Dance With Cinderella

I just learned that Steven Curtis Chapman’s youngest daughter, Maria, was killed accidentally yesterday. One of her older brothers accidentally hit her in an SUV in their driveway. 

Why God? That’s what I keep saying. Why God? She was five. He was not intending any harm. Why such a permanent consequence for an accident? I keep on asking that but I already know the answer. God allows some things to happen that are sometimes incomprehensible to us. Are God’s ways bad? No, never. They may seem that way to us, but we have finite, human minds.

Steven Curtis Chapman has been a mainstay in the Christian music industry for decades. His songs have made people laugh, cry, and feel all sorts of emotions for years. He and his wife, Mary Beth, are also on the forefront of adoption from China. They set up an organization called Shaohannah’s Hope:

“Recognizing that adoption is a perfect picture of what God has done for each of us in making us His children through Christ, Shaohannah’s Hope has been established to care for orphans by engaging the church and helping Christian families reduce the financial barriers to adoption.” An excerpt from the website.

How will God use this experience through Steven and Mary Beth to better the Kingdom? Will more people come to learn about adoption? Will more babies be adopted? Will more children be brought to Christ? I’m almost positive these answers will be “yes”.

It makes me realize, once again, that none of our lives are guaranteed. We are given each day as a gift from God. We are given each breath as a gift from God. Our children’s lives are not guaranteed. What are we doing with our lives? It doesn’t work to just be a “good person”. Good people die just like everyone else. Unless you have a saving knowledge of Jesus being “good” means nothing. Steven and Mary Beth, if nothing else, have the hope of seeing their daughter once again when they get to Heaven. This may be the only comfort that will ever come to them from this tragedy. But can you imagine the heartbreak if either they or Maria did not know Christ?

How many accidents like this happen daily? How many children are taken from us each day through accidents, or worse. We become desensitised to the travesty until it happens to someone famous. We need to take this opportunity to remember children all over the world who are being misused, abused, mistreated, or just have bad accidents happen to them. They all matter to God. The public pain this family will go through should remind us that there are millions out there who are feeling this pain privately. Pray for each and every one of them.

God’s comfort can find a way through the pain. It can begin to heal the hurt. It can be the only light in the darkest situations.

God, may Your comfort and compassion be abundant during this time of devestation for the Chapmans. You know exactly what they need. Please provide it in ways that no one could imagine. God, I pray for the brother. Comfort and protect him in whatever way he needs. Heal the family as they slowly come to terms with what has happened. Take this tragedy and turn it into a miracle for Your kingdom. Our pastor just said last week, “often you’ll say ‘no’ just because there’s a better ‘yes’ ahead”. God, help us all to understand that when we try to put the tragedies in our lives into perspective. Use this experience to draw others to You. Come quickly, Jesus. Our human hearts can’t handle that much.