Participants: Host:, Guest:Jyremy Reid
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR000243A
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00:01 Stay tuned to meet a man
00:03 who was staring down the barrel of a gun 00:05 in his very own home and lived to talk about it. 00:08 My name is Jason Bradley. 00:09 And you're watching Urban Report. 00:36 Hello, and welcome to Urban Report. 00:38 Today my guest is Jyremy Reid. 00:40 And he is the marketing and communications coordinator 00:43 for the office of Spiritual Life and Missions 00:46 at Oakwood University. 00:47 Welcome to Urban Report, Jyremy. 00:49 Thank you, Jason. 00:50 It's good to have you. 00:51 And in all fairness we have to tell the viewers 00:54 that you are indeed my cousin. 00:55 Yup. I am his cousin. 00:57 That's right. Yeah. 00:58 So tell us a little bit about how you were raised? 01:02 Okay, so I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. 01:06 My mom has been the Bible teacher 01:09 for my high school Greater Atlanta Adventist Academy 01:12 for about 26 years now. 01:14 My dad is also the National Service Organization leader 01:19 for the South Atlantic Conference. 01:21 So needless to say I've had 01:22 a strong Adventist background growing up. 01:25 I've been in an Adventist school my entire life 01:27 went to GAAA. 01:30 My mom was my homeroom teacher and Bible teacher. 01:34 So that was pretty interesting. 01:36 And I went to Oakwood for... 01:41 I graduated from GAAA 2011, went to Oakwood graduated 2015, 01:47 majored in journalism and commercial arts. 01:50 And then went on to La Sierra to get my Masters 01:54 in Business Administration in marketing and management. 01:58 So wow. 01:59 So how many degrees do you have? 02:01 Three. Three degrees. 02:03 Wow. Wow. 02:04 Now how do you feel that being raised in the church 02:08 has impacted your life? 02:11 It's been a strong impact. 02:14 Most people growing up would probably, 02:17 you know, with a strong family 02:21 who is strong on these things 02:22 will probably grow to you be feel a certain way about it. 02:28 But I've grown to actually want to learn God for myself 02:31 and not to just say my parents do this, 02:34 or my family does that. 02:35 I want to learn God for myself and know Him for myself. 02:38 And so working for the church and things like that, 02:42 that's been a strong desire of me for a long time. 02:45 And so I have to credit my grandfather too 02:49 because he was a really spiritual guy 02:52 and he passed back in 2016. 02:55 But I pray that, you know, 02:57 I can live his legacy and keep it going 03:01 because of all the things he taught me 03:03 because he was very influential in my life. 03:05 So in other words, 03:06 you wanted to study the Word of God for yourself, 03:09 you didn't want to follow tradition 03:10 just because your family, 03:12 our family were Adventist. 03:17 But you wanted to discover 03:20 whether or not you wanted to follow along with that. 03:22 Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. 03:25 And it didn't just come overnight 03:27 because there are those moments 03:29 where you think you've got it all together 03:31 and then God does something in your life 03:34 that makes you cling to Him even more 03:36 and let you know that it's not all you, 03:39 it's all Him. 03:40 And that is definitely what I experienced 03:43 during my time at La Sierra of my two years there, definitely. 03:47 Before we jump into that particular time, 03:50 what hardships did you face growing up? 03:54 I say the main hardship was back in 2007, 03:57 when my grandfather was struck with stage four aneurysm. 04:02 This was back on October 4, 2007, I was in 9th grade. 04:06 And, you know, that was during a time 04:09 that was really trying for my family 04:13 because two years before there my grandparents' 04:15 house burned down. 04:17 And they've lived in that house since the late 60s. 04:22 And so to see it burned down 04:25 but thankfully they were able to walk out, 04:27 nothing since, you know, they had their lives 04:31 and two years later the house was rebuilt better than ever. 04:34 My uncle built his house next door. 04:37 And it's crazy how things work out 04:39 even though he was struck with the aneurism, 04:42 the house was done so. 04:43 And it was better than the previous house 04:45 so we could actually do the medical things 04:46 within there. 04:48 So my aunt, you know, 04:49 she's the medical guru in the family. 04:51 And so it's crazy how she, the night before he got struck, 04:57 she saw a special on TV about performing CPR. 05:02 And so she was able to perform that and bring him back. 05:05 But unfortunately he was bedridden 05:09 for almost nine years and passed. 05:10 But during that time we as a family grew closer. 05:14 And even though he passed, we still closer than ever. 05:19 And I'm regardless something for the experience 05:23 and that hope that I'll be able to see him again in heaven. 05:27 When, at the resurrection. Yeah. 05:29 Yes, when Christ returns. 05:32 So it was it was, Jaida, right? 05:34 Your aunt Jaida, that was nurse 05:37 and Uncle Redder was by his side. 05:40 They were married for 64 years. 05:43 Now that is a strong love and that's a great example 05:47 of how marriage and love 05:49 and how that all conquers everything 05:52 because she didn't have to stay by him 05:54 all those years but she did. 05:56 And I'm thankful for that example 05:59 and it's really has impacted my life. 06:01 And it's by no coincidence 06:03 that Jaida learned CPR right before she needed. 06:07 I mean God had His hand, He was still protecting... 06:10 Yeah, He was. During that time. 06:12 He was. 06:13 So what were some of your feelings 06:18 during that time like 06:20 how did your faith play a part 06:23 in going through that trial? 06:28 I will say that there were moments 06:30 where I was angry with God 06:32 because I was thinking, you know, he's a great guy, 06:34 why would he get this illness, what would he do? 06:38 And I would also think things like, 06:40 if only I had the gift of prophecy or something 06:43 and I wish I could have known this to help prevent it. 06:47 I wish, you know, he had told us his head 06:49 was hurting or something, 06:51 we could have got him to the hospital, 06:52 and got it fixed it right away. 06:54 And we're still searching for answers 06:57 to this day from that situation, 06:58 we haven't gotten everything figured out. 07:01 And I'm sure there are things we won't ever know 07:04 until we get to talk to Jesus Himself in heaven, 07:07 and ask Him all these questions. 07:09 But those are my feelings, 07:11 you know, I try not to make a scene 07:15 or I stay really cool and calm under pressure and things. 07:19 And so it's just that situation in itself had, you know, 07:24 it taught me to trust in God more even though things 07:28 were not going the way it's planned then. 07:30 Even with my mom, she is a cancer survivor, 07:33 and that in itself, 07:35 that happened my senior year at Oakwood. 07:39 And that was tough in itself, 07:40 but I'm thankful to God that it was stage one, 07:42 we could get it out in time. 07:44 And she is cancer free to this day, 07:47 seems to clear last year so. 07:48 Praise the Lord. 07:49 And that's one thing is 07:51 there's a strong family support system there, 07:54 you know, when Uncle Sam, your grandpa was sick, 08:00 everybody rallied around, and was right there. 08:02 Jaida was by his side, Uncle Redder was by his side, 08:05 your mom was by his side. 08:08 I mean and then when your mom got cancer 08:11 and the family was right there. 08:13 So there was that close knit support group. 08:16 And, you know, that comes from serving the Lord, 08:20 that love that the Lord imparts upon us 08:23 to share with others in the family 08:26 and everybody else. 08:27 Now you encountered a hardship at... 08:32 Was it last year? Yeah. 08:34 Walk us through that day? 08:37 So it was Wednesday 08:42 and I have class that night on Wednesdays 08:45 during that time 6 pm to 10 pm, 08:49 so rough struggle but you have to do it. 08:51 And so that night my professor decided to let class out early 08:56 which we were really thankful for 08:58 because it was near the end of the school year, 09:01 so everybody's kind of, you know, 09:02 trying to figure out things 09:05 to keep mentally calm and things like that, 09:08 prepare for finals. 09:09 And so we got out, and so my friend Jonathan and I... 09:13 Jonathan is one of my closest friends at La Sierra. 09:17 And we went to his place, his apartment, 09:20 he's two doors down from me. 09:21 And so we were sitting in his living room, 09:23 and he decided to let the door open to air out 09:26 because he didn't want to turn on the air conditioning, 09:28 he's really a nature type guys 09:31 so he likes to deal with the natural stuff... 09:35 Fresh air and all that stuff. Yeah. 09:37 I mean I don't blame you. California has good air so. 09:41 Unless you're in L.A. True. 09:43 But that's a different story. 09:47 So we're talking about life and, you know, 09:49 our goals for this MBA program and such. 09:52 And this man walks in. 09:54 And he's out of breath, 09:57 I thought this was Jonathan's roommate 09:59 'cause I'd never seen his roommate before. 10:01 So this guy walks in out of breath and things 10:04 and he said he just got back from Syria 10:06 and we're thinking, "Okay, that's cool." 10:10 That's when I know that Jonathan's didn't know him. 10:11 I was like all right. 10:12 So he asked us if we were Muslim 10:15 and we were like "No," 10:17 we are Adventists, Seventh-day Adventist. 10:19 And so he said, "Oh well, 10:22 you Christians are always persecuting people 10:25 in God's name and in the east and everything." 10:28 And he said it's just bashing Christians 10:31 and things like that. 10:32 And so while he's talking I see his hands in his pocket, 10:36 and he pulls out something shiny. 10:38 Now in my mind I'm thinking it's a iPhone, 10:41 or something, or a Samsung it's just a phone. 10:44 But when my eyes really focused on it 10:45 I saw that it was actually a gun, 10:49 small gun like 45 or something. 10:51 And so he pulls it out and is waving it around, 10:54 he's drunk so he really has no focus on 10:56 who he was trying to point it at. 10:58 And so he said... 11:00 So he was under the influence, 11:03 it's a stranger that's in the apartment. 11:05 And now he pulled a gun out. Yeah, definitely. 11:09 So he pulled it out, 11:11 and basically it was open threat to us. 11:15 It's nothing really point towards either individual 11:18 but at that point time slowed down for me. 11:21 And as it would anyone 11:23 because I'd never had a gun pointed at me before. 11:26 But seeing this thing in the room 11:29 and the situation at hand, 11:30 you know, he's drunk, he's not thinking straight. 11:32 And so many things are going through my mind immediately 11:35 and I'm talking to God. 11:38 And so I'm like "Lord, what we're going to do here, 11:40 you know, I'm just you know..." 11:42 I was 23 at the time. 11:45 Just trying to finish school things like that. 11:48 Jonathan he's looking tense, we're both, you know, quietly 11:51 and without any sudden movements, 11:54 slowly inching to the edge of the couch in the event 11:57 that he does pull the trigger or attacks so. 12:01 And I think we were both thinking the same thing. 12:04 So at that time was his eyes, 12:06 was he staring directly at you guys? 12:08 Did he see you inching? 12:09 What I mean... 12:11 He didn't really see it 'cause he, you know, 12:12 he's discombobulated. 12:14 So he's looking around the room I guess it was spinning 12:18 and things like that. 12:20 And so he's just trying to get his stance going on. 12:23 He's a kind of a big guy. 12:25 And so I'm thinking, I'm pretty sure Jonathan 12:30 and I we had to leper thee that day 12:32 because we were both looking at each other 12:34 but I knew we were thinking the same thing, 12:36 you know, strategy what can we do? 12:39 And I've seen, you know, what to do 12:41 when a guy with a gun is in a close vicinity with you. 12:44 So if you have to have a distraction. 12:46 And then you have to have a guy to try to get 12:48 the gun out of his hand, anything. 12:50 I was also thinking of routes to run 12:53 if that doesn't work out, you know, if anything, 12:57 it's better to run and have your life 12:59 than try to be the hero. 13:00 And so with that thought in mind, I'm thinking 13:04 "Hey, I might have to jump out of this window, 13:05 it's the second story 13:07 but I can, I'm pretty athletic guy. 13:08 So I think I could make it in the case 13:11 that I do have to escape. 13:13 Man, that's a lot to think about in that moment, 13:15 you know, during that fight or flight. 13:18 I think the great thing that you did think about 13:21 was to call upon Jesus and to reach out 13:25 and ask for God's help during that situation. 13:28 And so he pulled it out a couple times, 13:30 he put it back in inside, he pull it out again. 13:33 And I feel like my heart rate went down 13:36 every time he put it back in his pocket, 13:39 and then he pulled it out, my heart rate would go back up. 13:41 So I'm thinking "Lord, just please make him leave," 13:43 you know, I really I don't want to deal with this right now. 13:46 Who would? 13:49 And so, after his rants he finally said, 13:55 "You know, but since I see Jesus in you guys 13:59 and I'm not going to kill anybody tonight. 14:02 I'm not going to kill you guys." 14:03 And so after that he said something in Arabic 14:07 and I don't know what he said but I was just glad he left. 14:11 And so as soon as he left, tiptoed right up to that door, 14:15 waited till he got to the farthest step, 14:18 closed it, locked it. 14:19 We called the cops, 14:20 they came really quickly within about five minutes, 14:25 really fast I was thankful for that. 14:26 So they came to the door, we're talking to them, 14:29 given the description. 14:30 And while we're talking to them 14:32 the craziest thing he's still around, 14:33 we saw that he's still down in the court yard area. 14:36 And so we tell them... 14:38 What was he doing in the courtyard area? 14:40 Was he pacing back and forth? Was he? 14:42 We saw him pacing, I don't, 14:46 I feel like he was trying to figure things out 14:49 or maybe he knew someone in the area. 14:52 And so we told them, we whispered, "That's him. 14:55 That's him" And so they quickly went down there, 14:59 they ambushed him, got him handcuffed him. 15:02 We again lock the door 'cause you don't know 15:04 what's going to go down. 15:06 I don't know if he has any other friends around 15:07 trying to create a distraction. 15:09 And so but we were thankful to God 15:11 that the ordeal had gone over. 15:14 And the crazy thing is the cops never found the gun, 15:18 that's the other mystery so. 15:20 Wow. They said they didn't see it. 15:23 So I don't know where he placed it or hid it. 15:26 But that is the story I'm glad it began 15:30 and ended that night with no one in harm. 15:33 Yeah, well, I'm glad you're able to sit here 15:35 and have this conversation. 15:37 Yeah. Yeah. 15:38 So at what point did you inform your mom about this 15:43 'cause I had to find out through your mom, 15:45 I didn't even find out from you. 15:47 Yeah, I informed her around that night, 15:51 told everybody that was close to me 15:54 'cause my roommate was in our apartment. 15:57 And I had to call him, tell him, you know, 15:59 "Scott, stay in your room 16:00 because there's this crazy guy out here with a gun." 16:03 And so I called everyone 16:05 who I knew in the apartment area 16:08 to just stay in their places because there's this guy 16:11 who is running around here with a gun, 16:13 I don't want any of my friends getting hurt so. 16:15 So what did your mom say when you did call her? 16:19 She was a little frazzled you know, 16:23 'cause anyone would be 16:25 if their child was in danger like that. 16:28 And so we were praising God though 16:32 that nothing happened. 16:35 I went to, you know, the school made me go to some therapy 16:39 because, you know, that was a traumatic experience. 16:42 In fact after is over Jonathan stayed at my place that night 16:46 because he didn't want to stay back at his 16:48 'cause of that situation so. 16:51 The scripture that was so helpful to me 16:53 was in Psalm 91. 16:55 Let me read it to you. 16:56 It's Psalm 91:1-5. 17:01 And it says, "He who dwells in the secret place 17:04 of the Most High still abide 17:05 under the shadow of the Almighty. 17:08 I will say of the Lord, 17:09 He is my refuge and my fortress: 17:11 my God, in Him I will trust. 17:13 Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, 17:17 and from the perilous pestilence. 17:19 He shall cover you with his wings, 17:21 and under his wings you still take refuge. 17:24 His truth shall be your shield and buckler. 17:27 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, 17:29 nor of the arrow that flies by day." 17:33 So what about that verse specifically stands out to you, 17:38 those verses rather stands out to you 17:40 that brings you so much comfort? 17:43 The fact that God is so great 17:46 that everyone can fit under His shadow of protection. 17:50 That is the first verse, you know, 17:53 He's always there for you when you need Him 17:56 and even if you feel alone He's still there. 18:00 Sometimes it may seem bleak but in times of darkness 18:05 and like this is best to cling to that, 18:07 to cling to Him and to... 18:09 Which for me like when I'm looking at you 18:12 and I'm listening to your testimony 18:15 as we were discussing this. 18:17 I think about your upbringing, you know, Proverbs 22:6 says, 18:22 "Train up a child the way he should go: 18:24 and when he grows old, he won't depart from it." 18:27 You know you were brought up in the church and in Adventism, 18:32 but not only were you brought up in Adventism, 18:35 but you studied for yourself, 18:37 and you developed a relationship 18:39 with God yourself. 18:42 You know the Bible also says, 18:44 "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good." 18:46 Well, the only way to do that is to develop 18:48 that relationship with Him for yourself. 18:52 And you've done that. Praise the Lord. 18:55 And so I see how that has had a tremendous impact 19:02 on your life from the outside looking in, 19:06 even in the midst of trials. 19:07 And one of the things that's important 19:10 for people to realize too is the fact 19:12 that being a Christian doesn't mean 19:15 that you're not going to face trials. 19:17 You know, you're still going to go through things. 19:20 The difference is who you rely on 19:23 in the midst of those trials. 19:25 You see non Christians, 19:26 people that don't believe in God or anything, 19:29 they're relying on themselves 19:31 to get themselves through something 19:32 that they can't necessarily control. 19:35 But thank God that we serve a God 19:40 that knows the beginning from the end. 19:42 Definitely. 19:44 It's good to never forget that 19:47 and like I said earlier sometimes when you do stray, 19:53 God will do things to get your attention, you know. 19:56 I'm not going to say I was one of those people in school 19:59 had it easy and things like that. 20:01 I feel like God gave me challenges 20:04 because when I did get my master's, 20:06 He reminded me that it was all Him. 20:09 He did that from the very beginning. 20:11 And how did that take place? 20:13 What was that humbling experience for you 20:15 that brought you to that reality? 20:16 And so my first quarter I failed a class. 20:20 And it was really a humbling experience, 20:26 a detrimental one 20:27 because I had never failed a class before. 20:30 So to come straight out of undergrad, 20:33 starting this, you know, I really studied for this, 20:36 and I thought I was trying to, 20:37 you know, I was working to get it, 20:39 I was in tutoring every week. 20:40 And to see the final grade 20:42 it was definitely a disheartening experience. 20:47 But at the end of day I am thankful for, 20:49 you know, it was enough. 20:51 And I'm thankful for that "F". 20:52 Because "F" is for finish. 20:53 And so even though I didn't get the grade I wanted, 20:57 it was God telling me that when you do get this degree 21:01 remember that it was Me who gave it to you. 21:04 And it kept me humble the entire time 21:05 because there's nothing to brag about there, you know. 21:08 Who is going to brag about that? 21:10 I'd like to see that conversation 21:12 you had your momma... 21:14 She was just as shocked as me but I mean, I retook the class, 21:19 I got "A". 21:21 And it was and that time around, 21:24 you know, I stayed humble. 21:25 What did you do differently to get that "A"? 21:28 Well, I definitely clung to the Lord 21:30 a lot more after that. 21:33 And the thought of, you know, failing again 21:36 but it really wasn't a failure, it was a learning lesson. 21:40 I don't like to think of all, you know, failures as failure, 21:44 it's a lesson. 21:45 And so when you make a mistake or fail, 21:48 it's a lesson that you can apply to yourself 21:51 to do better later. 21:52 And so I saw the next time around 21:55 as an opportunity to fix my weaknesses, 21:58 and think on my strengths, 21:59 and then apply them to the class. 22:01 And so I put in that hard work, 22:03 and I was able to get the grade I most definitely desired. 22:07 And that's just one ordeal that 22:12 where God was speaking to me and made His presence known. 22:17 Now I want to rewind a little bit 22:20 back to the trial that you face 22:23 where that guy came into the apartment with the gun. 22:29 What effect did that have on your faith after that? 22:36 It definitely had its impact. 22:37 I think about it every day. 22:40 Literally, when I wake up or throughout the day 22:43 when I'm just randomly in deep thought. 22:46 I think of how, you know, 22:48 my perspective of seeing a gun pointed at me. 22:51 And how God was there even though He wasn't, 22:56 you know, visible but apparently He was. 22:59 If the guy said that He saw Jesus in us. 23:02 And that was a really profound statement 23:07 from that experience. 23:08 As he saw Jesus in us 23:09 so that is why he wasn't going to take our lives 23:12 or anybody else's lives within the apartment complex. 23:16 And I always think 23:18 of how it could have been different, 23:21 you know, I probably wouldn't have died if he did shoot. 23:25 But I could have been injured, but nothing, nothing, no. 23:30 I mean, that's a tough one 'cause if he had shot you, 23:33 there's the strong possibility that... 23:36 Yeah. 23:37 Or even paralyzed or something, you know. 23:40 I could have been running, 23:41 he could have accidentally shot, 23:43 who knows what could have gone down. 23:44 I'm thankful that we were both smart 23:47 in this situation enough to stay calm and collected. 23:52 And that's usually how Jonathan and I are. 23:54 We in situations that are high pressure, 23:57 we like to remain, you know, cool and control 24:01 because that's the best way to think. 24:04 And because we stay like that 24:06 we were able to strategize within our minds 24:08 of what we could have done, 24:09 but also to call upon God in the process as well. 24:13 That to me that is the biggest, biggest thing right there. 24:17 The fact that in the midst of something as scary as that, 24:21 you know, somebody having a gun, 24:23 and they came in there with intent to kill you. 24:28 But in the midst of all that, 24:31 the first thing you call on God. 24:34 You know, and that is so important 24:37 because He's the one who can fix things. 24:40 It's really good to learn to focus on Jesus 24:44 when you're in danger whether you're on the road, 24:47 or while you're walking in through your neighborhood, 24:50 any time danger can strike at any time. 24:53 But it's also... 24:54 Yeah, he also promised. Exactly. 24:55 So it's really good to keep your mind on Him. 25:00 That's what it says. 25:02 You have to stay on good things and He's good. 25:05 Now we have a short amount of time left. 25:09 Roughly two minutes and some change. 25:14 What happened? You lost a close friend? 25:18 Right, so it was April of this year, 25:22 one of my roommates Christian, 25:24 he was born with a heart condition. 25:26 And so this was near the end of my MBA program. 25:30 And I feel as though it was another way 25:34 for another distraction try to get me off the mark 25:38 because he was such a great guy. 25:39 And he passed away from cardiac arrest 25:42 and a seizure. 25:44 And the thing that I was angry during that time of course 25:48 because he was so young, he was 22, and he was a senior. 25:54 And so I was thinking of 25:57 how I was going to try to get him back on, 26:00 you know, track we know if he got out the hospital 26:02 I was praying for that. 26:04 But they had to pull the cord because he was failing. 26:07 And even though that was rough in itself, 26:10 I still, I was mad at God, I'm not going to lie. 26:13 But I still because that's an emotion. 26:15 You're angry, you're upset, you're confused. 26:17 But I still decided to remain trusting in Him 26:21 and to focus on just finishing the course, 26:27 keeping a mental toughness. 26:28 And I wish he were still alive. 26:31 But, you know, he had lived his life though, 26:35 he made a impact on mine. 26:37 He was one of the first people I've met at La Sierra. 26:39 And he will always keep an impact on my life 26:44 just because of the person he was. 26:46 That's tough. 26:49 What are you doing now? 26:51 Currently I am the marketing communications coordinator 26:54 at Oakwood University for the Office Spiritual Life. 26:58 And I handle the business in the office basically 27:03 in the communications the spiritual life plan, 27:07 and the newsletter that we have and things like that. 27:12 And so it's a great opportunity 27:14 to be at my alma mater working as a... 27:17 Yes. 27:18 And working for the Lord, that's always a blessing, 27:21 it's a purpose filled position. 27:24 It's been my desire to do that for a long time 27:26 to just serve God, you know. 27:28 Amen. Amen. 27:31 One of the things I love is that you brought up Psalm 91 27:34 because we can often rely on scripture 27:38 when we're going through trials. 27:39 That's where we should rely on the Word of God. 27:42 And these trials should bring us closer to God 27:45 and refine our character. 27:47 Thank you so much for being with us 27:49 and sharing your testimony with us. 27:51 And thank you for being with us. 27:53 Make sure that you study the Word of God for yourself. 27:57 You can call on the Lord in your time of need. 28:00 Well, we've reached the end of another program. 28:02 Join us next time. 28:03 And remember it just wouldn't be the same 28:05 without you. |
Revised 2017-12-24