I am looking forward to tomorrow on Good Morning America. Robin Roberts is going to interview the Steven Curtis Chapman family about the loss of their young 5 year old daughter, Maria, in a tragic car accident involving their teenaged son. Their daughter was adopted from China. With the Olympics in China in the media, it is a good time to underscore the connections of the human spirit and relationships formed around the world.
I fully expect there to be anguish…how can you go through something so traumatic as loosing your daughter, at the accidental hands of your teenaged son, and not have anguish? Then to have the eyes of the world on you as you grieve; it has had to be extremely stressful. Not to mention the threat of legal proceedings against your teenaged son, hanging over you while you are going through your loss. There are so many messages that could be presented to the world through this experience, love, loss, safety, spirituality, depression and the list goes on. God says, he will make good come from all things.
This experience would be horrendous for anyone…let alone a Christian family, just because you have the added responsibilities of not wanting to let God down, or fail to encourage others; however, human beings are just that…human…we often fail, even with the best of intentions. The Chapman family is a family who has brought hope and healing, through music ministry for years; not to mention, opening doors to financial guidance for adoptive parents, creating another avenue for God miracles to impact lives. Their struggle to find peace in this very difficult time continues…there are things that grief to the surface…questions that demand answers for. It is as their daughter Emily said… Grief is a very windy road. It is a struggle to meet all of their children’s emotional needs as they navigate their own ups and downs; but, at least their family is trying to heal together.
Christians are not immune to tragic circumstances…in fact, i believe that they are given to everyone. No one is left out of doses of misery, despair, sickness, loss, financial stress etc. But the Christian bears an extra burden during those times as they are living their lives, as a testimony before others, about God’s grace and mercy. How to explain the unexplainable? The old question, why does God let bad things happen? Oh, King Solomon i am sure, would have an answer to that as he prayed for wisdom and was granted it by God…but truly, only God knows the whys of things. All we can do is struggle to hang on to our faith and try to grow it through the struggles of life.
I know that Robin Roberts is a Christian…she has had her own struggles, this past year. I am most interested in this interview, as i believe that God will impart compassion, grace and understanding in it, to others who are going through their own difficulties. I pray that hearts will be touched and moved. Watch tomorrow on good morning america for this moment of heartfelt grief and love and hope. It will be worth your time!
Write where you are 
My heart goes out to the Chapman family. I pray for the Chapman family to have peace in their hearts throughout the years and know that Maria is in Heaven where we all want to be someday. It isn’t good bye but rather, I will see you again on the other side.
I pray for Steven Curtis’ son, that he knows that Maria knows it was an accident and that she is happy and at peace so he shouldn’t be in anguish about it. I pray that the Lord comforts him and protects him from condemnation which comes from Satan, not the Lord.
I know the Lord shows his favor upon this family and will continue to do so as they continue in faith to fight the good fight.
Sincerely,
Lora
haha jesus christ. i don’t know what’s crazier, this piece or Lora’s comment.
god will impart passion, grace and understanding on your good morning america hosts and guests, sure. just as soon as he’s done imparting passion, grace and understanding on the seven million children starving to death worldwide right this minute, or the brutally abused women who know only fear, rape and death. he may also want to spend a moment dishing out some of that godly grace on the brutally oppressed millions throughout the world whose lives are considered worthless and expendable by their leaders.
while he’s at it, he may want to swing by the hundreds of children’s cancer centers across the country and visit the kids he’s so “passionately” and “gracefully” allowing to die excruciatingly painful and unjust deaths.
shall i go on?
the point here is that your sickeningly short-sighted beliefs make no sense, given the context of the horror and suffering throughout the world.
i believe in God, absolutely. just not as the savior of kindness and compassion that you so desperately hope will be waiting to hand you your very own cloud and halo when you die.
I believe He does administer grace to those who suffer just as He did to Stephen when he was stoned (Acts 7). There is incredible suffering in the world among those who believe (sometimes because they believe) and those who don’t. The difference between the two is the grace God gives in the midst of the suffering.
I suggest you read the article about their interview – http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=5519704&page=1 – before concluding that this faith is an easy or shortsighted one.
Kimberly,
forgive me, but i don’t believe i said anywhere in this article that I believe that their faith is an easy or shortsighted faith!
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