Rachel's Challenge

This is Darwin today on this post. I just had to take a moment and write a little bit on an assembly we had last week. It was called Rachel's Challenge. It was an assembly about Rachel Joy Scott, the first person shot at the Columbine High School shooting on April 20, 1999. It was difficult not to get emotional at the sad, yet awe inspiring life of Rachel Scott. The motto for Rachel's Challenge is derived from an essay she wrote while a student at Columbine not too long before the shooting. It's title is, "You just may start a chain reaction." In her essay she writes about how if you go out of your way to help somebody else or make someone feel cared for, it can change their lives and it would start a chain reaction in caring for others all around you. Rachel emphasized this greatly in her life by going out of her way to show others that they are important. Once, she sat down next to someone sitting by themselves at lunch and became friends with them. Another time, there were some students picking on another student with physical and mental disabilities. Rachel went in between them, put up her fists and told them if they were going to pick on him again, they would have to fight her.

There were several things mentioned that I found very interesting during the presentation given by one of Rachel's neighbors. He explained and shared some of Rachel's heroins and role models, one being Anne Frank. Found in both of their writings and diaries, they make remarks about loving others, being kind, and all sorts of positive comments on life. It was interesting to learn that both Anne Frank and Rachel Scott died under the influence of the same man, Adolf Hitler. The students who planned and pursued the shooting were Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris. These two boys, although influence by multiple sources, were also influenced by Hitler's history and Nazi reign. The attack took place on April 20th, Hitler's birthday and 110th anniversary.

As I watched the assembly, I couldn't help but think that Rachel knew something like this was going to happen to her, and that her life would leave a legacy for many to benefit from. At a young age, Rachel traced her hands on the back of her dresser and wrote in the palm, "These hands belong to Rachel Joy Scott and will some day touch millions of people's hearts." This has been fulfilled through the many assemblies and the Rachel's Challenge program that has been established by her father Darrell Scott. She also mentioned to her friends out of the blue about a year prior to the shooting that she felt like she was going to die young. Other comments found in her diary were, "This is the last year. I've learned all I can. Thank you Lord." Shortly before the shooting she drew a picture found on the last page of her journal. It shows an image of eyes crying and as they hit the ground a rose starts to grow. Shortly after the shooting a man that had not known the Scott family had a recurring dream of a beautiful girl that was crying, and when the tear drops hit the ground, something started to grow. He phoned Darrell Scott and told him of his dream. Darrell went to the police station to get Rachel's backpack, that was taken in as evidence of the crime, took out her notebook and found this drawing in there.

Rachel Joy Scott lived a very special life that some of us could only hope to achieve. I'm sure that she will always be missed by her family, but I believe that their faith in the Lord and the knowledge of the type of girl she was will always comfort them. I extend the challenge to you to take some time and learn more about Rachel's Challenge and invite you to accept Rachel's Challenge by 1) Eliminating prejudice by looking for the best in others, 2) Dare to dream - Set goals - Keep a journal, 3) Choose your influences - input determines output, 4) Kind Words - Small act of kindness = HUGE impact, and 5) Start a chain reaction with family and friends.