When I worked at Focus on the Family, I had the privilege of spending an entire hour with Steven Curtis Chapman. Yep, he and me, alone in a room, talking about his family’s new adventure of adoption. It was when he just released “When Love Takes You In,” a song dedicated to the adoption of his daughter Shaohannah from China. The excitement in the Chapman family lead to Shaohannah’s Hope, an adoption ministry that has helped thousands of families make it possible to bring children home from China. The Chapmans adopted two more girls from China since I wrote the article for Focus on the Family.
Three days ago, when we were traveling cross-country to Minnesota, the Chapmans lost their youngest daughter, Maria, in a tragic accident in their driveway. Busy with our trip and sort of removed from the world, I just found out about this last night (you may have already heard about it). My heart is simply broken for their beautiful family. Here’s a post from the Chapman manager and friend:
Maria Sue Chapman, adopted and youngest daughter to Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, was killed tonight in a tragic accident in the family driveway on Wednesday evening. She was LifeFlighted to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital but for only reasons God can explain she went home to Him… Not to Franklin as we all so desperately wanted.
The family eventually left the hospital and was surrounded by friends and family at their home church where many had instinctively gathered to hug and cry and pray together. There must have been 250 people or more there at this impromptu gathering after 9pm at night
Friends. Please pray for this family who has loved so generously so many.
I don’t know about you, but I am hugging my kids tightly this day! Our prayers are out to the Chapmans as they grieve. We are crying with them…
About Chris & Wendy Jeub
