I was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. My Father was a Baptist minister and my mother was a godly woman, so, obviously, I grew up in the church. I started singing and playing the piano at age 3 and soon began to travel all over the southeast with my dad - he would preach and I would sing. My daddy was my hero and I loved him so much! He was the spiritual influence in my life and always encouraged me.

I knew at a very early age that God was calling me to a life of service – a life surrendered to His ministry. I was saved and baptized at the age of seven and soon after graduating from high school was married. Two years later I went through a painful divorce and was deeply hurt and devastated. All my life I had lived for the Lord - had served Him and been faithful and simply couldn’t understand why this was happening to me. So, through my hurt, I became angry and blamed God. I stopped going to church and quit singing- I wanted nothing more to do with any of it.

My precious daddy would come over to see me every Saturday to invite me to church, but every time he did, I told him I didn’t want to go and would ask him to stop coming over to talk to me about it. As he would leave, he would turn and look at me with tears in his eyes and say, “Remember, Daddy’s praying for you and if you don’t use your talent for the Lord, He will take it away from you.” I would tremble because I knew what he was saying was true, yet my heart was hard and I was still bitter. I turned a deaf ear to my father’s pleading – but my Heavenly Father knew just how to get my attention.

My daddy got sick and was placed in ICU for two weeks. The doctor gathered the family together and told us they had done all they could do for my father, but he probably wouldn’t make it through the night. I became overwhelmed with this news and couldn’t bear the thought of my daddy leaving this world not knowing that his baby girl wasn’t at peace with God. So, I fell down on my knees right there in the ICU and called out to God and begged for His forgiveness. I asked Him not to take my Daddy like this and promised I would get back in His will. I told Him that I would do whatever was in His will for me to do – all I wanted was enough time to tell my father that I had rededicated my life.

The next morning, the doctors came in and said that they simply couldn’t explain the change in my father, but they were going to take him off life support to see how he would do. I knew then that God had done this for me. God - the GREAT physician - touched my father that night just for ME. He knew how to get my attention in the way my Daddy never could. My father quickly recovered and came home a few weeks later.

Several months after he came home from the hospital, I started singing with a gospel group and traveled with them for almost 6 years. My daddy would come with us on the bus and always sat on the front pew. He was so happy that I was doing what God had called me to do.

On November 11, 1997, my father passed away, but he left this world with peace in his heart knowing everything was well between the Lord and me. You see, God didn’t have to give me one minute more with my daddy – but He gave me five wonderful years

God was merciful to me and I am determined to live the rest of my life doing what I promised Him that day in the hospital. I love my Lord and Savior and can never repay Him, but I can certainly be a vessel to promote His Word through song. My prayer is that this ministry will be a blessing to all and a hope to those who are discouraged, through both my testimony and my song.

God Bless,

Darlene Chapman