Pray For the Chapman Family

Holly and I are very big Steven Curtis Chapman fans. One, because he is a Christian musician/artist who "gets it." The lyrics in his songs are God-Centered, Christ-exalting, Cross-centered, and Biblically saturated. He and his wife have also been profoundly used by God to raise awareness for the need of adoption.

Yesterday, the Chapman's youngest adopted daughter, five year old Maria, was killed in a tragic accident. You can visit a blog that has been set up in memory of her here. Please be in prayer for the entire family. From news stories I have read they were in the midst of much family celebration. Emily, their oldest daughter had just gotten engaged and Caleb, their son, is about to graduate. In the midst of these celebrations, God has brought this tragedy.

God of grace and comfort, please bring Your grace and comfort to the Chapman family now. Let them know that in the midst of this unspeakable tragedy you are kind and good and loving. May your grace flow down to them in unimaginable ways to comfort a mom and a dad and brothers and sisters in ways that only You can bring. May You help them to know what is the breadth, and height, and length, and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge, and to be filled with all the fullness of God in this. May You bring good from it. Have compassion and mercy on them Lord and may they make much of You Jesus through this.

Below are lyrics to a song by SCC called, "With Hope" from his Speechless CD.

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

You can listen to the song by going here. Find the Speechless CD. It's track 11.