In Rachel's Tears, Rachel's parents, Beth Nimmo and Darrell Scott, teamed up with writer Steve Rabey to tell the story of their daughter who was murdered at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999.
When I sat down to read I made sure I had tissues handy, but I didn't need them for the reason I expected. I assumed I would be reading a tragedy. Instead, I found in the pages of Rachel's Tears a story of hope, and the story of a young girl who had a love for Christ that knew no bounds.
Pages of Rachel's journals are scattered throughout the book. She composed poems, sketched, and wrote out her prayers. I was touched by each and every entry. Her words praised and questioned God, expressed her love for Jesus and her family and friends, and several even prophesied her own death.
My teen years were spent struggling against God and pulling away from Him. While reading this book, I cried for lost years. Had the shooting taken place in my high school many years ago, I surely would not have had the strength to stand up for my faith, what little I had managed to cling to.
This is actually a very hard book to review. Rachel's parents want the focus to be on Rachel's relationship with God, not on her as a person. They did not want her deified, but merely set as an example to show other teens what joy can be found in Christ. I can't express in this small space her complex relationship with the Lord she loved so deeply. You need the book in your hands, you need to see her drawings and read her poems and prayers.
I recommend this book for parents of teens as well as the teens themselves. This is a huge opportunity to talk about the struggles that fill teen years, and to show teens that they can turn to God no matter what the circumstance. Give this book to your teen along with a journal. Encourage them to write to God as Rachel did. Let them keep the contents private, but be there for them to talk to. If you get nothing else out of this book, it should be that parents need to be a part of their children's lives.
We all need someone to open our hearts to. Jesus is available 24/7, and Rachel Joy Scott turned to Him with everything. We should all be so willing.
When I sat down to read I made sure I had tissues handy, but I didn't need them for the reason I expected. I assumed I would be reading a tragedy. Instead, I found in the pages of Rachel's Tears a story of hope, and the story of a young girl who had a love for Christ that knew no bounds.
Pages of Rachel's journals are scattered throughout the book. She composed poems, sketched, and wrote out her prayers. I was touched by each and every entry. Her words praised and questioned God, expressed her love for Jesus and her family and friends, and several even prophesied her own death.
My teen years were spent struggling against God and pulling away from Him. While reading this book, I cried for lost years. Had the shooting taken place in my high school many years ago, I surely would not have had the strength to stand up for my faith, what little I had managed to cling to.
This is actually a very hard book to review. Rachel's parents want the focus to be on Rachel's relationship with God, not on her as a person. They did not want her deified, but merely set as an example to show other teens what joy can be found in Christ. I can't express in this small space her complex relationship with the Lord she loved so deeply. You need the book in your hands, you need to see her drawings and read her poems and prayers.
I recommend this book for parents of teens as well as the teens themselves. This is a huge opportunity to talk about the struggles that fill teen years, and to show teens that they can turn to God no matter what the circumstance. Give this book to your teen along with a journal. Encourage them to write to God as Rachel did. Let them keep the contents private, but be there for them to talk to. If you get nothing else out of this book, it should be that parents need to be a part of their children's lives.
We all need someone to open our hearts to. Jesus is available 24/7, and Rachel Joy Scott turned to Him with everything. We should all be so willing.
1 comment:
Kat, I think I'm going to buy this book. I know I can benefit from it, but I also really want both of my teenagers to read it.
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