David had seen the film in its various stages, with and without music. There were cuts that Nate had made on advice of an industry professional who had caught wind of the project. The woman had edited some major films and was as committed to life as David and Nate. She believed in the message and suggested a few ideas, which Nate took.

From the moment the lights went down, the audience quieted and seemed captured by the fast-moving drama on the screen. The tension crescendoed until the moment David stood in front of Melissa’s house and she ran toward him and embraced him, sobbing uncontrollably. David turned his head and saw men and women with hands over their mouths, some visibly weeping, unashamed of their tears.

“Gets me every time,” Nate whispered, buttery popcorn on his breath.

Courtney hung on to David’s arm when she came on the screen, then with both hands covered her eyes. David put an arm around her and whispered, “You were fantastic, little sister. Awesome!”

The crowd laughed when David and Melissa jumped from the plane. Nate raised his eyebrows and smiled at the footage because he had cut himself completely out of the jump.

When the credits rolled, the audience stood and applauded and a microphone was brought to center stage.

David was the first to speak. “Thank you all for coming. I know many of you have seen some of the film before, but we want to share it now with as many as we can online. The story is not just about me and my birth parents and my adoptive parents. I really believe it’s bigger than that.

“Our stories are given to us to steward. And we can decide to keep them hidden or release them into the world. A lot of our lives we want to keep to ourselves. The mistakes. The things we regret. Things we’re ashamed of. But somehow God uses all of that to showcase His grace and how much He really loves us. And I hope that comes through every time people see this film.”

Melissa stepped to the microphone. “I look at myself up there and it’s almost like I’m looking at another person. I never wanted to tell that story. But seeing it again tonight helps me remember all those years ago and the scared teenager I was.

“David was an answer to a prayer I hadn’t prayed,” she continued. “I didn’t know God back then. And I couldn’t see Him in the pain and the struggle. How do you reach out to hold a hand you can’t see? You can’t do it. But tonight, I give God thanks that He saw me and that He was there for me when I didn’t even know it. He was holding me even though I thought I was alone.