I have been a fan of Steven Curtis Chapman from way back and his song, I Will Be Here, holds a special place in my heart as my husband recorded himself singing it to be played during our wedding. I was not familiar with his wife, Mary Beth, but remember well when I heard of the tragedy that struck their family in May of 2008. My heart as a mother hurt for them as I can only imagine the pain of losing a child but then to have another of my children be the one who had responsibility for the accident can only add unbearable ache.
I had heard bits and pieces about Mary Beth and her book so I have been intrigued to read her story but did not take the time until finding the 2018 Reading Challenge where the first book was a biography. As a storm was coming our way that could possibly keep us at home for a day or so, I ran to the library to find a biography. The first one my daughter and I saw was this one so I decided to finally learn more of Mary Beth and her family's journey.
The first half of the book focused on her childhood and young adult years focusing on her spiritual struggles with faith. I enjoyed hearing how she and Steven met and their early years. Her transparency regarding her struggle with depression and how that led her to lean more on the Lord was refreshing. The rest of the book focused on the day of the tragedy and the up and down journey of the next 2 years. This was the part of the book that my trashcan was overflowing with tissues as my heart broke putting myself in her shoes as much as possible. Many of the last chapters contained blog posts that Mary Beth had written over that year and half. Her transparency into her thoughts, feelings and emotions as she fought to have some kind of understanding of why her family was put through this tragedy was encouraging that if the Lord ever chose to have me face a similar suffering, I can have hope that clinging to the Lord is the only way I could make it through.
I encourage you to read this but if you are hormonal, menopausal or cry at the drop of a hat like I do lately, have a few boxes of tissues nearby.
