Have you ever been tempted? Jonathan's Story Part 4

Summary

The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast: "Have You Ever Been Tempted? Jonathan's Story Part 4"

Introduction

In the fourth installment of the series titled "Have You Ever Been Tempted? Jonathan's Story," host Candace Cameron Bure, known affectionately as CandyRock, delves deeper into the tumultuous journey of Jonathan. This episode, released on March 6, 2025, continues to explore themes of temptation, resilience, and the quest for belonging amidst adversity. As always, Candace fosters an environment of genuine conversation, aiming to inspire listeners to navigate life's rollercoaster with kindness, class, and purpose.

Jonathan’s Struggle with Temptation and Belonging

The Allure of Gang Life

Jonathan opens up about his turbulent youth, detailing the overwhelming temptation to join a gang. Reflecting on his environment, he shares:

Jonathan [01:07]: "I wanted to be a gang member. I don't want to portray, but that was the role model that I saw in my ghetto. You know, that was the reality."

Growing up in a challenging neighborhood, Jonathan felt an acute need for belonging and saw gang members as the only attainable figures of success and acceptance. This desire was fueled not just by the allure of belonging but also by the visible signs of prosperity displayed by gang-affiliated individuals.

Economic Hardships and Material Desires

The discussion shifts to the material challenges Jonathan faced, highlighting the disparity between his needs and what his peers possessed:

Jonathan [04:20]: "If you will have asked me what was my biggest need, I would have told you I need Jordans. These guys in the '90s where there was no way I could have Jordans. They had Jordans."

Jonathan emphasizes the significance of status symbols like Air Jordans during his youth. These items were not merely fashion statements but symbols of acceptance and success. The inability to obtain such items intensified his feelings of exclusion, making the path towards negative associations seem more appealing.

Health Struggles Amidst Poverty

Jonathan candidly discusses his physical struggles, which were exacerbated by his environment:

Jonathan [02:40]: "My shoes are broken. I have to take carbon and put it inside. It's a 90% humidity country. It is raining and then it's sunny. The sidewalk is hot. My feet were burned every day because the sidewalk was so burning hot."

These vivid descriptions illustrate the harsh living conditions Jonathan endured, which not only affected his physical health but also his mental well-being. Episodes of low blood sugar further complicated his life:

Jonathan [03:57]: "My blood sugar was coming down. Thanks. I didn't end up with diabetic, but I was on the path because my blood sugar came down many times."

His proactive approach to managing his blood sugar by consuming sugar water underscores his resilience and determination to overcome physiological challenges despite limited resources.

The Role of Hope and Community Support

Candace steers the conversation towards the broader implications of Jonathan’s story, tying it to themes of hope and community:

Candace [00:02]: "Life is like a roller coaster, but it's so much better when we go through it together."

The episode underscores the importance of community and support systems in navigating life's challenges. Jonathan's story is a testament to how external support can provide the necessary hope and resources to resist negative influences.

Notable Quotes

• Candace Cameron Bure [00:02]:

  "Life is like a roller coaster, but it's so much better when we go through it together."

• Jonathan [01:07]:

  "I wanted to be a gang member. I don't want to portray, but that was the role model that I saw in my ghetto. You know, that was the reality."

• Jonathan [04:20]:

  "If you will have asked me what was my biggest need, I would have told you I need Jordans. These guys in the '90s where there was no way I could have Jordans. They had Jordans."

• Candace Cameron Bure [04:43]:

  "When you so desperately want to fit in with others and you don't have those things, they're like stars in the sky and you just want to grab onto them and it doesn't matter the cost."

Conclusion and Call to Action

As the episode draws to a close, Candace reiterates the power of collective action and empathy:

Candace [04:46]: "Come back next week to hear more about Jonathan's story. To see how we can make a difference together. Go to Candice.com and click where it says the word compassion. You'll see more about my story and be able to change the life of someone like Jonathan. Be grateful all day, every day."

This heartfelt invitation emphasizes the podcast’s mission to foster a community centered around compassion and purposeful living. By sharing Jonathan's story, Candace encourages listeners to recognize the impact of their support in transforming lives affected by hardship and temptation.

Final Thoughts

"Have You Ever Been Tempted? Jonathan's Story Part 4" offers a profound exploration of the struggles faced by those growing up in challenging environments. Through Jonathan's candid narrative, listeners gain insight into the complexities of seeking acceptance and the critical role of hope and community support in overcoming adversity. Candace Cameron Bure masterfully facilitates this conversation, blending personal anecdotes with universal truths to inspire and motivate her audience towards empathetic and purposeful living.

For more on Jonathan's journey and ways to contribute to positive change, visit Candice.com and explore the compassion initiatives highlighted in the episode.

Transcript

[A]

Life is like a roller coaster, but it's so much better when we go through it together. It's true. We are better together. And this season, I'm asking our podcast community to do something together to make a difference in the world. There are hard things going on around us. Hurricanes, floods, fires, people hurting. And as followers of Jesus, we show up in the hard stuff and we build relationships with people who need us. We give. Each week, I'm bringing you a short piece of an interview with a special guest. And each week you'll hear more about what we can do together. These are short episodes, less than 10 minutes, so come join us.

[B]

How many hours schools. How many hours children attend school here.

[A]

In the US I think it's about seven hours. Is that about right? It's been so long. My kids are. They're all grown.

[B]

So back then, it was just four hours.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And so I just remember again, going in the morning, four hours running back. And I'm deeply grateful to this young boy and his family who were able to lend me the uniform so I could go to school. But reflecting again, back to my chain kindness. I wanted to be a gang member. I don't want to portray with you and your audience the beautiful story of before and after Immediately, that was the role model that I saw in my ghetto. You know, that was the reality. I'm not excusing me. I'm just saying, again, there are aspects of spiritual warfare. There are physical aspects. I mean, physical need aspects, health, lacking resources. But there is an aspect of hope when you're in poverty. And not only for those who are in poverty back in the Third World, even here in the us, there is a need of hope, even for those growing in a con, in a stable context. And so for me, I didn't see hope. And hope for me, were the guys in my ghetto selling drugs in the streets.

[A]

Because you saw, when you saw them, they had money because they were selling drugs. Did they have. They had clothes, they had a home, they had food.

[B]

Exactly. They had nice sneakers, they had nice clothes. Again, I barely came. Someone lend me the uniform to go to school. My shoes are broken. I have to take carbon and put it inside. It's a 90% humidity country. It's a tropical country. It is raining and then it's sunny. The sidewalk is hot. My foot were burned every day because the sidewalk was so burning hot. Yeah, but when it was raining, the cardboard get damaged or I will spend days without eating and I will take sugar because something happened in my body that I didn't understand why happened every other time I will be shaking, sweating and feeling cold in the 90 Fahrenheit weather 1995, which never makes sense to me why that happened. That combination of feelings and thermal sensation in, in this reality. One day at school, they gave me a cookie and I immediately fell.

[A]

Yeah. So are you diabetic?

[B]

I, I, my blood sugar was coming down. Thanks. I didn't end up with diabetic, but I was on the path because I, my blood sugar came down many times.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And so one of the things that I did, I will take sugar, brown sugar, put it in water and drink it. And that will be a way to, to stabilize my blood sugar.

[A]

Got it.

[B]

In this reality, with these guys selling drugs in the, in the ghetto, in the corner, I mean kindness. They, if you will, if you will have asked me what was my biggest need, I would have told you I need Jordans.

[A]

Right.

[B]

These guys in the 90s where there was no way I could have Jordans. They had Jordans.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I will have told you I need air Jordans.

[A]

Right. I, I mean, I get it that that's also what we're thinking of when we're, we're children, when we're teenagers and we don't fit in. You know, it might be people that you might not be in extreme poverty, but that's where we can go down a bad path or a wrong path. Because when you so desperately want to fit in with others and you don't have those things, they're like stars in the sky and you just want to grab onto them and it doesn't matter the cost. It doesn't matter if they're bad. You just want to feel seen and be like everyone else. Come back next week to hear more about Jonathan's story. To see how we can make a difference together. Go to Candice.com and click where it says the word compassion. You'll see more about my story and be able to change the life of someone like Jonathan. Go to Candice.com, click where it says compassion and join me until next time. Be grateful all day, every day. Candy Rock Entertainment. All rights reserved.