11 November 1986:
Born in what might be deemed "less than favorable" circumstances to parents who both struggled with relatively serious psychological and substance abuse related issues in the state of Arizona, Jonathan Dunmire did not exactly appear destined for greatness. From the earliest age, this man's life was filled with difficulties, the majority of these being internal (i.e. psychological/emotional). As a toddler, Jonathan briefly dwelt with his twin brother and older half-brother with their mother and, for a very short time, Jonathan's biological father (if the man could rightly be called such) in a rundown trailer. The state of these living conditions was not at all ideal, to say the least.
Within just a few years following his birth, Jonathan's biological "father" chose to run off in order to pursue some other life, presumably with other women. Not much later afterward, his mother felt compelled to give these three of her children over to CPS care. He became a ward of the state at that time. He does know or remember much about this period of his life, but he does know that within a short amount of time, his biological grandmother and step grandfather became legal guardians of his older half-brother, his twin, and him -- an act for which he remains immensely grateful.
Sadly, Jonathan's troubles continued to increase in severity and frequency as the years passed. While involved in psychiatric treatment from as early as six years of age, his psychological and emotional issues worsened, often culminating in impulsive and violent acts being committed toward many of those in his life (including himself). The levels of insecurity, fear, selfishness, and feelings of rejection which drove him led to drug and alcohol use, toxic relationships, multiple experiences with homelessness, innumerable physical altercations, dozens of arrests, and several stints of incarceration even before he ever reached his eighteenth birthday.
Throughout his preteen and teenage years, Jonathan experienced many pains (most of which he caused himself). Choosing the wrong associates, entering unhealthy relationships, and engaging in countless immoral/harmful activities created circumstances which left him feeling far less secure, far more hurt, and fully unsure about direction of his life. In addition to this, he was occasionally (albeit not as often as others) set in harrowing situations wherein he was abused in unspeakable ways. At times, his life was placed at great risk. Not all of these were due to his choices, yet he could not but accept responsibility for the vast majority of them, as they were the result of his own behaviors. Nonetheless, the toll which these incidents took on his heart and mind was tremendous...and quite terrible.
At age eighteen, Jonathan, still lost and uncertain as to how he should live or what kind of person he ought to be, involved himself with some very unwholesome individuals. One of these people, his roommate, threatened to harm those of this entire family after having committed a string a car thefts about which he assumed that Jonathan's twin had potentially "snitched" to police. Jonathan, believing that it was his responsibility to protect his family, foolishly sought to use a recently purchased gun to frighten the roommate away from taking any further violent action. Jonathan was wrong.
After his assumed act of "valor," Jonathan was quickly arrested and charged with aggravated assault before being sentenced to more than three years in a state correctional facility (prison). It was during this period that he began to realize how dire his situation truly was. At the peak of a deep depression, a time wherein none of his underlying issues was being addressed in any type of healthy manner, Jonathan sought to end his life. Taking about twenty-five to thirty pills in hand, he swallowed every one of them at once, hoping that doing so would put a stop to all of his ceaseless pain. This, however, failed. Jonathan landed himself in a "suicide watch" cell, where for weeks he remained under constant supervision by officers. He had nothing left, not even a blanket to cover his ungirded body.
On 9 November 2005, at approximately noon, Jonathan heard a voice speaking within and throughout his entire being. It was undeniably the voice of Jesus speaking into his heart. Though soft, the voice resounded clearly and definitively throughout his heart and mind. It was unlike any other experience he had ever known. It originated from outside of his body, but it pierced to his innermost being so profoundly and completely. It was obvious from the start that this was God speaking to him. The voice revealed the mercy, the grace, the love, the holiness, and the might of Him who made the heavens and the earth. It was unmistakeable, irrefutable, so Jonathan readily submitted to its goodness and authority. He gave his life to Christ in that very moment without reservation, even choosing to quit his drug and alcohol use permanently (which, of course, took some time to accomplish).
Unfortunately, this did not signal the end of Jonathan's struggles. For years, he still dealt with problems of anger, impulsivity, insecurity, and fear. He possessed all of the resources and aide that the Lord provided for him, yet it took him quite some time to learn how to deal with his troubles in healthy ways, how to simply trust the Lord. Possibly the worst moment during which he found himself struggling with these unaddressed/mishandled difficulties came only over a mere three years after his decision to accept Christ as his Lord and Savior and a single year after his release from prison. While engaged in a minor -- some might right say petty -- argument with a "roommate," Jonathan thoughtlessly grabbed a kitchen knife (with the intent to intimidate, but not to harm, the other individual) accidentally punctured the man's upper abdomen and heart.
His actual intent notwithstanding, Jonathan took the man's life that night, the night of 24 November 2008, an act that destroyed the lives, stole the hope, and obliterated the joy of many people. Once again, he was arrested and sentenced to a term in prison. This time, however, was for a much longer duration, sixteen years. Not understanding how to appropriately deal with his deeply rooted unhealthy thoughts and feelings, Jonathan continued to engage in acts of violence. He worked hard to study scripture and stay in prayer, but he simply wouldn't give up his old (bad) habits so easily. He needed more of God's intervention in his life...desperately.
Jonathan continued to struggle on and off for a long while afterwards. Two years following the murder of his roommate, he was accused of harming another person, this time an inmate in prison. The charges were serious. After some brief court proceedings, he was given an additional ten years on top of his existing sentence. It was perhaps the final wake up call that this stubbornly foolish man required. He started to take his mental and emotional health much more seriously, finding ways to begin understanding and addressing what was creating so many of his troubles.
It took several more years for Jonathan to make real changes in his thinking. He realized that his perceptions, attitudes, and expectations were all faulty, having been formed by him through his own emotional immaturity in the midst of innumerable adverse circumstances. With the help of those who were closest to him, he began finding ways to deal with the underlying causes of his issues while growing in his faith. It took quite some for Jonathan to reach a point where he could finally be emotionally stable, but through the wondrously enabling power of God, the loving support of those who were dearest to him, and immense amounts of study, he found himself more capable of living a worthwhile life and of making a positive difference in the lives of others than he ever dreamed was possible. He was now ready to start working to enrich others' lives wherever he could.
This leads us to the present time, wherein Jonathan seeks to spread the love and truth of Christ to all who might listen, despite his deficiencies in resources, accessibility, and skill. With the ongoing help of amazing, faithful friends, he reaches out to all who might see and hear what he and his brothers in faith have produced. As did our Lord Jesus during His earthly tenure (i.e. His earthly ministry) before many witnesses, so, too, does this servant of the Messiah invite all people to come. "He who has ears to ear, let him hear" (Matthew 11:15). He prays and hopes that all who encounter these things will choose to open their hearts and minds to truth, that they may both seek and grow in holiness and truth exactly as the Lord has made possible for him. May the Lord bless all of those who choose Him and His perfect will. Amen.
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