I was in the first base dugout of Dodger Stadium when I met Louis Zamperini. Louis had just addressed a stadium filled with 50,000 people at the evangelistic Harvest Crusades held in Los Angeles. He was well into his 90’s, yet Louis still had a skip in his step. And he had just walked off stage after sharing about how Jesus changed his life after World War II. It was a powerful testimony.

As he approached where I was standing, I debated whether I should introduce myself. As a freelance video producer you are often in the company of well-known people, and you quickly learn to just treat them like everyone else and get your job done—but Louis was different. He was smiling and talking with everyone he passed. I knew it would be OK to say hi.

So as he came near, I reached out my hand, introduced myself, and said I was glad to meet him. The stadium was loud and he was hard of hearing, but his eyes were alive and he looked directly at me. “Good to meet you,” Louis said. And then I asked if we could take a quick photo together. He said, “Sure!”

Our meeting was brief, but somehow I was struck by the joy he had in Jesus. It was very clear that Christ was the focus of his life and he wanted everyone to know it. As I shook his hand, I felt like I was touching history. This man ran in the Olympics, met Hitler, fought for freedom in World War II, and survived the horrors of a Japanese prison camp. But more importantly, this man met Jesus Christ.

His life was a living testimony to the saving power of Christ. When he came home from the war, he was a broken man. Though he had shown an “unbroken” spirit of resolve, the reality was that the torment of war and torture took its toll. He turned to alcohol to distract himself from his nightmares. His marriage was on the rocks. And then one day in 1949, when his wife had enough, she took him to the now famous Billy Graham Crusade in Los Angeles.

According to Laura Hillenbrand’s biography about Louis’ life, he said he was skeptical about that evening. In fact, as Billy preached about Judgment Day and how God would judge mankind’s sinful nature, Louis grew more and more irritated.

Hillenbrand wrote, “Louie felt indignant rage flaring in him, a struck match. ‘I am a good man,’ he thought. ‘I am a good man.’”

And just at the moment that Louis wanted to run out, Billy uttered profound words that caught his attention, “Here tonight, there’s a drowning man, a drowning boy, a drowning girl that is lost out in the sea of life,” Billy proclaimed. But as Billy continued to preach, he told of “hell and salvation, men saved and men lost.” This ticked Louis off and he quickly left during the prayer.

That night, Louis had more nightmares. Though he did not want to return the next day to see Billy preach, he agreed to go on one condition—that they leave during the prayer. Billy preached that night about mankind’s need for Jesus and how God works through suffering. Once again, this irritated Louis. When the prayer began, he and his wife slipped out again. But before he could leave the tent, God captured Louis’ heart by reminding him of a promise that he had made when he was lost at sea. Louis remembered that he prayed, “If you will save me, I will serve you forever.” That night, Louis gave his life to Jesus. He went home and poured out all of his liquor. He slept peacefully for the first time in five years. And he began to read the Bible for himself. The broken man was now a new creation in Jesus.

Louis went on to speak for decades about how Jesus can change lives. After all, he was a perfect example of God’s power working in a broken life. He no longer had anything to prove. He no longer had to earn anyone’s respect. Louis had been saved by grace and was full of zeal to tell people about Jesus. He helped to start a camp for delinquent kids. He shared the gospel on network news. And he went back to Japan to forgive his captors and share the gospel with them.

Back in Dodger stadium, Louis was still serving the Lord as he shared his faith with tens of thousands of people. He was the same man on stage that I met backstage—full of energy and grace. I’m thankful that I got to hear him share about the most important part of his life on that warm, summer evening. Despite his heroics that are celebrated in the book and movie, Louis would tell anyone that if he had died a hero without Jesus, it would’ve all been for loss. But after he received the grace of Christ, his life had been forever changed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Troy Lamberth is the executive producer of HAVEN Today. On the side, he teaches film at Providence Christian College, produces documentaries, and often teaches at his church. He enjoys discovering how Jesus is involved in all aspects of our lives—from faith to film to family—and how our relationship with him shapes the way we live. He and his wife Melissa have three young children.

 

Louis Zamperini’s life story reads like a Hollywood script. If you didn’t know it was a true story, you would guess it was a modern day fable. Readers around the world have been amazed and inspired by his story chronicled in Laura Hillenbrand’s bestselling book Unbroken. It’s no surprise that there are now two feature films depicting his extraordinary life.

His story is one of survival, but it all started with a childhood experience. He was an Italian immigrant’s son who spoke no English when he entered school. Bullied by other classmates, he fought back and became a juvenile delinquent. Zamperini described himself in an interview with Charles Morris as a “rotten child.”

Zamperini’s brother encouraged him to pour his energy into something good. He finally understood that he was heading down the wrong path and decided to run track. Quickly realizing he was good at it, Zamperini held the interscholastic record for the mile run before finishing High School.

In 1936, Zamperini made the U.S. Olympic Team and competed in Berlin. His running style and fast finish made such an impression on the Germans that Adolf Hitler asked to meet him. And though he didn’t medal in his event, Zamperini was predicted to be a top contender for the 1940 Olympics in Finland.

But like so many in his generation, his life was interrupted by another world war. His plane would crash in the Pacific Ocean, leaving him to survive on a raft for a month and a half, fending off sharks, hunger, and thirst—Zamperini was barely clinging to life. It was in that emaciated state that he was “rescued” and came face-to-face with one of the true horrors of World War II—a cruel and skillful torturer known as “The Bird.” Lesser men would have broken quickly, and most did. But Louis Zamperini outlasted his torturer and was able to come home when the war was over.

Only upon returning home did Zamperini realize just how broken he truly was. Nightmares brought on by post-traumatic stress began deteriorating his relationship with his wife and family. For him and his family, World War II wasn’t really over.

Louis & Cynthia Zamperini married in 1946

He was barely holding it together until he attended the 1949 Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles where he became a born-again follower of Christ. It was only there that this unbroken hero finally acknowledged he was a broken sinner in need of a savior.

Miraculously, the nightmares stopped and Louis was transformed. From then on he centered his life on Christ and never looked back. God used him in mighty ways to share the gospel with the world. He spoke at Christian camps and churches, but he was often heard on network television and radio proclaiming the freedom he found in Jesus.

In fact, Zamperini was a guest on the original Haven of Rest in 1949 before we had him back on the program in 2011, shortly after the initial release of Unbroken. No matter what you asked him, he would always give you an answer that led to Jesus.

Charles Morris sat down with Louis at his home in Los Angeles and had a wonderful visit. Here is a short video from that meeting.

If you want to hear more from Louis Zamperini, we’ve included links to his full interview with Charles Morris:

• Radio Interview with Louis Zamperini Part 1
• Radio Interview with Louis Zamperini Part 2

Unbroken: Path to Redemption

Beginning where the hit movie Unbroken concludes, the next chapter brings the rest of Louis Zamperini’s inspirational true story to life. After surviving years of torture as a prisoner of war, Louis (Samuel Hunt) returns home from World War II, where he meets and marries Cynthia (Merritt Patterson). Haunted by his past, he is driven deep into despair. But when Cynthia turns to God at the 1949 Billy Graham Crusade, her most fervent prayer for Louis is to find peace and forgiveness.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Troy Lamberth is the executive producer of HAVEN Today. On the side, he teaches film at California Baptist University, produces short films and documentaries, and often teaches at his church. He enjoys discovering how Jesus is involved in all aspects of our lives—from faith to film to family—and how our relationship with him shapes the way we live. He and his wife Melissa have three young children.

 

Jon Erwin is 1/2 of the Erwin Brothers, a two-person team of Christian Filmmakers committed to telling profound and Christ-honoring stories in cinema. You may have seen one of their films: “Woodlawn,” “Mom’s Night Out,” “October Baby,” or their newest project “I Can Only Imagine.” In this interview, Jon discusses the story behind their most recent movie, his hopes for the future of Christian filmmaking, and the vital role Jesus plays in his life and work.
A portion of this interview originally aired on Haven Today; you can listen to the full series here. 
 

 

I Can Only Imagine (DVD)

The heart behind the hit song “I Can Only Imagine” takes viewers behind the curtain, into the personal life of singer/songwriter Bart Millard (a role magnificently performed by J. Michael Finley). Deeply moving, and not to be missed, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE is a story of tragedy and triumph; a living epistle of grace and healing. Chasing a dream while running from broken relationships with his father, Bart hits the road in an old, decrepit tour bus with his new band MercyMe and begins a journey none of them could ever have imagined. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE beautifully illustrates that no one is ever too far from God’s love—or from an eternal home in Heaven.

 
 

Our Lord God loves to take impossible situations and show that all things are possible with Him. The ancient Israelites watched as He delivered them from Egypt while crushing their enemies under the sea. The Hebrews had no weapons or army, but they trusted in the call of the Lord to come out of Egypt and followed Moses by faith.

Even today, He is more than able to help us in our time of need. But the bigger picture is that He is more than able to conquer the power of death and sin in our lives. We too are enslaved to an evil master called sin. And when we hear His calling, we can trust the call of the Lord to come out of sin and follow Jesus by faith.

Christ went before us to the cross. He bore the weight of our sin and punishment from God the Father. He absorbed the penalty and conquered it as He rose from the grave! For the Christian, our old master called sin has been crushed just like Egypt’s army by the waves of the Red Sea. And for the follower of Christ, he leads us on dry land through the pressures and challenges of life.

If you trust in Christ Jesus by faith, He will bring you to the other side—safe and sound! Jesus is a Better Moses because only He can bring you straight to the Promised Land. (Hebrews 3)

So, even though this passage of Scripture was written long before the Easter events, when we sing with Moses the following song, we see how it really is an ancient Easter song.

Exodus 15:1-18

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:

It was shortly after Christmas that I began to hear the buzz. Text after text would arrive from various family members telling me about a new film called La La Land. Having worked in the film and television industries, they were looking forward to my response about the movie. I was intrigued. I didn’t know much about the story; I just knew it was a musical set in Hollywood.
About a month later, my wife and I were finally able to give our kids some “grandma time” with my mom and we escaped to the theater. My worst fear was that my family had overhyped the film, but from the opening musical and dance number set on a traffic-jammed freeway overpass, I was hooked.
So it was no surprise to me when La La Land was nominated for a record tying 14 Oscars, including Best Picture. Living in an era where many of the popular movies are adapted from comic books and driven by visual effects, I believe this film connects with its audience most because of its rich story. If you haven’t seen it, I’ll do my best not to reveal any spoilers, but the premise of the film is about an actress and a musician in Los Angeles trying to “make it big.”
The main characters, Mia and Sebastian (played by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling respectively), keep “bumping” into each other in “random” places in and around Los Angeles. It seems “something” is drawing them together. In a city where millions of people live, why do they keep meeting each other?
After many of these “chance” meetings, they begin to fall for each other. As their relationship begins, Sebastian sings a song called “City of Stars.” It’s a very human moment about expectations, pondering if something more is happening in their lives. Sebastian sings:

City of stars, are you shining just for me?
City of stars, there’s so much that I can’t see.
Who knows? Is this the start of something wonderful and new?
Or one more dream that I cannot make true?

We’ve all experienced moments like this in our lives. What is happening? Is God at work? How will I ever know? You can hear this portion of the song and see some of the breathtaking cinematography in the movie teaser.
 

 
Though the colorful film masterfully weaves a very honest story with unforgettable music, beautiful locations, and truthful acting, it might surprise you that the underlying story proclaims God’s providence. Yes, I said providence.
Hollywood loves to make these kinds of movies. They might call it chance—or worse “The Universe”—but filmmakers and audience alike cheer for films that celebrate unexpected triumphs, survivals, and romances. Serendipity is fun to watch!
But providence is not chance, fate, or a turn of good luck. The Bible clearly teaches that God is in control and guiding our steps. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism says, God wisely and powerfully preserves and governs over “all his creatures and all their actions.” Paul declared this truth to the Romans when he said, “For from him and through him and for him are all things.” (Romans 11:36) The Psalms often proclaim that God’s plan for us is set before we’re even born! (Psalm 139:16) And I’ve always marveled at Proverbs 16 which over and over states God is in control: “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” (verse 9)
Even though La La Land is a fictional movie, how often have you heard stories about things happening in people’s lives that can’t be explained? Sometimes it’s a “coincidental” meeting that leads to a life-long marriage. Other times it’s a moment in life when a person had exactly the right amount of money to pay rent. But all of these moments are guided by God’s providential hand.
The study of God’s providence can be both reassuring and overwhelming. After all, we’re finite and fallen creatures. We can barely keep our lives together, let alone ponder how God holds all things throughout the universe. And then there’s another nagging thought, as well: “Why do bad things like death and destruction continually happen if God is in control?”
Thankfully, the Bible helps us understand this reality, too. Since Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, the consequence of sin is death and, even worse, separation from God. (Genesis 2:16-17) Acts 14:16 says that God let humanity “go astray” and pursue our sinful desires. Yes, we still have the freedom to choose what we’ll do in any given day, but it is always polluted with self-centered sinfulness. (Romans 3:9-24) We are born with the disposition to glorify ourselves, not God. (Romans 1:22-23) The apostle John explains it well when he wrote, “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” (1 John 2:16)
Yet Jesus has brought Good News into the world. When someone repents of their sin and comes to Jesus for forgiveness, they now become children of God. (Romans 8:14-17) Jesus reminded his disciples in Matthew 6 that God the Father loves his children and will provide for them. Paul reminds us that for those who love Jesus, He causes all things to work together for our good. (Romans 8:28) Both of these teachings should bring Christians great confidence. We can rest assured that our Father cares about us and will provide for us everything we need to bring glory to His name. And when we face hardships in life, we can know that God has allowed them for our good in the overall picture.
La La Land ends with a melancholic moment. Providence worked to bring them together and something special happened. Yet providence moved each of them into directions they didn’t expect. Yet in the last few frames, they both smile, thankful for their time together.
As a Christian, I watched this ending with tears in my eyes. There have been times in my life when ambitions didn’t work out the way I had wanted. In those moments, I was confused or even distraught. But looking back, I can see how God was working and moving me into the directions that were good for my soul. Life is hard at times in this sinful world, but life with Jesus gives me great confidence. He is at work in my life for God’s glory and my good. Hallelujah!
 
Troy Lamberth is the executive producer of HAVEN Today. On the side, he teaches film at Providence Christian College, produces documentaries, and often teaches at his church. He enjoys discovering how Jesus is involved in all aspects of our lives—from faith to film to family—and how our relationship with him shapes the way we live. He and his wife Melissa have three young children.
 

Have you watched it yet? It’s 70 years old this month and is perhaps the most popular Christmas movie around. It’s a Wonderful Life is a sweeping tale that follows the life of George Bailey, a humble family man who falls on hard times and is charmingly played by Jimmy Stewart.

For many, the attraction to the film is nostalgia. Set in a small town in the mid-1940’s, it appears at first glance to be a simple story about a quiet era now gone by. But I believe most of us enjoy the film because of the way it celebrates the importance of family and community. As I watched it again this year with my wife, another theme resonated in my heart—this is a film about lost people being found.

In short, near the end of the movie, George Bailey’s business is failing and he sees no way out. If he doesn’t come up with several thousand dollars quickly, he will lose everything and possibly go to jail. Upon learning this news, he considers killing himself. But then at his lowest point, he utters a simple prayer:

“Dear Father in Heaven, I’m not a praying man. But if you’re up there and you can hear me, show me the way. I’m at the end of my rope. Show me the way, God.”

After George’s heartfelt prayer, God answers it in a most unique way. He sends an angel named Clarence to show him a world where George never existed. George quickly sees how precious his life is and that it truly does matter.

Now don’t get me wrong, this is a Hollywood film that is lacking in the theological department (Do angels really get their wings when a bell rings?). Sadly, the film never mentions the true Savior of the world: Jesus Christ. Yet it does teach a simple truth—everyone is lost and unable to save him or herself.

Perhaps that’s why I teared up at the end of the movie. George Bailey finally realizes that his life is a gift from God and has value. Upon returning to his family, his home is flooded with friends and family who have gathered to bail him out financially. As this “Christmas miracle” unfolds, they all sing Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. And that’s when the movie’s theme struck a cord with my heart. There’s a line in that old hymn that says, “God and sinners reconciled”—that’s what it’s all about.

It’s exactly what Jesus came to do. He is the Savior the angels long ago proclaimed would come to rescue sinners. (Luke 2:11) What’s even more profound is that He not only rescues people from their sins, He also reconciles them with God. To put it in His own words, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)

The reality of being lost is mostly ignored in our modern world. But if we’re honest with ourselves, we all feel this separation. We sense that something is not right.

This theme is told over and over in the Scriptures. The prophet Isaiah explained that all humans are “like sheep” and “have gone astray. We have turned—every one—to his own way.” (Isaiah 53:6)

This is the core of our “lostness.” We were created to know God and enjoy Him forever, yet we all choose to follow our own way and please ourselves. (Isaiah 53 & Romans 3)

Our sinful ways have now turned a once “good world” into a “broken world” where bad things happen. (Genesis 1-3) We’re lost and no matter how hard we try, we have NEVER been able to save ourselves. (Romans 8:8)

So when those angels appeared to the shepherds, I think we can now better understand why they were rejoicing—it was truly good news of great joy for humanity! (Luke 2)

The angels were not just celebrating the birth of Jesus, they were celebrating His entire mission. They knew that He was born to die. They knew His mission involved His death and His resurrection. And through the action of a perfect sacrifice, Jesus would conquer both death and sin for His people. (John 11:25-26 & Romans 10:9)

So with all of this in mind, how are we saved from our “lostness” and sin? Simply by believing that Jesus is the Savior provided by God the Father to take our punishment and to give us His perfect record. I like how Peter explained it, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.” (1 Peter 3:18) We simple come to the end of ourselves and turn to Jesus. That’s what the Bible calls repentance. We give him our sin and he gives us forgiveness and His perfect record. (1 John 1:9) In doing so, we believe by faith that Jesus has provided everything we need to be saved and to live a grace-filled life that brings God glory. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

I guess that’s why I was so touched this year as I re-watched It’s A Wonderful Life. George Bailey had come to the end of himself. He had no hope. But before he ended his life, he turned to God for mercy. It may not be doctrinally sound, but the film’s message of seeing our lost state and turning to the Lord is very clear.

Do you see your need to be saved? Do you find yourself understanding that there is no other person on earth who can save you from your sins? Then turn to Jesus this Christmas season, confess your sin, and proclaim Him as your Lord and Savior! Then you can sing with the angels this year knowing that you have been reconciled to God through the Savior, Jesus Christ.
And that is truly good news that brings great joy!
 
 Troy Lamberth is the executive producer of HAVEN Today. On the side, he teaches film at Providence Christian College, produces documentaries, and often teaches at his church. He enjoys discovering how Jesus is involved in all aspects of our lives—from faith to film to family—and how our relationship with him shapes the way we live. He and his wife Melissa have three young children.

The screen in front of the class displayed a black and white sketch of a young, angry girl who was holding a protestor’s sign that read “absolutism.”
My sociology professor was lecturing about values and morals that morning. She explained that those who believed in absolutism affirmed that there were “universal principles that apply to all humans.” The next slide was in full-color with people of all races having fun in a park with green grass, tall trees, and a rainbow across the sky. Written underneath this slide were the words “relativism,” which the professor explained meant there were no universals and each society decided for themselves what is true and ethical.
My heart was pounding. I knew I was an “absolutist” because the Bible taught that all men where accountable to God’s laws, yet I wasn’t angry like the young girl in the first slide. I looked around at my fellow students and none of them seemed to even care. So I decided to ask the professor a question: “Why was the absolutist angry and the relativists having so much fun?” The professor paused, looked at both slides and said, “I don’t know. I never thought about it.”

As a college student in the 1990’s, I yearned for a mentor who could help me find a faith that moved past fluffy religion and secular thinking. There has to be more to Christianity than just getting saved! I contemplated this at the same time I was wrestling with humanistic philosophies such as relativism and post-modernism.

So when I picked up a copy of Francis Schaeffer’s The God Who Is There, my mind was blown. In this book, he directly spoke to the struggles I was feeling and thinking about.

Schaeffer clearly articulated the disfunction of a religion void of living before a real, holy God. He wrote that Christianity too often had been “talking about holiness . . . and love; rather than the consideration and practice of holiness and love together as truth, in antithesis to what is false in theology, in the church, and the surrounding culture.”

I would learn years later that Schaeffer called this the “final apologetic.” In The Great Evangelical Disaster, he wrote, “But after we have done our best to communicate to a lost world, still we must never forget that the final apologetic which Jesus gives is the observable love of true Christians for true Christians.”

He refreshingly reminded me that God was real and that He communicated to humanity in “real time” in the Bible and through His Son, Jesus Christ. But Schaeffer also challenged me that truth must go hand-in-hand with love. The Christian life was not just an act, but it must be powered by the Holy Spirit and prayer.

A true God demanded a true relationship with His people.

In an interview given shortly before his death in 1984, Schaeffer was asked what principles he thought Christians should keep in mind as we relate to the society in which we live. He replied, “As Christians, in everything we do we should exhibit the character of God . . . By God’s grace we must exhibit both the love and the holiness of God simultaneously, so that we neither compromise the faith nor merely become hard or harsh.”

Several years ago Os Guiness told Justin Taylor with The Gospel Coalition that he had “never met anyone with such a passion for God, combined with a passion for people, combined with a passion for truth. That is an extremely rare combination, and Schaeffer embodied it.”

When my wife and I were first married over 11 years ago, we took our home Bible study through Schaeffer’s How Should We Then Live? series. It opened up many unique opportunities to talk about what it meant to think and live as a Christian in the world. We discovered that we were not that different than those who lived in the Ancient Roman or Renaissance eras. Schaefer said, “There is a flow to history and culture. This flow is rooted and has its wellspring in the thoughts of people. People are unique in the inner life of the mind—what they are in their thought world determines how they act.” As we watched this series, we were challenged to think and live Biblically.

Schaeffer’s common refrain throughout the 10-part series is this: when man makes himself to be the center of all things, society will end up in chaos and people will be in despair. He called this “the greatest wickedness.” But in contrast, he taught that when the Creator is placed at the center of our lives, we are on track to pursue what we were originally created for—to bring glory to God in all that we do. And it is by this that we will naturally influence our culture as light and salt.

Schaeffer loved God, loved people, and loved truth. He was a brilliant man who was a confessing sinner saved by grace. I’m thankful the Lord brought him as a mentor to me through his books and film series.

Even some thirty years after his death, Schaeffer reminds us today that God wants us to act and think biblically in all of life. Nothing is disconnected from our Creator. We can wrestle with thoughts and doubts, but we can do so with a mighty God by our side who cares for us and wants to see us bring glory to His name. And because we are called to love God and our neighbor, we can reach out in love to those around us struggling to figure out what life is all about.
 
 
Troy Lamberth is the executive producer of HAVEN Today. On the side, he teaches film at Providence Christian College, produces documentaries, and often teaches at his church. He enjoys discovering how Jesus is involved in all aspects of our lives—from faith to film to family—and how our relationship with him shapes the way we live. He and his wife Melissa have three young children.
 

Sometimes it seems that tragedy strikes when life is going well. I experienced this firsthand when traveling with Pastor John Dickerson, author of I Am Strong.

Before I boarded the plane for New Mexico, news broke about the terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, CA, which is about 15 miles from my house. My mind raced to remember if my family might be home or out shopping. Would there be more attacks? Praying for San Bernardino and my family, I boarded the plane while sending a quick text to my wife and was relieved to hear they were all safe.

Later that afternoon, as John and I drove from Albuquerque to Taos, we listened to more of the breaking news and talked about how pain and suffering often come out of nowhere. It was a timely conversation to say the least—especially since we were on our way to meet and interview Joy Veron.

In 1999, Joy was on vacation with her family in Pogosa Springs, CO. On the last day of the trip, her kids ran ahead and jumped into the family SUV. Then the vehicle began to roll in the direction of a nearby cliff. In the blink of an eye, Joy and her dad raced toward the vehicle.

Joy’s body acted as a speed bump, slowing the vehicle enough for her father to leap into the SUV and brake just before they went over the cliff. But Joy’s heroic act cost her the use of her legs, and for the moment, her eyes.

Thankfully, her eyesight came back, but despite numerous surgeries, she was told that she would never walk again.

Even after 16 years, Joy is still moved to tears when she talks about that day. The event is still real. It still affects her every day. But when asked if she had the opportunity to not go through the accident, she quickly replied, “No.”

Joy is not a glutton for punishment; she has learned and continues to learn that relying on God while suffering is far greater than living without God in the so-called best of times. As Psalm 84:10 joyfully proclaims, “Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere.”

Christians who rejoice in their suffering are not masochistic. The pain is real and it hurts! But as Charles Spurgeon so aptly put it, they have “learned to kiss the wave that throws [them] against the Rock of Ages.”

For those who are followers of Jesus, there is sweetness in suffering because He draws near to us in our pain. There is closeness with God in suffering that we don’t often experience when things are going well.

We can also take comfort in trials knowing that God will use it for many purposes. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God is using everything we experience in life – triumphs and trials – for our good if we are truly lovers of God.

Towards the end of John’s interview with Joy, she explained how God had not only used her suffering to draw her closer to Him, but to encourage others who were going through hard times. It reminded me of Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “God comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:4).

It was a pleasure to meet Joy on that cool, clear day in New Mexico. The sun was setting on the distant mesas while John and I drove back to the airport. As we reflected on the interview with Joy, we were encouraged that the promises of God for His people are always true. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Troy Lamberth is the executive producer of HAVEN Today. On the side, he teaches film at Providence Christian College, produces documentaries, and often teaches at his church. He enjoys discovering how Jesus is involved in all aspects of our lives—from faith to film to family—and how our relationship with him shapes the way we live. He and his wife Melissa have three young children.