His Story, Not Mine (Choose to See)

Grammy and Dove Award winning recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, had an unimaginably hard choice to make in 2008. May 21 of that year, their 17-year-old son Will drove into their driveway and struck their youngest daughter, 5-year-old Maria, killing her.

This incredibly painful time led them to a crossroad: Denounce their faith in God’s sovereignty and love that they have long professed and let Maria’s death destroy their family or trust that the Lord had a bigger plan they were not aware of to redeem this situation.

Mary Beth chronicled this terribly difficult journey and her lifelong struggle with self-esteem and depression issues in a very poignant book titled Choosing to See: A Journey of Struggle and Hope. In the end the Chapman family determined to trust even when nothing made sense, to hang on when their lives were swirling out of control.

A Choice

We all have times in our own lives that we must choose—some more tragic than others. How are we going to respond to life’s circumstances when they go against our plans?

We all must answer this question: How am I going to respond to life's circumstances when they go against my plans? Share on X

It is a conscious choice we all have to make at some point.

Life is a dance but often our toes get stepped on or worse yet, we trip and end up on the floor. The choice is to either get back up and resume dancing or nurse our wounds and miss out on the joy that could be ours.

To be honest, I came close to quitting—on several occasions! However, God’s love kept speaking to me, drawing me back into the dance.

It is only in recent years as I try to ascertain God’s will for my life that I have begun to see how the Lord is redeeming the loss of my five babies through miscarriage.

And as I have purposed to see Rachel (my daughter with special needs) as her Maker does—perfectly made in His image—my joy in her has grown.

New and exciting traits are now apparent that were lost when I chose to define her by her disabilities. I delight (and sometimes cringe) in her mischievous bent, her love for rough-housing, and her ability to minister to others.

Choose to See

In her book, Mary Beth summed up what has become apparent to me as well: “I can choose to SEE His story, or I can miss it.” I pray that you, too, will find the strength to see! And Jesus will meet you there!

Song by Steven Curtis Chapman

Choose to see God's story, to believe He has a bigger plan, even in the hard times. Share on X

Reflections: How have you seen God’s grace at work in your life?