Such sad news this week. On Wednesday May Maria Sue Chapman, the 5 year old daughter of contemporary christian music artist Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth, was struck in the driveway of their Franklin, Tennessee home. She died soon afterwards. Maria was the youngest of their six children, and one of their three adopted Chinese daughters. One of Chapman’s sons was reversing a truck down the driveway and didn’t see her. A tragic situation.

Just hours before, the Chapman family had been celebrating the engagement of their oldest daughter Emily; they were only a few hours away from a graduation party marking Caleb Chapman's completion of high school. At 11am Saturday May 24 Tenessee time (2am Sunday May 25 our time) Maria was laid to rest.

"Enjoy heaven," Steven whispered towards Maria’s coffin, as some 2,000 mourners at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville listened on. "I will see you soon, but not too soon. I hear the roads are made of solid gold and God waits for everyone. When you see that I'm coming, wait for me at the gate.”

Condolences are being received here. I hardly need to ask you to pray for the family at this most difficult of times.