Still Got Joy is a movie that tugs at the heartstrings and shows the redemptive power of God’s love and transformation.
The true-life film surrounds the life of Dr. Shonda Reynolds, a native of Pulaski, Tennessee. She overcame addiction after entering drug rehab, where she had a spiritual awakening and accepted her calling to preach. She shared her experience in the book Dying to Live’ which the movie is based.
There were several heart tugging moments in the movie, but several lessons that were glaringly obvious.
Shantel, as portrayed by Jay Dent, is a strong actress, and she depicted the character, showing every nuance of emotion Reynolds might experience.
Kudos to the filmmaker who gave a full sermon in the script on the use of drugs, being in a dark cave, making wrong decisions, and showing the way out.
Anyone watching this movie could easily come under conviction from the powerful mini sermon presented.
There were some sad moments in the movie, and we will not give those away. It was also great to see female prisoners with whom Shantel opened up about her experience, how she got her deliverance, and the effect it had on them.
Lessons to be taken from this are that you are not too far gone for God to reach you, be careful about the way you allow your friends to influence you, and never give the enemy room to get a foothold in or you could become captive.
All in all, this movie is worth the one hour and forty-five minutes invested in watching it.
After all the heartaches, pain, and betrayal the main character has been through, it was refreshing to hear at the end, “Yes, I still have joy!”
The movie is available on YouTube to watch, and take it from me, it is truly worth it. It can even be used for a youth night ministry. If you want to get the message across about the negative effects and repercussions of drugs in a dramatic way, then this movie can do the job.
