What am I going to do if I'm left alone?
That was Joy's first reaction as the truth sunk in that her husband was dying of Cancer.

Their marriage had reached middle age, and with no children, they lived for each other.
Then came the blow.

At first Joy tried to keep the news to herself. But her husband had to give up work, and Joy had to give up pretending.
A specialist told them. "It's just a matter of time."
Joy's first reaction had been a selfish one - and as she and her husband faced the future she began to look at things differently and to value the things they'd missed when both had been busy working.

But she knew she needed help. She prayed (and she and her husband had always prayed together, though they were not 'religious') and her prayers were a cry for help.

She began to think about God. And after a time she came to the point where she turned to God and asked Him to come into her life.
That was a new start for her - but it was still to be tested.
During the last three months of her husband's life she found there was a sense of peace and calm in their home, despite the strain of nursing a bed-ridden, suffering man.

Joy found that God never left her. She proved His presence. Through the loss and the suffering she prayed for peace and serenity and he gave it.

The fellowship of the Church she joined made a big difference. They went away together on holiday; they prayed together every week; there were jobs to do together.

The Bible helped a lot too. She found strength in it, and a new determination to be confident and not discouraged.

"I still often wonder what the future will hold for me", she says. "But I believe that God has a plan for my life, as He does for us all - and that plan will be revealed in time."