God Is In this HIGH TECH World - I KNEW IT!

The following is a blog entry from Jim Houser, who is responsible for the day to day management for Steven Curtis Chapman.

Ever Heard An Invisible Voice?
Have you ever heard an invisible voice? Those of you who've read the blog for awhile know that I'm not prone to overly emotional spiritual moments. I'm a grandson of the pastor of a Bible church, son of an elder/treasurer of a Bible church, love expositional teaching, and I'm a conservative sort of guy. Admitting here now that I don't even raise my hands to worship(!) A few do at my church and I'm freed up to do it : ) but I don't because the truth is I wasn't raised that way and I'm not a good enough singer that I can sing and do that at the same time. : )

I've never heard God speak audibly to me. I've felt Him give direction or say things through a peace in my heart over the course of my life, but never an audible voice. With that set up, I think I can tell this story now. I think I can get it out now.

On Wednesday May 21st, around 5pm, Maria Chapman was hit in the family driveway. Chaos, Tragedy, Awful ensued. I was actually on the phone with Steven when the accident happened on the other side of the house. That's a different story for a different day.
Maria was declared gone around 6 or 6:30p, but I spent most of the evening among a thousand other things, making "no comment" to the media on her condition. We didn't confirm Maria had gone to Jesus until 9:45p or so, because not all of the family, specifically the two little girls had not been told yet. It was important to me that though it was unlikely they would be near a radio or tv and see it or hear it... I still wanted them to know first.

We then spent the evening at the Chapman's home church, Christ Community Church, with friends who had gathered to pray, serving the family anyway I could, interfacing with the media, writing a press release, standing alongside many other friends trying to hold Steven, Mary Beth and the amazing Chapman kids up, trying to keep up with the amazing pastors at the church scheduling meetings for the next day, oh yeah, and I was awfully sad too. I loved that little girl very much. I loved all the people hurting so badly very much too.
What I'm driving at was it was a crazy, crazy, crazy time.

I was emotional, so sad, thinking about an early morning back at it, completely spent, my mind racing with questions for God, for Steven, for answers I would need to have in the morning... actually a little unsure if I could even drive home through the exhaustion and tears.

I remember Geoff and Jan Moore were the last to leave the church at 11pm or so. I remember the parking lot being empty, mine literally the only car. I started my car, I remember looking at the dashboard and seeing the time, 11:07. And then I'm telling you as sure as I am typing on a computer right now, I heard someone say... "the world is going to show up at his website tomorrow." So much so that I turned and looked in the backseat of my car. So certain I had heard someone that I got out of the car and walked around it. I heard an invisible voice.
Now, of all the things I did think of and handle that night, I had not had one thought about this website, something I work on almost every day. With the craziness and the grief and the sadness, I had not considered it at all. I would have missed it. Maybe realized by lunchtime the next day. I called my web guru and said, "Dale, I won't go into why right now but I'm pretty sure the world is going to show up at Steven's website tomorrow. Can you help me with some emergency html tonight?" Dale and I worked through the night trying to accomplish two things (that I thought Steven and the voice would want...) 1. The Gospel be honored. And 2. As much as possible that the world meet sassy, sweet, fun, amazing Maria.

So, you're thinking... Jim thinks that's a message from God? Does God care about websites? If that's a message from God... seems like a pretty lame message. Maybe Jim was just a little loony from the exhaustion and emotion. Fair enough. But... Friends, I'm not a spiritually emotional sort of fellow. There was a voice. He said, "the world is going to show up at his website tomorrow." ok, look I'm bolding it to make sure you know I really think and know it happened. There was a voice. He said, "the world is going to show up at his website tomorrow." See bold. I mean business.

And I'll admit, it took me a few days to even tell my wife the story. I doubted myself. The website, whatever. We lost Maria and God is giving messages about websites? How about "Maria is safe with me" or "The Chapmans will be ok" instead God? Or how about talking to the Chapmans, they really need to hear from you. Come on.

I've just realized in recent days why the website was so important on that day, why I think God did care, why I think the Holy Spirit tapped me on the shoulder about it audible style. The next morning, the world did show up. Way more of it than I could have expected. Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS This Morning, radio stations around the country, CNN Headline News, MSNBC.com, FoxNews.com, LATimes.com, Entertainment Tonight, etc etc... and their viewers and listeners. When they got to StevenCurtisChapman.com we had a video showing off this amazing, crazy fun, gusto little girl and a small quote from me (because I didn't want Steven stuck with it if it was bad) And I was trying to show what I already knew just hours into this valley... that the Chapmans believe the Gospel is true... even now. Especially now. That video and that quote went around the world, quite literally.
I pray God used it for His glory. I think He did. I was honored to be a part of it, and I would have missed it. He had to speak so loud I could hear Him through the haze I was in that it actually had to be out loud. If you doubt that God cares, I ask you to watch for Him show up in the little things the next few days. I think He still speaks through His word, through His Spirit, sometimes in most unusual ways too. Actually... now... I'm quite certain of it.
Thank you for your prayers for the Chapman family. You are holding this family up and I'm so grateful to you.

I thought this was a GREAT testimony to God who really does take care of EVERY detail.
God Bless You and please keep praying for the Chapmans.