He makes all things good in His time...

A journalist friend of mine has been writing a series this week on the 10th anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings. She was able to go to Colorado and visit the school site as well as to interview the Chief Investigator, the Principal--Frank DeAngelis, and the family of Rachel Scott.

I'm sure many of you remember Rachel Scott. She was the first victim killed by the shooters in that terrible tragedy at Columbine High School. Her name was well known among Christian circles (and beyond), as it was believed she was killed because of her faith in God. But, like the eleven other students and one teacher who were killed that day, her death seemed a pointless loss of life.

Ten years later it's only a little bit easier to look back at that horrible day. There was horrific loss and unimaginable grief...for the students and teachers, the parents and families, the entire community. For us, it was one day. For them, it was many, many days...and months...and years of sorting through the emotional rubble. But the years have eased the horror a bit with the distance created by passing time.

As I've read my friend's articles this week, I have thought a lot about that devastating event. I can understand how some would shake a fist at God and ask "Why?!" I cannot begin to understand how it felt to live through it. I am amazed, however, to see and hear of God's work of healing in the family of Rachel Scott... and of how He is using this seemingly completely bad situation to touch the lives of others in a positive way.

Rachel's parents felt that they were to walk forward in the path that Rachel had made in her short life... a path of kindess and compassion toward others, reaching out to the hurting others with a message of love. As a result they started a non-profit organization called Rachel's Challenge, a presentation given in schools and communities across North America and other countries, in a campaign to quell school violence, bullying, and teen suicide. And, though, Rachel's parents would far rather have her with them still, they have seen God's hand at work through Rachel's death, touching hundreds of students with her message... and at times, even saving lives.

Though I don't believe God makes such things happen, I do believe He uses these broken parts of our lives for His purposes. His work of redemption--of saving us from ourselves!--is about our eternal state. But it can also be seen at work in the brokenness of our world here and now. He loves picking up the pieces of our broken lives and putting them back together in new and different ways--maybe not how we would have envisioned--but good and beautiful just the same. I love it when we can get a small glimpse into this redemptive work He performs... the ways in which He makes good things out of the bad in this world.

If you want to see a bit of it yourself, take a few minutes to read the online article Columbine Family Finds Beauty In Ashes. And let us rejoice with Rachel's parents in the wonderful things God does!

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." ~Romans 8:28

another good article today - Remembering Columbine Victim Rachel Scott