{"id":2467,"date":"2024-10-15T11:17:14","date_gmt":"2024-10-15T15:17:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2024\/10\/15\/spotlight-of-the-week-jaylon-the-gardener\/"},"modified":"2024-10-15T11:17:14","modified_gmt":"2024-10-15T15:17:14","slug":"spotlight-of-the-week-jaylon-the-gardener","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inspirationallaroundme.org\/index.php\/2024\/10\/15\/spotlight-of-the-week-jaylon-the-gardener\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotlight of the week: Jaylon the Gardener"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\u201cYou are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness; how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

\u201cYou are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light so shine before others, that they may see good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s been a busy last month and a half and with wearing different hats, sometimes one or two can collect dust. My writing hand had Cob webs on it but when my sweet sister of mine sent this picture of Jaylon the Gardener with sweet Abigail\u2019s bright eyes and beautiful smile with other handsome young men looking so intentionally I had to take the time to share. Especially when she shared some of his story with me. This picture is worth one million words! <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jaylon whom I\u2019ve only had the pleasure of meeting once, has been an Angel and a true blessing, not only to our Koinonia of Columbia <\/a> community but the Eau Claire community and beyond. He has taken his gift of gardening and has shared it with the young Koinonia after school scholars. On yesterday he taught these wonderful young people how to make pumpkin pie! And guess what the best part of this was?! It was all Jaylon\u2019s idea!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You see Jaylon is a product of the fine school district of Richland 1, but later attended and graduated from Richland 2\u2019s Spring Valley High School. He attended Logan Elementary under the leadership of Dr. Richard Moore <\/a>(whom is graciously running for an at-large seat in Richland 1). He is devoted to God first, his wife, his family, his church (leading and active in various areas of the church that benefit ALL children, and has been a devout believer of Richland 1 as a former Richland 1 graduate, Principal of over 30 years, grandparent of Richland 1 scholars, and again is currently seeking a seat at the table (on the Board) to bring about a change in Richland 1. Sorry now back to Jaylon (in the words of Micah, \u201cthat\u2019s glaze ma!\u201d)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jaylon was a student of the kindest teacher Misty Sawyer (whom taught one of my children) in the Montessori program at Logan, Jaylon learned how to roast pumpkin seeds and will soon be teaching this to the Koinonia After-school scholars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the words of Mr. Raekwon, \u201cJaylon has found his calling.\u201d And like Kelly, I agree! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Gardening is his passion and now he sees that he\u2019s called to inspire the next generation says Kelly Strum, Co-founder of Koinonia of Columbia. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Jaylon \u201cfound\u201d gardening after suddenly losing his father in 2017, his senior year at Spring Valley HS. He said that it helped him so his \u201cinner work\u201d and now it\u2019s time to share it! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted. 

Matthew 5:4<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
By God\u2019s grace, gardening has been a comfort to Jaylon. In return, God reunited Jaylon with his former Principal, Dr. Richard Moore, who in turn blessed ECBC and Koinonia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Kelly shared Jaylon\u2019s story I was almost moved to tears because with him being a young black man, his narrative could have been so different after he lost his dad. He could have went down the wrong path, but he didn\u2019t! It\u2019s stories like this, people like Jaylon who need to be in the newspaper articles, on WIS and Fox News verses the stories of our black brothers killing one another. They say not all  superheroes wear capes, and it is true! Some <\/em>superheroes are ordinary black young men with cornrows who use their grief to be a blessing to others. His story has single handed blessed my whole soul and I had to share what God is doing in the life of this young man. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Jaylon played football for Presbyterian College until covid. He had to have shoulder injuries due to injuries he sustained during his football career. Thanks be to God, his surgeries did not stop him from using his hands to bless other people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the Bible, God was characterized as a Gardener. In Psalm 104, God was described as a gardener who planted and cared for trees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches. 

Luke 13:19<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Just as out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that was pleasant to the sight and good for food, God has sprung up a passion in Jaylon that is good and great for all nations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Out of Jaylon\u2019s heart flows rivers of living water. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though I\u2019ve only met Jaylon once and I did not get to meet his father before he passed away, I\u2019m sure his father is beaming and smiling so brightly and so proud of the young man who he grew up to be. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
A good gardener is: <\/p>\n\n\n\n