A Night of Love

'And the winner is..."
The winners of the DOVE Awards at the Grand Ole Opry last night were not only the artists holding the trophies, but every person fortunate enough to have secured a seat for this Christian event walked away a winner.
The talent was phenomenal: Natalie Grant, Brandon Heath, 10th Avenue South, Mary Mary, Chris Tomlin, Third Day and so many more.
Expecting to be entertained there was not a dry eye as we somberly walked out of the theater after the final award was presented.
There was a feeling of unity in that building, but never more so than when Steven Curtis Chapman started to sing his 2008 hit song, Cinderella'. He began:

"She spins and she sways to whatever song plays,
Without a care in the world.
And I'm sittin' here wearin' the weight of the world on my shoulders.
It's been a long day and there's still work to do,
She's pulling at me saying "Dad I need you!
There's a ball at the castle and I've been invited and I need to practice my dancin'"
"Oh please, daddy, please!"

So I'll dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I'll dance with Cinderella
I don't wanna miss even one song,
Cuz all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone..."

At the final..."and she'll be gone..." was changed to..."and she'll keep dancing."
The crowd stood to their feet and broke into clapping as the tears rolled down their cheeks.
Steven Curtis Chapman wrote this song for his three daughters, ages 5,6 and 7; special girls that his family adopted from China. When his older daughter, Emily, (he also has two teenage sons)was away at college he realized how quickly she grew up and he wanted to take the time to enjoy Shohannah, Stevie Joy and Maria Sue. He was going to savor the time spent with his 'Cinderellas'.

"All too soon the clock struck midnight, and Maria Sue was gone..."

Tradegy does not play favorites, and the Chapman family are enduring mammoth portions of grief as they work through the grief that tears apart their hearts as they learn to cope with life after the death of a family member.
Graduation party, kids playing outside, Emily's recent engagement - the day had all of the components of a day made in heaven.
Hours before the festivities were to start the 16-year-old son hopped in his SUV to do last minute pre-party errands. As he backed up on the family property he had no way of knowing that little Maria Sue had run behind his vehicle.
The thud, the scream, the tears, the horror, as Steven held his dying daughter in his arms, before she went to her eternal father to be held forever.
Finally, the biggest award of the evening..."And the winner for the Artist of the Year is...Steven Curtis Chapman!"
Applause thundered through the walls as everyone stood to their feet.

There are a lot of reasons why I am standing here,'' Chapman said while standing next to his wife.

"The reason we are standing here, it's nothing we know about music, but it was our ability to communicate the hope that we have. Our hope is not in this life,'' said Chapman, adding that his hope has helped him to have a bolder testimony. "Jesus is coming and He can't come soon enough for me."

As Steven and his wife walked off of the stage, tears brimming in their eyes and shoulders noticeably slumped, there was a feeling of community in a auditorium filled with 4400 seats, all occupied by people helping the Chapman carry their burden while lifting up prayers for strength to cope and bring hope to the world, faith in a God that is bigger than anything on this earth.

"And the winners are..."
Every person who was blessed to have a ticket to that heartfelt event last night.

"So I'll dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Ohh-oh ohh-oh, I'll dance with Cinderella
I don't wanna miss even one song,
Cuz all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone."


Dance with the Cinderellas in your life while they is still on your dance floor. All too soon they will be gone...


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