Growth of My Brother

Author - Keyshawn Parkman

My relationship with Jauhmar is comparatively different than the rest of our team, as I've had an opportunity to see my brother grow over a longer period of time. I've had time to sit back and meditate on his growth. It truly amazes me.

Our relationship started toward the end of the fall of 2021, with a much different dynamic than today. Previously, we were acquaintances. We met through a mutual friend from our church. As the months passed, we grew closer, seeing each other once a week. Our conversations always revolved around scripture. We'd exchanged numbers and began talking on the phone about scripture and our walk with Christ. God began to grow us together, and as time passed, I realized that Jauhmar was a blessing from God in my life.

In many ways, I've seen growth in Jauhmar since our first interactions. A big area of growth is his knowledge of the Word. When I met him, I noticed his hunger for the Word of God. We've had countless conversations about scripture, and I've always appreciated how many questions Jauhmar has and his desire to grow closer to God. Jauhmar was always the one with the most interesting questions and comments regarding scripture. He was never afraid to speak up about his desire to seek knowledge about God. His fire for Christ still burns today, much brighter, as he can be seen asking the big questions that are typically on most of our (Fellowship Team) minds.

While we've been here at The Fellowship, I've seen Jauhmar grow in his ability to encourage others. He is typically on the quieter side,  sitting back to watch and observe others. But during our time here, I've seen situations where Jauhmar will speak up at just the right time to encourage those who need it. I've experienced this gifting from Jauhmar on several occasions, as he's encouraged me throughout our time here.

One of the more special ways I've seen Jauhmar grow is in his commitment to Christ. We're reading a book here called Design for Discipleship. One of the topics we've discussed from the book is the idea that we as believers go from being curious about Christ, to being convinced about Christ to finally becoming committed to Jesus. I've been blessed to watch Jauhmar's journey through all three stages. When I first met Jauhmar, as I've stated earlier, he was curious about the Word of God, never hesitating to ask questions. But through the journey we've been on here at The Fellowship, there's no doubt that he has moved from curious to COMMITTED when it comes to being a disciple. I've seen Jauhmar sacrifice, compromise, and serve even when he didn't want to. I've seen Jauhmar initiate prayer and hold me accountable whenever I don't pray over my food. I've seen Jauhmar serve in countless different areas, giving his complete all in everything he does.

As I continue to meditate on Jauhmar's growth, one of the biggest areas I've seen him grow is his ability to love others. As our time here at The Fellowship passes, I've seen Jauhmar go from someone who wrestled with the idea of letting other people into his life to loving on the members of our team like his own family. I've seen this growth of love take place in many forms, from selfless service to compassionately being able to listen to someone express themselves. One thing that stands out to me about Jauhmar is his ability to remember names. While that may seem like a small feat, it shows his loving others intentionally when it comes to not only us as members of his team but also to anyone he comes across.
     
I've been blessed to see Jauhmar's growth. I'm excited to see how God continues to grow him. I'm grateful that our relationship has blossomed from texts about scripture to being each other's accountability partners. I'm proud of how far Jauhmar has come, and by the Grace of God, through this program, I believe he will grow further toward his full potential in the Kingdom of God.