“A boy’s story is the best that is ever told.” — Charles Dickens

Stephen Joshua Hensley was born on Monday, June 5, 1989 — the first child of Steve and Beverly Hensley. From the beginning, Stephen was full of life: strong-willed, determined, and brimming with playful energy. There was never a dull moment with him.

He was athletic and loved all kinds of sports. He played t-ball and continued through little league, even earning spots on the all-star team at times. At just four years old, he began karate, eventually earning a first-degree brown belt before deciding to retire from the sport. He also played county league basketball until he was old enough to join the team at Lexington Christian Academy, where he attended school through middle and high school.

At the age of six, Stephen began playing flag football and continued until he completed middle school.

Stephen was vibrant and active, with a deep love for life, family, and friends. Growing up in a minister’s home, he was taught the importance of serving others. At age six, he was baptized and received salvation with the infilling of the Holy Spirit. He spent much of his youth at FPC, where he was deeply involved in church life.

He was such a blessing to our lives, and we cherished watching him grow. Summers were filled with swimming parties, sleepovers, youth group activities, and family trips — to the Smoky Mountains or down to the Florida coast. Life wasn’t perfect, but we were close and mostly happy. Stephen loved his church, his friends, and most of all, his family. He especially loved his younger sister, Anjelika, just four years his junior, but dear to him in every way.

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As time went on, the world began to change — and so did life’s challenges. With age came the not-so-easy side of life. We tried to shield him from ridicule and bullying, from the pain of losing loved ones. But by age 13, we could no longer protect him from the realities of life.

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Stephen found solace in music and writing. At 15, he was signed to begin developing an album. He played a few church concerts and youth events, and was a regular attendee at concerts by artists like 12 Stones, Kings of Leon, MercyMe, Kutless, and more — often as family outings. His last concert, just days before he passed, was Chris Tomlin. That music gave him peace and a sense of purpose.

His first single, “Living to Die,” reflected the depth of his emotions. He wrote:

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“I wrote this song in a state and time when a lot of my friends and family had passed and bad things and trials were happening in my life and in the lives of so many people I knew.”

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Lyrics
I don’t understand everything,
I don’t want to anyway.
I know everything’s gonna be alright,
‘Cause He wipes the tears from my eyes.

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I wish I could change some of the harsh realities he faced in his young life. I wish we lived in a world where tragedy didn’t strike so soon. But I can’t change the past.

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Stephen endured the pain of losing grandparents and close friends. As the world around him changed, he struggled with depression, anxiety, and finding ways to cope.

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He was often misunderstood, but he had deep compassion for people trapped in addiction or living with mental illness. He felt the world didn’t understand those silently suffering. Stephen was real — “what you saw was what you got.” He had the rare gift of meeting people in their pain. He loved deeply — his family, his friends, and his God.

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In the last year — especially the final six months — of his life, Stephen had graduated high school, started working, was planning to get engaged to Charlotte, and was studying to become a minister. He was also seeking a path to work in mental health and substance abuse — hoping to help others find healing, just as he had sought it himself.