Submitted By Chris Paterson
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They say a life cut short reminds us of how precious each breath is. But what happens when that life doesn’t just end in sorrow, but begins in meaning?
In this episode of Sheepdog & Shepherd, Greg and Kyle are joined by Chelsey and Chris Hines, the parents of Madison “Maddie” Hines. Just days before her 4th birthday, their family faced the tragic and unspeakable loss of Maddie.
After spending the day celebrating several family milestones, the car carrying Chelsey, Maddie, Maddie’s grandmother, and sister Kinsley was struck by an illegal immigrant who had just run a stop sign.
They join the show to discuss her life, her love, and the profound impact her memory continues to make.
The couple shares their journey of navigating grief - the silence in the house where her laughter once echoed, the anguish of a mother who looks at photos of her beloved daughter, only to wake and realize she’s gone. It’s not just sadness, it is shock, disbelief, anger, and yearning.
But also, flickers of a faith that seeks to redeem tragedy.
As the Hines family retells the story of that awful day, they also share how their faith has strengthened. Their loss becomes a lens through which they press forward into service, advocacy, and connection with those who suffer.
Chelsey and Chris refuse to let Maddie’s memory recede.
Instead, they carry her forward in their actions through their nonprofit, Love Like Maddie, where their mission is to “spread the love, hope, and truth of Jesus through service, outreach, and discipleship.”
They also honor her by sharing their testimony publicly to help others find strength and engaging in ministry to help others navigate faithfully through loss and forgiveness.
The family shares their inspiration - “Maddie's life, filled with her love for the church, her enthusiasm for music, singing, and dancing, and her fearless approach to embracing every moment…She loved fiercely, gave the best hugs, and taught us to live uninhibitedly. Our mission is to embody these characteristics, spreading Maddie's light by nurturing a spirit of love, service, and joy in our community. “
We don’t just feel for the Hines family; we feel with them. The weight of their loss, and the dignity of their response, becomes a silent call: how would we live in the face of sorrow?
Maddie’s days on Earth may have been few, but her “story”, her influence, her legacy, is ongoing. In many ways, this mirrors what faith traditions teach: that while our bodies may return to dust, love, memory, and impact persist. Maddie’s life is now told not as a tale of defeat, but as testimony.
Maddie’s short life reminds us that we aren’t guaranteed long timelines, but we are given opportunities to make days meaningful.
So, let’s carry her story with us and love like Maddie. Let’s reach out to others who grieve, plant hope in places of despair, and let the love we bear outlast the years we have.
Because sometimes, the most fragile lives are the ones with the strongest echoes.
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