Last February, Rick and I traveled to South Africa to see the filming of Redeeming Love. It was so exciting to meet the actors, the director, the crew, and so many other people involved in making the feature film based on my novel. The sets were beyond my dreams, the costumes fantastic, the setting absolutely gorgeous.
When we left, we knew “the shoot” would soon be finished and we looked forward to readying for the theatrical release. There was no hint of COVID and when we arrived home, there still wasn’t a whisper of a pandemic. But before long, news hit of a new virus spreading quickly around the globe and everything changed. I still see it as miraculous that Redeeming Love was “in the can” just twenty-four hours before South Africa shut down, also that the cast and crew were all able to make it safely home.
Months later, an early cut of the movie was brought to our home by producer Cindy Bond and Holly Caruso (the wife of director D.J. Caruso). I was thrilled with what I saw, even without music and other elements that would be added. Just a few weeks ago, I viewed early editions of two trailers, along with numerous samples of poster art. Every step forward makes us that much more eager to see the film in theaters across the country. But sometimes, it seems the closer we come to an actual release date, the more other forces interfere.
It’s frustrating, to say the least.
People keep asking when the movie will be released, and I wish I had an answer other than soon. I must remind myself that nothing surprises God, and all things work according to His plan and timing. Some may wonder where God has been in this crisis. The truth is, He has remained our strength and comfort. His love is unchanging, passionate, and sacrificial. We can count on Him to bring us through it all. And that’s the message of Redeeming Love. When the movie is released, I hope people flood into theaters to see how God brings beauty from ashes and that faith in Him alone, whose love changes us from the inside out, will sustain us through whatever comes.
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T. I. Lowe on Thursday, May 13th for a free, live, online discussion about T.I.’s buzzworthy new release Under the Magnolias (which I loved!), our Redeeming Love connection, Southern fiction, and also news about my next book. Sign up here.