Victor Skinner : Jan 23, 2017 : EAGNews.org
“God, I just ask You to put peace inside of our heads … put fire in our souls so we can go out into the communities and just show love, Lord … God, I just ask You to continue to put holiness inside of our brains, Lord.” -Issak Savage
(Lexington, SC)—[EAGNews] A South Carolina high school student’s impromptu prayer following the death of a classmate is bringing solace to his school and earning praise online. (Screengrab: Issak Savage praying for students/via EAGNews)
White Knoll High School baseball standout Brett Williams died Tuesday at Palmetto Health Richland hospital as a result of complications from a recent illness, and the sophomore’s unexpected death has weighed heavily on his classmates, The Slate reports.
And as his classmates mourned the loss, made even more tragic by Williams’ recent commitment to continue his baseball career at the University of South Carolina, at least one student at the school is working to put the situation into perspective.
White Knoll student Issak Savage climbed atop a chair near the end of the school day, Tuesday to address his classmates about the 16-year-old infielder’s death, and a video of his moving remarks and prayer is offering comfort when the school needs it most, according to WISTV.
“You guys have to understand that although these things happen … this is under God’s control. … Just remember in the back of your mind, when you’re successful one day, you can be like ‘I remember that dude Brett, how he pushed me, how he [drove] me.’
“The baseball team, he was an exceptional baseball player. Ya’ll can remember him on the sidelines, clapping you on, and cheering you on. Remember those little things, the baseball players when you get up to hit at your next at bat, remember what Brett had said to you and every single ball that you hit, every single ball that you throw, or every single ball that you catch, be remembered of Brett and play the game for him,” Savage said as students wept and he shifted to offer a prayer.
“Heavenly Father, Lord, I just thank You so much for today. God, I just thank You for the utterance of Your grace and Your mercy … We are gathered here in Your holy name today, God.
“God, I just thank You for allowing us all to become unified and allowing us to all just become family when troubles like this happen,” he continued. “Lord, I just ask You to lift up the Williams family today God as they’ve lost a member of their family, Lord, their son, their grandson, their nephew.
“Lord, I just ask You, Lord, to just lift up their family and bring peace in their home and allow them to understand that You have a whole entire plan for this family, God. I ask You just to continue to open up the windows of Heaven and pour out Your blessings among this family, Lord.
“Lord, I just ask You to—just to allow all this White Knoll High School … to feel Your peace and Your hope and Your mercy, God, as we continue to live each and every single day to glorify You, God.
“God, I just ask You to put peace inside of our heads, Lord, so we do not have to continually sit and sink on the situations of the hurt, Lord. But allow us … just to build us up, Lord … just put fire in our souls so we can go out into the communities and just show love, Lord, love that Brett had, God.
“God, I just ask You to continue to put holiness inside of our brains, Lord. And I just ask You to help us move on from this situation, God. I just thank You for everything that You do…”
A Facebook video of the prayer posted by student Nick Navarro received more than 52,000 views, 1,229 shares and dozens of comments within the first 14 hours.
“Thanks for sharing this Nick,” Darce Cruea posted in the comments. “What an inspiration to so many.”
“I love this man of God and his love for others is so inspiring,” Sarah Terry added.
“So proud of this guy,” Machelle Powell wrote.
“Such uplifting words of encouragement and praise,” Stephanie Herring added. “So sad.”