and explained the contract had included a character clause.
“The tabloids, right?” Dayne’s agent didn’t sound surprised.
“Exactly.” Keith kept his tone even. “The way it is now, if we were filming, Brandon would be breaking that part of the contract. Which means we’d no longer be obligated to keep him in the film. And we wouldn’t be obligated to pay him, either.”
The agent ranted for a while, explaining Brandon was an angel compared to so many Hollywood stars. But by the end of the conversation, Keith was sure that they had gotten the attention of the agent. He expected the man’s next call would be to Brandon, ordering him to clean up his act immediately.
“I keep thinking about that verse in the Bible, about what good is it for a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul.” Keith sat back down at the table and felt the heaviness of the past hour hit him square on his shoulders. “It applies to all of us.” He smiled, weary from the thought of Brandon’s antics. “I’m glad we made those calls.”
“Me too.” Dayne took the seat beside him. “I could’ve done movies full of compromise all day long. That’s all that was available when I walked away from Hollywood. But this…what we’ve got with Jeremiah Productions. This is special. We have to be the gatekeepers.”
Yes, that was it. Keith nodded. Gatekeepers. God had assigned them a small kingdom in the land of moviemaking, and now they needed to guard the gates with every breath, every action they took. “Let’s pray for a minute. I feel like the enemy is pushing in on us. We need the Lord’s Spirit so we can tell when someone’s rushing the gate.”
Dayne nodded, his face pensive, serious. “Absolutely.” He folded his hands and hung his head.
Keith did the same, and he prayed as intensely as he had back when they were filming The Last Letter and the union tried to shut them down. This wasn’t as overt, but it was even more a threat to the work they wanted to accomplish for Christ. Keith asked God to give them wisdom and discernment in the decisions that lie ahead. “And most of all, Lord, please give us courage. Make us brave enough to walk away from something the world would never walk away from. Give us ears to hear your voice above the noise of Hollywood, so that Unlocked becomes a film that turns the hearts of the people back to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
As they finished, Dayne’s eyes lit up. “Hey, I didn’t tell you. On our break, my brother called. He and his wife just got news—their adoption agency has a baby for them. A boy.”
“A baby! That’s fantastic.” Keith thought how different life must be right now in Luke Baxter’s house. He and his wife would be celebrating, thanking God for the new life headed their way. None of the heartbreak he and Lisa were experiencing with Andi. It was a tremendous coincidence, really. That Dayne’s brother would be preparing their home for a baby, while he and Lisa and Andi were preparing to say goodbye to Andi’s son, their first grandchild. “Have they met the birthmother?”
“I think so. I guess she just signed the paperwork.” He hesitated. “I think that’s what he said. He kept cutting out.” Dayne grinned. “Reception here still isn’t what it is in LA. Besides, I guess it’s pretty early.”
Suddenly Keith realized this was no coincidence. If God wanted Andi to give up her baby, then maybe He planned this timing just perfectly. In the coming weeks, Andi could meet with Luke and his wife and see what a gift adoption was for a family like theirs. In fact, maybe he and Lisa could join Andi in that conversation. So that all their hearts could better understand whatGod was calling Andi to do. He sat back in his chair. “Let’s pray for Luke, okay. We should do that right now.”
“Definitely.” Dayne’s eyes danced. “My brother sounded gid-dy, so yeah…he would appreciate our prayers for sure.”
Keith took the lead. “Lord, You
“The tabloids, right?” Dayne’s agent didn’t sound surprised.
“Exactly.” Keith kept his tone even. “The way it is now, if we were filming, Brandon would be breaking that part of the contract. Which means we’d no longer be obligated to keep him in the film. And we wouldn’t be obligated to pay him, either.”
The agent ranted for a while, explaining Brandon was an angel compared to so many Hollywood stars. But by the end of the conversation, Keith was sure that they had gotten the attention of the agent. He expected the man’s next call would be to Brandon, ordering him to clean up his act immediately.
“I keep thinking about that verse in the Bible, about what good is it for a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul.” Keith sat back down at the table and felt the heaviness of the past hour hit him square on his shoulders. “It applies to all of us.” He smiled, weary from the thought of Brandon’s antics. “I’m glad we made those calls.”
“Me too.” Dayne took the seat beside him. “I could’ve done movies full of compromise all day long. That’s all that was available when I walked away from Hollywood. But this…what we’ve got with Jeremiah Productions. This is special. We have to be the gatekeepers.”
Yes, that was it. Keith nodded. Gatekeepers. God had assigned them a small kingdom in the land of moviemaking, and now they needed to guard the gates with every breath, every action they took. “Let’s pray for a minute. I feel like the enemy is pushing in on us. We need the Lord’s Spirit so we can tell when someone’s rushing the gate.”
Dayne nodded, his face pensive, serious. “Absolutely.” He folded his hands and hung his head.
Keith did the same, and he prayed as intensely as he had back when they were filming The Last Letter and the union tried to shut them down. This wasn’t as overt, but it was even more a threat to the work they wanted to accomplish for Christ. Keith asked God to give them wisdom and discernment in the decisions that lie ahead. “And most of all, Lord, please give us courage. Make us brave enough to walk away from something the world would never walk away from. Give us ears to hear your voice above the noise of Hollywood, so that Unlocked becomes a film that turns the hearts of the people back to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
As they finished, Dayne’s eyes lit up. “Hey, I didn’t tell you. On our break, my brother called. He and his wife just got news—their adoption agency has a baby for them. A boy.”
“A baby! That’s fantastic.” Keith thought how different life must be right now in Luke Baxter’s house. He and his wife would be celebrating, thanking God for the new life headed their way. None of the heartbreak he and Lisa were experiencing with Andi. It was a tremendous coincidence, really. That Dayne’s brother would be preparing their home for a baby, while he and Lisa and Andi were preparing to say goodbye to Andi’s son, their first grandchild. “Have they met the birthmother?”
“I think so. I guess she just signed the paperwork.” He hesitated. “I think that’s what he said. He kept cutting out.” Dayne grinned. “Reception here still isn’t what it is in LA. Besides, I guess it’s pretty early.”
Suddenly Keith realized this was no coincidence. If God wanted Andi to give up her baby, then maybe He planned this timing just perfectly. In the coming weeks, Andi could meet with Luke and his wife and see what a gift adoption was for a family like theirs. In fact, maybe he and Lisa could join Andi in that conversation. So that all their hearts could better understand whatGod was calling Andi to do. He sat back in his chair. “Let’s pray for Luke, okay. We should do that right now.”
“Definitely.” Dayne’s eyes danced. “My brother sounded gid-dy, so yeah…he would appreciate our prayers for sure.”
Keith took the lead. “Lord, You
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