I am glad to hear several Christian radio stations remind contemporary Christian music fans that it has been one year since the tragic loss of Steven Curtis Chapman’s daughter Maria Sue Chapman. Over the last year the Chapman family has bravely shared publicly–on shows like Larry King–the difficulties in their journey through grief, while at the same time somehow remaining a truly inspiring picture of faith. Now, on the anniversary of her daughter’s death, Chapman’s wife, Mary Beth has written a beautiful and heart-wrenching post on her blog.

It seems that Will Franklin, one of the Chapman’s sons and the one who was behind the wheel of the vehicle that was a part of this tragic accident, graduated from high school on the anniversary of Maria’s funeral. Mary Beth posts the words and Scripture that were spoken over Will as part of the ceremony as well as her own thoughts about the many blessings she has experienced in the midst of a painful loss. As she says in her post “God is allowing the chisel and hammer to do his beautiful work in and amongst our friends and family.”
Because I am someone who has experienced her own family losses this year, I am grateful to Mary Beth for reminding all of us that grief is indeed a long process that goes well past the funeral and that we can bear each other’s burdens in grief by continuing to bear witness of the lives that were lost.