This month, Steven Curtis Chapman and Mitchell Tenpenny released a new collaboration of the song, “Don’t Lose Heart” after they had an unexpected encounter during an I Am Second filming. Their story is a combination of friendship, mentorship and healing that comes through the shared belief in putting Jesus first.
For the full story read this I Am Second blog
About the new film
In the new White Chair Film released by global storytelling organization I Am Second, Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman shares how brokenness, grief and his tendency to be a “fixer” influenced his music over his career that has spanned 35 years. With a remarkable 49 No. 1 singles, Chapman is the most awarded artist in Christian music history.
“Really my songs have just been kind of tearing pages out of the journal of my life, and saying, ‘This is what I'm learning, this is what I'm struggling with,’” said Chapman. “I'm taking three steps forward, I take two steps back. Some days, 20 steps back. I'm going to talk to you about that journey as honestly and as vulnerably as I can.’”
Over the course of his life, the singer, songwriter and musician has experienced mountaintops beyond anything he could have imagined and deeper valleys than he would ever have expected. Building a family with his wife, Mary Beth, included the blessing of three biological children and later adopting three more. When a tragic accident took the life of their five-year-old daughter 14 years ago, it resulted in a long season of the deepest grief imaginable.
“For a guy who's a fixer to ultimately face the most unfixable thing you could ever imagine as a parent, and as a husband... I asked God, ‘Are we going to survive this?,” said Chapman in the film. “How am I going to lead my family through this?”
Chapman relayed that it was his foundation of faith and deep trust in the Lord that supplied the hope he and his family needed to endure and heal from their pain and grief. They held tightly to the knowledge that we only see a little part of the story, and the story isn’t over yet.
“The promise of God is that there's a day coming when He's going to wipe every tear from our eyes,” noted Chapman. “He's going to make all the things that are broken whole again. And He’s not going to waste any part of our story. As I’ve held onto that and written songs about it, I can’t shut up about it, because it’s what’s kept me alive. I want to keep telling that story. I want to keep writing those songs.”
About I Am Second
I Am Second is a nonprofit launched in 2008 that ignites hope and inspires people to live for God and for others. Its website, iamsecond.com, features written and film-based stories of more than 150 athletes, actors, models, musicians, cultural influencers and everyday people who have stepped in front of the camera and declared, “I Am Second.” For information, visit iamsecond.com.