Faith Stories with Naomi Reed   |   March 27th, 2020 02:23 AM

“I like to think I’m a joyful person. I walk down the street and I try and get eye contact with people. I try and smile at them, or strike up a conversation. I say hello. I think there’s a calling for each of us, as Christians, to be joyful. But if you asked me what I’m reading in the Bible, I’d say James 1:2-3 – ‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance …’ And that’s the question. How do we be joyful in trials? What is joy? My wife died ten years ago. Losing her was the most horrific thing that’s happened to me. I still can’t talk too much about it. It affects all of my life, even now. I live with grief. Nobody can grasp it till it happens. Occasionally, I call Lifeline and I talk to them. They listen. And I read the Bible. I read James. James says, this is how to live. And that’s what I need right now. I need to remember that my joy comes from my faith in Jesus.”