no words

Pretty much everyone on the planet knows that Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman lost their youngest daughter last week. Through a tragic accident, sweet Maria's life on earth ended after just five years. I have thought of them, and prayed for their family, so much since I first read the news late that night of her death. I've awakened numerous nights from sleep, with their family on my heart. All I know to do is to pray for strength for them. This is the second family well-known in the Christian music community to lose a child in as many months. I mentioned the other family, Todd and Angie Smith, back in April. Today I checked Angie's blog to read of another baby lost. Todd's sister Nicol Smith Sponberg, who was one of the original members of Selah with him, went to check on her 2 month old son last night, only to find he wasn't breathing.

When I sent the email about the Chapmans' loss to a small group of prayer warriors, my sweet friend Jamie replied simply, "no words." I guess I feel the same way. What is there to say? How do we respond to grief of this magnitude? I don't know how to articulate the thoughts in my head and the heaviness in my heart. But, because I'm going to have to write it out, I guess I'm typing this to just plead for friends who read this to ask for strength and comfort for them. I don't have anything much to add beyond my hope for their families to lean on God to get them through another heartache and for others to be brought to Him because of their witness and faith. I've been sitting here digesting the news, contemplating whether to even share it on this blog or not. Death is part of life, and so it shouldn't surprise us, but I guess when the one lost is a child, it's just so hard for us to take.

Jamie and I were just talking about this song today, written by Steven Curtis Chapman for friends who lost a daughter years ago in a freak accident. That family was one of the first to arrive at the Chapmans' last Wednesday, offering comfort since they truly can say, 'We know how you feel.' If you want to read more about their story and Maria's service, go here. Anyway, just digesting, and processing, and praying.

With Hope
This is not at all how
We thought it was supposed to be
We had so many plans for you
We had so many dreams
And now you've gone away
And left us with the memories of your smile
And nothing we can say
And nothing we can do
Can take away the pain
The pain of losing you, but ...

We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no
And we can grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope
(There's a place by God's grace)
There's a place where we'll see your face again
We'll see your face again

And never have I known
Anything so hard to understand
And never have I questioned more
The wisdom of God's plan
But through the cloud of tears
I see the Father's smile and say "Well done"
And I imagine you
Where you wanted most to be
Seeing all your dreams come true
'Cause now you're home
And now you're free, and ...

We have this hope as an anchor
'Cause we believe that everything
God promised us is true, so ...

So we can cry with hope
And say goodbye with hope

We wait with hope
And we ache with hope
We hold on with hope
We let go with hope