April 20, 1999—a day we have never forgotten or known. To some, it was a day of sorrow and fear, but to others, it was a day to remember

Rachel Joy Scott was 17 when she died in the Columbine shooting. She was the first to be killed because of her faith in Christ.

You might ask why I would bring this up after 17 years. Well, the truth is her life has not stopped touching others since the day she died.

"I have this theory that if one person will go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same." - Rachel Joy Scott

Rachel is remembered for her determination to show the love of Christ to others.

Philippians 1:21 - "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Rachel wasn't perfect, I'm 100 percent sure she had her moments of failure, but that didn't stop her from showing compassion to others. So, what's stopping us from showing love to others? Take a look around and picture what Jesus would do. Would Jesus try to be liked by his friends? Or would he make sure he stood out?

In society today there are so many people who want to blend in. We try to blend in with our clothing and the way we act around our friends because we want to be liked. I'm serious. Teenagers are not the only ones trying to fit in; adults are just as guilty.

We try to hide the fact that we're Christians because we don't know how our co- workers and peers would think of us.

Galatians 1:10 - "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."

We think they would judge us when in reality having a christian around is refreshing and interesting because we see things differently.

Rachel was determined to break the code of " fitting in." She was willing to be herself so that others could see Christ through her.

Are you willing to let Christ shine through you? Even if it means breaking the code of "fitting in?"