This New York man, John, lost his marriage and was in prison when his grandchildren were born. But that’s where he gave his life to God. Now, he apparently makes a living off of items that had been thrown away, and he’s joyful because God chose him to be His.

Watch this video, and you’ll understand why this man made me smile for 5 minutes. pic.twitter.com/1gor6xv7Zl

— Samuel Sey (@SlowToWrite) August 29, 2023

John’s interview is from Eric Jeng’s TikTok account, where Jeng posts interviews with interesting, everyday people he finds to talk to.

John reminds me of the scriptures about the joy of the Lord and the joy of our salvation. It looks like he’s obeying the command to rejoice in the Lord always. Paul wrote the Philippians 4:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

John said he had run out of tears over what he lost because of his immoral choices, but he’s turned away from that life. Like David wrote in Psalm 51:

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

John, like David, seems to have received a pure heart and the joy of God’s salvation. May God continue to bless him.

Aliya Kuykendall is a staff writer and proofreader for The Stream. You can follow Aliya on Twitter @AliyaKuykendall and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.