to "Heart of Texas"

“ A sculptor does not use a 'manicure set' to reduce the crude, unshapely marble to a thing of beauty. The saw, the hammer and the chisel are cruel tools, but without them the rough stone must remain forever formless and unbeautiful.

To do His supreme work of grace within you, God will take from your heart everything you love most. Everything you trust in will go from you. Piles of ashes will lie where your most precious treasures used to be!”
— Aiden Wilson Tozer in the opening monologue of The Heart of Texas

I've glimpsed this chiseling in the lives of family and friends who have lost those whom it seems too unbearable to lose.  I've glimpsed it in the lives of family and friends who have forgiven what seems too unbearable to forgive...during these times can be seen, if we are but open to widening our vision, revelations of what life and loss and love and forgiveness can really be about and what Life and Truth and Love and Forgiveness really are. 

Sometimes we are just along for the ride, fists gripping tightly onto God's shirt tails, as the ride is terrifying and we go along reluctantly, and yes, with eyes half-shut....yet we could not let go even if we willed for we are stunned not only at what we endure but at the beauty He creates as He reveals Himself through the journey... revelations of what His Love and His forgiveness really look like.  I fear that as Christians we aren't typically open enough as vessels to truly see Him and His work during these times.  And when we encounter the things that God allows onto our paths we are prone to frenetically attempt to swathe a way through the brambles based on our own limited perceptions.  In the process we can easily lose a little bit of ourselves and a lot of others' along with us....If it weren't for God faithfully foreknowing our weaknesses and shining His grace through both our worst and best attempts to forage on...

I cannot retell the story of "Heart of Texas".  Others have already done it in about as fine of a way as humanly possible.  And I don't want to give away information out of time.  That is not my place.  Perhaps all this post can really end up being is a call-out to see this movie which is based on the lives of the Grove & Jill Norwood and the Ulice Parker families.  I have no idea, nor want to know, which Christian denomination, if any, endorses or sponsors this documentary.  If we concern ourselves with that, we probably miss the point. 

So I'll just let you know that today on television I watched an hour long documentary simply entitled "Heart of Texas."  Three simple words which don't accurately depict what transpired in the lives of these two families, and in the lives of those blessed enough to have been a part of their heart-wrenching yet heart-exhilarating story.  No three human words could accurately summarize these happenings.  I know "Heart of Texas" does not.  Maybe an appropriate title could only be depicted with the tongues of Angels... I know I cannot describe it with any where near complete justice.  It is one of the most bitter-sweet, truth-is-stranger-than-fiction stories that I have encountered in quite some time.

Let me give you but a taste of what there is to soak up if you do decide to share their story:

"I saw an invisible God become visible."  Ulice Parker

"The Character of God is the only stability in Life".  Jill Norwood

"I saw forgiveness for the first time."  Ulice Parker

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels--a plentiful harvest of new lives."  John 12:24 New Living Translation

Hopefully and as a rememberence, we can "leave" knowing that "It is with Joy that God builds His house"....

heartoftexasthemovie.com