and spoke the above words she never spoke anything about her own future. All she had spoke was about being with her mother in law. I wonder why Ruth had never spoke about her marriage or about the blessings of her own life.  

She spoke only about her life with her mother in law. She never spoke about parting ways. She spoke about togetherness because she loved her mother in law.

She got grace in the sight of Boaz because of the way she treated her mother in law. Bible clearly records that in Ruth 2:11 “And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband...”

Also in Ruth chapter 3 we read the counsel Ruth get through her mother-in-law which brought great blessings in the life of Ruth. Ruth obeyed the advice gave by Naomi and she got Boaz as her husband and she gave birth to Obed who was the grandfather of King David.

Her name was written in the genealogy of Jesus Christ as “...Boaz begot Obed by Ruth...”-Matthew 1:5

My dear young women, are you loving your mother-in-law? You might say hundred of reasons that why you hate your mother-in-law. But today God wants you to love your mother-in-law as Ruth loved and obeyed her mother-in-law. If you do so, today God says that through you, His generation will be revealed and you will be blessed.

You will be surely a virtous woman if you love your mother-in-law without any bitterness and give respect to her. At the end of your life, God is not going to judge you by the reasons you are going to give Him but by the way you live according to His will and not according to your own priority and desires. God bless you.

GOD'S PERFECT GIFT - 13 (AISHWARYA AND SHASTI - GOD GIVEN SISTERS WHO PRAYED A LOT FOR MY WELL BEING)

“He heals the broken hearted, And binds up their wounds.” – Psalms 147:3

Years back I was teaching a particular course to a group of students. When I first went to their class I met the girl’s representative who was very calm and shy. The way she conducted herself was so good. I admired her character at that time but I never knew that later, God will bring her into my life as a sister.  

One day I got a call that her father has died in a car accident. My heart was shattered and I spoke with her through phone after few days of her father’s death. Before talking to her I myself prepared what I should speak and how I should comfort her.  But when I called her through phone, I could see the faith that she had kept on God. She spoke in a composed way without crying. During that troublesome moment, as a family, they had kept their trust on God. Few months after, I became close to her family and she became my God given sister. 

For the past 9 years I had never seen her backsliding from the trust and faith she had kept upon God. I have seen people seeking pity for even small things but not even once she spoke or cried to me seeking pity or attention. Even if she needed any help she had never asked me openly. Her Friend, Father and Everything is Jesus Christ. Always she looked to His face alone for everything and I can say that today she is blessed with good husband, a PG Engineering degree and a loving family because of the trust she had upon God. 

I can’t say that God blessed her through me but I can very well say that I was blessed through her. On some occasions I went through troubles and problems in which I lost all my strength but during those occasions as a sister she had prayed for me a lot and brought God’s word which strengthened and motivated me. 

After few months of her father’s death, she made me to speak with her younger sister who was doing her schooling. Whenever I used to speak to her younger sister to encourage her she listens to me patiently though at times she never like that at all. Her younger sister hates advices. During those days all that little girl carried was questions to God. She wanted to know why God took her father. Though her elder sister and her mother had several questions they never speak about that openly but yet she boldly put forward those questions to God. 

The loss of her father made her to score less marks in her studies as she could not concentrate at all. There were times that little girl hides the answer sheet for days without showing it to anyone. At those times I wonder how she will manage to get through her studies. 

But today she had completed her engineering degree in a reputed institution with more than 80% of marks in all the semesters and also God has given her a job in a Multi National Company. 

When their father died, God promised them that He will be their father and will do things in their life more than 1000 times their worldly father can do. I could say that God is fulfilling His promises in both of their life in a beautiful way. 

As I write this I remember those days when they cry, cry and cry for everything as they had no one to take care of them. Though they cried they had never moved away from God. Today both of their lives were filled with happiness and joy. God has filled their mother’s heart with thanksgiving as both of her daughter’s life was blessed by God richly. 

When God brought them into my life, I thought I will do something for them. But all these days they prayed for me more than I prayed for them. They loved me more than I loved them. They valued my relationship more than I valued theirs. Though at times I got angry and took so much of authority over them, they patiently obeyed me and gave so much respect. God has brought so much of comfort and blessings into my life through them. 

I am really happy to see the wonderful husband God gave to the elder girl. He actually became an elder son to that family and taking care of them beautifully. I am so thankful to God for him.

I thank God wholeheartedly for the way He led us together these many years and I knew that God will continue to do great things in their life in the coming years. 

The younger sister has celebrated her birthday recently and the elder one is going to celebrate her birthday in few days. As they are going to enter a new year all that God wanted me to tell them is “I the Lord will change not...” – Malachi 3:6

My dear sisters, God says to you both, “As I had led you these many days, I will lead you in the coming years too. People around you might change. Their love might change. Their promises might change but My love upon you and the promises that I gave you will never change. I will hold you with My hands. I have promised you Canaan and I will take you to Canaan with My mighty hands. You are going to see much more of My blessings and you will see My Hands constantly working in your life. I will pour out My blessings upon you and wherever I place you, you will be a witness to My Glory. You will not perish but those who are against you shall perish. I will be your God and I do wonders in your life.”

My dear young friends, today if you are broken, do not get discouraged. God will heal you and do wonders in your life as He did in these young girls life.

KEEP YOUR EYES ALWAYS ON THE LORD AND YOU WILL NOT BE SHAKEN

“I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” – Psalm 16:8

One day when Jesus was praying on a mountainside, His disciples were on a boat which was considerable distance away from the land and was troubled by the waves. After praying Jesus went to them by walking on the sea. It was a night time and so they were terrified when they saw Jesus walking on the sea as they could not understand that it was Jesus who was walking to them.

Immediately Jesus spoke to them asking them not to be afraid but then Peter asked Jesus to command him to walk upon the water. Jesus permitted him to come and Peter walked on the water as his eyes were kept on Jesus. But suddenly he turned his eyes to the situation that was prevailing around and then immediately he fell and begins to sink. As Jesus was by his side, He stretched out His hand, caught him and saved his life.

Psalmist beautifully records his own lifestyle in Psalm 16:8. In that verse he describes two important things. He says that he has kept his eyes on the Lord. He has done that not for a day or week or a month. He says that he has kept his eyes on the Lord always. Every moment, every day and every second he had kept his eyes on the Lord. 

And then he says that he had kept God at his right hand. Not only he had kept his eyes on the Lord but he had kept God at his right hand and so he acknowledges that he will not be shaken at any situation. 

My dear young friends, where is your eyes? Have you had kept your eyes upon the situation that prevails around you or have you had kept your eyes upon God? 

Where is God in your life? Have you had kept God away from your life or Have you had kept God by your side?

Few days back when I was coming out of my house to go to my work place my daughter came to me. As I sat down to wear my shoes she stood upon me and placed her hands upon my neck. I said to her that I am leaving and will meet her in the evening. I want her to get down so that I could come out but she was not leaving me and was holding to me tightly. 

My grandmother who is sitting behind told so many things to distract her and to make her come out of my lap. She spoke about so many things which actually were liked by my daughter but yet my daughter had never turned back. Not even once she turned her eyes from me towards my grandmother. All she had wanted at that instant is to be with her father and she did her best to keep her father with her on that day. 

Most of the times when I get out of my house in the morning she would be sleeping but yet when she was awake she does the same thing which actually makes me feel proud and happy. 

Even in our lives, we should keep our eyes upon our Heavenly Father and we should hold to Him tightly. We should never let Him go out of our lives. Situations around us might turn worse and we might be surrounded by so many lustful temptations and trials but yet we should learn to keep our eyes upon the Lord and we should never turn our eyes away from Him. 

If you do so, you will never be shaken. Your Heavenly Father will feel proud about you and His heart will fill with joy and He will bless you richly. 

Keep your eyes upon God and stay away from distractions. You will not be shaken and you will be blessed.