Cassie Bernall & Cassidy Stay

Do you remember Columbine High School and the shooting that occurred there? One girl, by the name of Cassie Bernall who was sitting in the library reading a book had a gun put to her head at approximately 11:26 am. She was asked by her attackers if she believed in Jesus Christ. She thought for just a second and then said, "Yes." Just after giving her answer, her attackers shot her with a fatal shot to her head. 

Cassie had been involved in witchcraft and then found the Lord and was involved in her church's youth group and on a video, she stated what it means to further the Kingdom of God.  She said that it means being a loyal friend and a good example to non-believers and getting rid of all hypocrisy and to live for Christ.

Just last week, a crazed ex husband who was looking for his ex-wife, dressed in a phony Fed-Ex uniform and forced his way into a home belonging to the family of his ex-wife. I believe it was her sister's home. He tied up the husband and the wife and all the children including Cassidy Stay. He then shot all of them in the head. Miraculously, Cassidy survived. She had a fractured skull and later said she felt as if there were angels with her telling her to stay quiet. When the attacker left, she immediately grabbed the phone to get help and told police that he was headed for her grandparents house to kill them. Her actions were brave and courageous, and it is an absolute miracle that she survived the ordeal. It's also a miracle that she wasn't in the hospital longer! She was released just two days after the shooting occurred!

Yesterday, she returned to a hero's welcome for a memorial service for her family along with her grandparents. She stated that  "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one remembers to turn on the light," a quote by Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series. 

Imagine having to bury your entire family? The attacker was successful in killing both of her parents and four of her siblings who ranged in age four to thirteen. What would you be feeling? This girl is going to have a tough time getting through counseling, etc, but she survived for a reason. God is going to do something magnificent through Cassidy Stay! She lived FOR A REASON! Nothing is by chance, God is ALWAYS in control!  As Job said after losing all of his children in one fatal accident, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21).

Cassidy's bravery reminded me of Cassie Bernall and her brave answer the day she was killed by two students from her own school. Her answer was an affirmation that faith in God is a gift of grace and her death and how it occurred is a meaningful reminder to all Christians everywhere, that someday, we may be asked the same question! Biblical prophecy shows we are very close to Jesus coming to take His Bride, The Church, into the clouds, and into Heaven forever. But persecution of Christians around the world is getting much worse! There are Christians being slaughtered all over the globe, but for some reason, not much is said about it.

I will be praying for Cassidy, and hope that others will join me in being committed to praying for her. She has a long road ahead, but I know she is going to be speaking her mind about what happened to her and how those angels helped her to stay down, play dead, and then save what family she had left.  

God Bless Cassie Bernall and her strength, for she will never be forgotten, and God Bless Cassidy Stay and her family. It will be a difficult road, but I believe God thinks she is up to the task set before her to be an example to others and her story, though it may be sad, horrible and unbelievable, is a shining example of what God can do in the very worst of times in our lives. I hope we all learn from both of these young girls examples. They showed all of us what it means to truly live and follow Christ! 

This post is dedicated to the memory of Cassie Bernall and to the Stay Family. God Bless you Cassidy as you mourn, grieve and move on with your life. You are a shining example to the rest of us and we appreciate your bravery and your courage. God Bless you and thank you for showing us what bravery really is. "Oh death, where is thy victory, O death, where is your sting."    (1 Corinthians 15:55).

This IS Cassidy Stay's time!