{"id":45443,"date":"2008-08-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2008-08-25T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/steven-curtis-chapman-on-dealing-with-daughters-death\/"},"modified":"2008-08-25T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2008-08-25T00:00:00","slug":"steven-curtis-chapman-on-dealing-with-daughters-death","status":"publish","type":"sermon-illustrations","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/steven-curtis-chapman-on-dealing-with-daughters-death\/","title":{"rendered":"Steven Curtis Chapman on Dealing with Daughter’s Death"},"content":{"rendered":"

On May 17, 2008, Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman and his family suffered a devastating loss. Five-year-old adopted daughter, Maria, was struck and killed when Chapman's seventeen-year-old son was backing his SUV out of the family's driveway. After much prayer and counsel, Chapman recently returned to touring in promotion for his newest album. Elizabeth Diffin, a freelance reporter, attended one of Chapman's concerts and writes about the experience:<\/p>\n\n

\n

It's not often you leave a concert reflecting on the words of a song by a different artist. But as I exited the July 24, 2008, Steven Curtis Chapman event, the words of a Matt Redman worship song echoed through my head. Chapman opened the concert with "Blessed Be Your Name" just two months after the death of his 5-year-old daughter, Maria Sue, in a tragic accident at the family's home.<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

"Blessed Be Your Name" was also the first song Chapman sang May 21, the day of Maria's death, when he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to sing again. Inspired by the story of Job, at one point the lyrics repeat, "He gives and takes away."<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

"As I sang this song … it wasn't a song, it was a cry, a scream, a prayer," Chapman explained to the audience of nearly 5,000. "I found an amazing comfort and peace that surpasses all understanding."<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

Chapman also shared that after Maria's death, he'd reconsidered the words to all his songs and whether he could still sing—and believe—them. Instead, losing his little girl brought the meaning of some of those songs into sharper focus. One example was "Yours," which addresses how everything in the world belongs to God.<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

"In this song, in particular, I had to come to a new realization," he said. "There's not an inch of creation that God doesn't look at and say 'all of that's mine.'"<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

As a result of that realization in conjunction with Maria's death, Chapman added a new verse to "Yours":<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

I've walked the valley of death's shadow
\nso deep and dark that I could barely breath.
\nI've had to let go of more than I could bear and
\nI've questioned everything that I believe.
\nStill even here in this great darkness
\na comfort and a hope comes breaking through
\nas I can say in life or death
\nGod we belong to you.<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

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