Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth Chapman are people I have long admired. After the China adoption of their daughter, Shaohannah Hope, many people approached them with the desire to adopt, but after looking into it, found they could not afford it. After writing a few checks personally themselves to help families afford adoption, they incorporated Shaohannah's Hope (eventually shortening the name to Show Hope). Show Hope's mission is to care for orphans by engaging the church and helping Christian families reduce the financial barriers to adoption.
They soon adopted two more little girls from China, Stevey Joy and Maria, seven months apart in age. The stories of all three girls are in this book, and are just beautiful.
But the Chapman's were struck with horrible tragedy when their teenage son ran over five year old Maria in the family's drive way, killing her.
You will weep with this family while at the same time marveling at their faith in God as they say goodbye to Maria and help their son cope with his pain. The wisdom God grants them in the mind numbing days that follow Maria's death is amazing.
And as they beg God to just let them SEE something that will let them know Maria is really alright, Steven Curtis Chapman finds a drawing under Maria's art desk. Here are the words from the book:
"Maria had drawn a six petaled flower with a green stem and two leaves. Only one petal was colored in (in the days that follow, they believe the six petals stand for their six children, with one petal - Maria - colored in). Blue. Maria's favorite color...Steven saw something bleeding through from the other side of the paper. He turned it over. Maria had...written a word she'd never, ever put down on paper before...And the word was SEE. SEE. Staring at Maria's artwork, Steven had tears spilling down his face. It was like Maria was speaking to him from heaven, from the very realm of eternity, saying "SEE? Can you SEE? Everything is going to be all right. I am here with Jesus. I am fine. Heaven is real, the gospel is true, you just have to SEE."
In the years following Maria's death, the Chapmans founded Maria's Big House of Hope in Luoyang City in the Henan Province, China. This home was created to give over 120 orphans with special needs the shelter, medical care and hope they so desperately need. It cares for children with acute needs before and after surgery. It has a floor for children awaiting adoption, and also a hospice for children who will soon pass away.
The book is scattered with songs Steven Curtis Chapman has written, many after Maria's death. It is a beautiful book by a family who has faced every parents nightmare and turned tragedy into beauty, even while, as Mary Beth Chapman says, Maria's loss "is hard" and she "hates it". It's an honest, brutal, beautiful book that I was very blessed to read!
They soon adopted two more little girls from China, Stevey Joy and Maria, seven months apart in age. The stories of all three girls are in this book, and are just beautiful.
But the Chapman's were struck with horrible tragedy when their teenage son ran over five year old Maria in the family's drive way, killing her.
You will weep with this family while at the same time marveling at their faith in God as they say goodbye to Maria and help their son cope with his pain. The wisdom God grants them in the mind numbing days that follow Maria's death is amazing.
And as they beg God to just let them SEE something that will let them know Maria is really alright, Steven Curtis Chapman finds a drawing under Maria's art desk. Here are the words from the book:
"Maria had drawn a six petaled flower with a green stem and two leaves. Only one petal was colored in (in the days that follow, they believe the six petals stand for their six children, with one petal - Maria - colored in). Blue. Maria's favorite color...Steven saw something bleeding through from the other side of the paper. He turned it over. Maria had...written a word she'd never, ever put down on paper before...And the word was SEE. SEE. Staring at Maria's artwork, Steven had tears spilling down his face. It was like Maria was speaking to him from heaven, from the very realm of eternity, saying "SEE? Can you SEE? Everything is going to be all right. I am here with Jesus. I am fine. Heaven is real, the gospel is true, you just have to SEE."
In the years following Maria's death, the Chapmans founded Maria's Big House of Hope in Luoyang City in the Henan Province, China. This home was created to give over 120 orphans with special needs the shelter, medical care and hope they so desperately need. It cares for children with acute needs before and after surgery. It has a floor for children awaiting adoption, and also a hospice for children who will soon pass away.
The book is scattered with songs Steven Curtis Chapman has written, many after Maria's death. It is a beautiful book by a family who has faced every parents nightmare and turned tragedy into beauty, even while, as Mary Beth Chapman says, Maria's loss "is hard" and she "hates it". It's an honest, brutal, beautiful book that I was very blessed to read!
What a great blog! I lok forward to reading more!
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