Book Review: Choosing to SEE

I still remember the night of May 21, 2008 when we saw a breaking news report about a child of Steven Curtis Chapman being in critical condition after an accident at the family's home.  The next morning, our local Christian station further reported and talked about the tragedy that had taken place in this family.  The Chapman's youngest adopted daughter, Maria, had been hit by a car driven by one of her brothers in the driveway of their Tennessee home.

I was heartbroken for this family as the station DJ's continued to share the story from their perspective.  Then, they traveled to Tennessee for the funeral of this little girl.  And I found myself grieving even more for them yet moved at how many ways they acknowledged the hope that was theirs in Christ especially in the midst of tragedy.

Now and then more reports would run on the news stations.  Some months later I even saw the entire family appear on Larry King Live and recount their journey with much humility and faith.  I remember watching portions of that clip and hearing how each of the older kids and adults were healing from the tragedy.  I thought, "Wow!  I wonder what my response would be in the same situation?"

One of the neat glimpses of God that the Chapman's got was the day after the accident after pleading with God to "show us something tangible so we can know Maria's with You!  Let us SEE you in this!"  Shortly after this prayer, they were retracing Maria's steps around the house and her Dad found a piece of notebook paper with a picture of a six-petaled flower with a stem and two leaves.  One petal was colored in blue (her favorite color).  The center was orange.  And written on the other side of the paper, next to a picture of a butterfly, Maria had written the word SEE (a word she'd not written before).  The family believes this picture was like Maria speaking to them from heaven 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!"

Nearly two and a half years following the loss of Maria, Mary Beth has written their story.  She doesn't just recount this one tragic, yet ashes to beauty chapter, of their lives. She starts at the beginning of her marriage to Steven.  Through her back story you get to know that Mary Beth is as much a "normal" woman with ups, downs, highs, lows, plans, and dreams as any of the rest of us.  I loved this as it allowed me to connect on so many levels.

Mary Beth begins by sharing just how polar opposite she and Steven are....and I thought, "Oh sister, I hear you!"  They married young (though younger than DH and me).  They didn't have two nickels to rub together early in their marriage.  They had their children young (and somewhat close together).  Her two boys are similar in age span to my two.  And even later in life, their adoption stories, though different than the one we are having right now, still strike similar cords.

Over and over again in her story, she says that her family has been entrusted to be stewards of this story.  I thought that was an interesting perspective on the pain that befalls all of us at one time or another.  It's important for us to be stewards, take what is evil and redeem it for good.  In fact, I LOVED learning that there is a "Part B" to the "SEE" message in Maria's little drawing.  I don't want to share it here because I don't want to spoil it for you.  Suffice it to say that again and again the Chapmans have been allowed to SEE just how God is using their story--Maria's story--to change the world.

Whether you are an SCC fan or not and/or have experienced grief or not, this story is one that deserves a place in the "to-be-read" pile.  For me, it became a "to-be-devoured" as I finished in two days.  It truly is, as the book jacket suggests, "A Journey of Struggle and Hope".  I'm so glad Mary Beth Chapman invited us along on her journey!