It's In There Somewhere

In the book The Tarzan Chronicles by Howard Green (Hyperion Publishing, 1999) is the story of how the animators brought Tarzan to the motion picture screen. In that book you can read the journals that were kept by the directors of the movie, Chris Buck and Kevin Lima. In Buck's journal, dated February 11, 1997, he describes how they had been working with new writers, but the reels they were showing didn't contain any of the new work. The crew that got to catch a glimpse of the work in progress was not impressed with what they saw. He writes, "Sometimes when a joke didn't get a laugh, I wanted to yell out, We know it's not funny!'

The lights came on after this big explosive sequence and there was silence. I had to yell, 'That's it! No happy ending yet!' There was some polite applause, and I felt like hiding under a rock somewhere. No one came up and said anything, they just silently filed out.

The second screening went better and the group responded more favorably to the opening sequences. We left this time before things got too ugly. Now I'm waiting for the barrage of suggestions and criticisms to come pouring in. I know we've got a good movie. I just hope we can find it" (p. 28).

As I read the journal I was reminded that we are just like that film. They knew it was there somewhere; they just had to find it. And ultimately they did and created a classic animat­ed feature. I know I have the potential to be the person God wants me to be; I just have to keep trying until I discover it. Each one of us is full of God-given potential that allows us to make a difference in the world. Most don't. The reason: they aren't will­ing to do what it takes to be obedient to the Father. Don't give up! God has done all the work! Trust Himand allow Him to bring out in you all that He has placed there, so you might fulfill your destiny.