Be Blessed

Some of you, my dear readers, maybe go to Steven Curtis Chapman's site every once in awhile. I have it linked to my site. I actually haven't stopped by in a little while to see what's been going on with their family. To catch you up to speed, they adopted three little girls from China and lost Maria Sue, the youngest, in a tragic car accident last year. I just got home from the women's retreat, which was totally amazing and MUCH needed, and I saw Jim Houser's (SCC's manger) post. It's about Mary Beth Chapman's post, who is Steven's wife. It's been almost a year since little Maria Sue's tragic accident. I just had to copy this for you to read today.

This blog has chronicled and continues to chronicle our journey as a family during a difficult season of waiting and is truly about how God was and is found faithful in that waiting. The main purpose of this blog remains to be a place of encouragement for others and a place where you can see Him, not me. He's so much more splendid than me! :) If you could only see my hair and smeared eyeliner right now and know what God brought to the surface about my wayward heart over the weekend! Anyway, tonight, I was so blessed by reading this post from Mary Beth's site and wanted to share it with you in the hopes that you, too, might be encouraged.



Mom..."Does God really have a BIG BIG House?" "yes Maria".... Mom..."Does it have lots and lots of rooms?" "yes Maria".... "Does Gods BIG BIG House have a BIG BIG Table?" "Yes Maria, with lots and lots of food! And Maria... It also has a yard where you can play football!" When I finished some of sweet little Maria's description of heaven that she had been learning at pre-school from a song they had been singing, her little squinty Asian eyes (and believe me....they were little) got as BIG as they possibly could! "MOM! How did you know all of that about Gods Big Big House?" Maria was so excited that I knew what she was talking about.... It was a very sweet morning, a very normal morning, a morning when we are rushing around trying to get the two littlest Chapman's out the door to pre-school. Little did I know that Stevey and Maria had been learning the Audio Adrenaline song, "Big Big House" at school. This was the first time that either girl sang any of the lyrics in front of us. Maria actually didn't sing them, instead she put them into very factual question like sentences. We had the most precious conversation about God's Big Big House, and then as normal as asking for a drink of water, that little sweet thing said, "Momma, I wanna go to Gods Big Big House.... How do you get there? How do you know if your going?" That morning, looking back, Maria was on a little mission. I remember even questioning to myself whether she was too young to fully understand what was going on. She was only 4 years old at the time. I was thrilled that she was asking questions and was curious about this opportunity that was before her. I told Maria that "yes, you can be sure your going to God's Big House by asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins, and asking Him into your heart to live. Then I told her that the Holy Spirit would be in her heart to help her make good and right decisions..." You get the picture.... I was trying to explain it in a childlike way the plan of salvation... She knew that Jesus had come and died on the cross for us.... so the best I could... I stood there and explained God's plan for curious little Maria Sue. She was very determined to pray and ask Jesus into her heart. So, I immediately took her and found Steven, who happened to be in town... I was so thankful he got to be there. He sat Maria up on the kitchen counter and he led her in the simplest prayer to ask Jesus to be Lord of her life and to come reside in her heart. About that time, Stevey Joy popped up on the couch that looks into our Kitchen and said...."well, I wanna go to Gods Big Big House too!" So, another prayer later, two of the most beautiful names I know were written in a pretty important book in Heaven! Little did I know that 1 year later, I would be telling all of you this story, and how profound this whole experience would become. You see, just 3 months later, when God for some reason that I won't understand this side of the vale, saw fit to need a special little person in heaven with him, this day, February 20th, 2008, would become one of the most special days to our family to hold on too. Steven took Maria and Stevey to school that day, because they had announcements to give! Both girls were determined to let their teachers know what they had done that morning at home. Don't ever estimate the faith of a child. I believe with all of my heart that Maria asking and being so determined was a gift of God. A preparation for 3 months later when my whole world would crumble and life would cease to exist in the way I knew it. I can't even begin to explain the suffering and hard places that this journey has found me in. But here me say..... with all certainty in me.... Maria felt compelled that day to ask Jesus into her heart. She was 4 years old.... Did she understand fully? As much as Christ asks us to understand. We don't have all the answers, but with Childlike faith we can trust the one who says all through Scripture that HE is the only ONE to trust with your life. Thank You little nutty Maria for teaching Mommy that all you need is the faith of a mustard seed and it will grow into an eternity of sitting on the lap of the One who has the biggest table of food you can imagine......By the way.....Maria LOVED to eat... Be blessed today as you put whatever amount of Faith you can muster into the hands of the One who holds it ALL....including my little girl.... Maria Sue Chunxi Chapman... The silliest goober I know (I miss you my little sweet pea).

Walk in that Faith today,

Mary Beth