One day during my mom's first round of consolidation therapy we were in her hospital room watching one of the few TV channels on the hospital TV -- CNN. One of the news items that day in May was about a 5-year-old girl who was accidentally hit by a car and died. The little girl ... a daughter of one of Contemporary Christian Music's popular, Steven Curtis Chapman.
The accident was tragic... their youngest daughter was accidentally hit by the car driven by her older brother.
At the time of Maria's death, I was still very much dealing with the questions and hurt in understanding why my Mom/we were having to go through cancer. I remember that as I watched the news story I subconsciously thought... "I wonder how they will go through this?" I remember feeling like... "keep your eyes and ears open and learn from them."
I've been reading the blog of Jim Houser who works with Steven Curtis Chapman. Over the last couple of months I've read about this family's moments of sadness, moments of joy, moments of hope, moments of moving forward. I've read about their faith being lived out.
Last month Steven Curtis Chapman, his wife and their older children were on Good Morning America and Larry King Live. Now I know that what this family has been going through is completely different from my own family's experience, but as I watched clips of the Larry King interview online, the words I heard expressed by the members of this family often echoed my own over the past few months. It was an encouragement hearing their testimony of faith.
God glorified in the hard times is often recognizing just that HE IS GOD and turning to Him with our questions, turning to Him seeking hope, and leaning hard on the one who gives strength and comfort.
I also think God glorified in the hard times is others seeing faith walked out during that time...maybe even when you're just hunched over and barely limping. My heart and mind have turned to God as I've listened to and watched this family. God glorified.
Over the last few months I've been encouraged in watching, reading, hearing about the faith journey of others. Not just this family, but my own friends and family as well. As others have permitted me to watch and listen along their journeys, I have seen God. What a gift of grace.
Steven Curtis Chapman had written a song, "Yours," and following the death of his daughter wrote an additional verse. These words provide such a powerful testimony of faith.
"And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
From the stars in the sky
To the depths of the ocean floor
And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
You're the Maker and Keeper, Father and Ruler of everything
It's all Yours"
"I've walked the valley of death's shadow
So deep and dark that I could barely breathe
I've had to let go of more than I could bear
And questioned everything that I believe
But still even herein this great darkness
A comfort and hope come breaking through
As I can say in life or death
God we belong to you."
GOD, we belong to you.
