Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman Summary
Overview of Choosing to SEE
When tragedy claimed Mary Beth Chapman's daughter, she chose to see God's presence in darkness. This NYT bestseller chronicles her raw journey through grief to hope, praised by Chuck Colson as "a book you won't put down until you've wept, laughed, and relished every page."
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Key takeaways
A Shattered Fairytale
Mary Beth Chapman never wanted to be the protagonist of a tragedy. Growing up in a structured home with her "Supervac" mother's immaculate housekeeping, she developed an early craving for control and perfection. When nine-year-old Mary Beth made a single mistake coloring a Holly Hobby picture, she ripped it to shreds in frustration-a pattern that would follow her into adulthood. Her spiritual life felt equally rigid: her church taught her more about fearing the loss of salvation than understanding grace. Her relationship with God was transactional-work hard, be good enough, don't mess up. College brought a fresh start and an unexpected plot twist: Steven Curtis Chapman, a mullet-wearing country boy with cowboy boots and a green guitar. Despite her intentions to marry someone predictable-perhaps an accountant-she found herself drawn to this musician. Within six weeks, they were declaring their love. Their marriage revealed a fundamental personality clash: his bouncy Tigger optimism permanently linked to her pessimistic Eeyore outlook. They settled into a tiny apartment with their meager savings and a green Ford Pinto, while Steven pursued his music dreams and Mary Beth worked as a hospital secretary. Life accelerated quickly. Their first child Emily arrived in 1986, followed by sons Caleb and Will. Meanwhile, Steven's music career soared with multiple awards and hit songs. But beneath their seemingly perfect exterior-beautiful children, Steven's booming career, their new Victorian farmhouse-something was deeply wrong inside Mary Beth.
Darkness and Light Collide
Love Multiplied
Walking Through the Valley
Beauty From Ashes
Choosing to See
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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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