Marian Fisher

The following is written by Bible Worker William Earnhardt, from Tampa, FL. I certainly hope he doesn't mind my sharing this on my blog, since it's already been passed around the internet on emails. Marian Fisher, an example of another young woman of true beauty.

"Satan reared his ugly head where no one expected him. He once again demonstrated before the entire universe his true colors in a tiny
Amish school. But where Satan was showing his true colors God's grace abounded even greater in the person of 13 year old Marian Fisher. Satan used a grown man to represent him before the world and the universe, but God chose a 13 year old Amish girl to represent Him before the universe. Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Marian Fisher woke up Monday morning like any other 13 year old girl with a full day ahead of her - totally clueless that she was moments
away from being placed in a situation where she would choose to make the ultimate sacrifice - pleading with a gunman to shoot her first, to buy time so others could survive.
My first thought was, "where did she get the presence of mind to think of that?" Second question "where did she get the courage to ask?" Obviously while we may think our religion superior, and may think the Amish a little backwards, today we stand in awe of the Amish parents and teachers who are obviously doing something right! Probably a hundred things right! They taught and prepared a young girl to do way more than just stand up for the letter of the law but to represent the very spirit of the law and the Cross of Christ when she was trying to die first so others could live!
Obviously this girl had more than just fantastic parents and teachers. She herself was "filled with all the fullness of God." What was demonstrated during those few minutes of terror in the Amish school was not just a 13 year old girl, but God Himself. Satan used the Cross to show his true colors thus providing opportunity for Jesus to show His true colors. At the Cross 2,000 years ago Marian Fisher was crucified with Christ. In the Amish school the everlasting gospel, which is the Cross of Christ, was again spread all
over the world via Internet and Satellite as, this time, Christ was in that school being crucified with Marian Fisher. Once again, where sin abounded God's grace has much more abounded. God has shown that He still exists and is very much alive, not by using the wonders of the heavens, not by using the cunning philosophy and theology of religious scholars, but by using an everyday 13 year old girl.
These are the things I am considering as I ponder this story:
1. While the wicked are becoming more wicked, the righteous are becoming more righteous.
2. God is sealing His people not just with a superficial knowledge of His law but with His very self sacrificing character.
3. While we are tempted to think evil is prevailing, God's grace is prevailing. There are many other stories in the news today of everyday people sacrificing their lives for others. On 9-11 we saw Satan rearing his ugly head again with a people who were willing to die in order to destroy others. God showed us on that same day even more people who were willing to die to save others. We see an entire Amish community demonstrating love and genuine forgiveness. It makes me believe the 144,000 will actually be a multitude in which no man can number.
4. Humility! If we older people think the youth of today are the problem and we are the solution think again! It was a young girl at Columbine who stood up for Jesus in the face of death, and again in Pennsylvania.
5. If we think our denomination is superior think again! The everlasting gospel is being taken to the world by people from all walks of life and religious backgrounds. Like the Good Samaritan, God is not glorified in people who know it all but by people who lay down their lives at any cost.
6. What would I have done if I had been in that young girl's shoes? When I left my house this morning and headed to work, was I prepared to lay down my life? As I admire her courage I have to doubt not only my credentials to be a lay pastor or Bible Worker, but can I even call myself a Christian? Today if you were listing those who are Christians, I would shrink from having my name mentioned in the same sentence as Marian Fisher or any other forgiving Amish in that community.
7. Don't think for a moment that all the Daniels, Shadrachs, Meshachs and Abednegos are just way back in Bible times. They are all around us today. They are everyday fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, and yes, sons and daughters!"