Maria Chapman

I have been so sad about the Chapman's loss of their little girl.  I went to a blog that is set up for her and watched some video footage that was taken on a recent vacation and at home.  breaks my heart.  I tried to post this poem on their blog, but for some reason it didn't go thru.  So I thought I'd post it here.  

I've used this format for several poems.  It comes from a story that I heard from a Sunday School teacher a long time ago.  She told how her little 6 year old daughter was killed in a car wreck and how her husband, at the funeral said that even if God had said, "you can have this little girl for only 6 years" he still would have said yes.  That stuck with me all this time.  I have written several poems for my own kids and others using that phrase...."I would have said yes".  Not because they died, but just thru the hurdles we all go thru with our kids.  What if God told us about those before he gave us those children, would we have still said yes?  hmmm???  Anyway, here's the poem for Maria Chapman

I WOULD HAVE SAID YES!

Looking back

on 5 short years

Thru all the joys

And all the tears

I thought about

How life might’ve been

Had God not brought you

To us back then,

My reflections of

All the “what ifs….”

Filled my mind

With thoughts of this….

What if God asked

Our permission

To give us this child

he had envisioned

To be our child

To have and hold

To teach his ways

As they grow old

If God had said,

“knowing your child

as you know her

would you have said “yes”

If I had conferred?

If God had said

I’ve got a girl

Who came from 2 people

Somewhere in the world

Though not from your womb

But still from my hand

Do you want her to love

Do you think that you can

Love her so much

There’ll be no division

Between those you’ve birthed

And the one you’ve been given?

Will you love her when

She jumps on the bed

splashes around

And dresses up instead

Of going to sleep

When night becomes late

Can you show her my love

While you patiently wait

For her bedtime prayers

That turn into songs

And you’re tired

but you stay

cause it’s where you belong

And when she is five

And outside to play

As I’m watching and knowing

That this is the day

That she’ll come home

Just as I planned

Do you still want her

For such a short span

Yes, God,

you know what’s best

If  that is the cost

I would still say yes

Knowing Maria

For such a short time

was still worth it all

to watch her light shine

and even though

we cry with pain

We know  in our hearts

Maria remains.

Yes, Maria, we would have said “yes”.