When Calls the Heart

I truly enjoyed the series “When Calls the Heart” on Hallmark Chanel with 12 hourly segment each week. 

The movie is slightly based on the book with the same name by Jeanette Oke, a Canadian Christian writer.  I read the original story as well and discovered it quite different from the movie. 

The series describes the life of a young woman, Elizabeth Thatcher, who follows her dream to the Canadian West.  She is deeply moved by her faith as she is confronted with the pioneering life and encounters many problems many of us face: loneliness, misunderstanding, disappointment, rejection and grief but her faith, perseverance and commitment sustain her and show her the value of listening to God and obeying His voice.

Today, I finally understood why I was so moved by the story.  It reminded me in many ways of my own life.  I had been restless and searching for more than seven years when I got my call from God.  Finally, at the beginning of 1973 I met a lady from the Unification Church who introduced me to the study of the Divine Principle.  I wrote once before of my experience of coming to America.

Following this call from God, I experienced all the same emotions Elizabeth was faced with.  I didn’t go to the Canadian Wilderness, but rather became a pioneer to experience people and situations in this country with different belief systems, diverse backgrounds, and most of all unusual behaviors which challenged my own faith in humanity.  Through it all I have come to depend more on my internal guidance and trust in God.

While watching the movie series and also reading the book and other writings of Jeanette Oke, I learned to appreciate her approach of always going back to the basics: prayer and study of the word.  Our faith becomes often weak, and we forget who is really directing our lives.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

~ Hebrews 11:1

What I liked most about the show is that it allowed things to happen naturally without forcing them.  It permits God to work in our lives when we agree to the truth and be agreeable with others.  I refer here to the way the relationship between Jack and Elizabeth developed.  Both of them in their own way were resolved to not marry.  Jack was honor-bound to his job as a Mountie with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, while Elizabeth didn’t want to marry a Western Canadian and wanted to pursue her courier as a teacher.  Except the Lord had different plans for both of them, and they finally surrendered to the love they felt for each other.

 

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

~ Matthew 5:16

I am deeply grateful to God for allowing me to delight in a modern-day show, using it to renewing my faith and discovering the burning light within me.