HOLLY POND, Ala. — Holly Pond’s Blakely Baggett will be a senior this upcoming school year, and in this interview, she discusses her faith, starting with how one weekend completely changed her life.
“God means more to me than I could ever explain. He has guided me through my most challenging moments and has led me to so many incredible people and opportunities,” Baggett said. “Getting baptized was so special to me, because it was a symbol of my salvation. God saved me on Saturday, May 24, at night at church camp alongside a couple of my friends, and then, I got baptized the next morning. That Saturday was easily the best and most beautiful thing I’ve ever been a part of. Every single person at camp was gathered around the altar, praying for each other, and just to hear the tears and brokenness that was being faithfully laid at God’s feet was so encouraging to me. Sometimes, I forget that God is in complete control, and every season of my life serves a purpose in His overall plan for me. My baptism feels so important to me, because that is a step of boldness in my faith that I never would have taken before,” Blakely said. “I never would have walked up to Austin and Erin Rowell or any leader and asked to talk or talked to my friends about my sins and how I feel regarding my faith. But that night, I did, and that is what made me sure that I was saved. I took a new step of courage in my faith. I was instantly filled with so much joy, gratitude, and appreciation for God in that moment, and it hasn’t gone away yet.”
A lot of younger kids watched Blakely change her life when she got baptized, but she says that the younger kids have inspired her more than the other way around.
“Honestly, the younger kids probably inspired me more than I inspired them. Many younger kids were getting up and sharing their testimonies, taking their step of faith, and accepting God into their hearts. It made me wish that I could have been that bold about my faith at their age, but showing a more vulnerable side of myself that was broken with sin and just pain that the world can bring in front of the younger kids was kind of humbling. I am always trying to act like I have it all together and don’t need much help, but in reality, I need so much guidance and healing. I think it was important for the younger kids to see that. I also got baptized alongside my younger brother, which was a very special moment for me and my family.”
Blakely shared a couple of Bible verses that mean the world to her.
“One of my favorite Bible verses is Colossians 1:17: ‘He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together’. God is like the glue that holds every piece and aspect of your life together. When it feels like your plans are falling apart and you are losing control, you have to remember that God is going to have His will be done in your life, and if you get off track, He’ll guide you back. That is how he holds all things together. Another Bible verse that I really like is Acts 2:24: ‘But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him’. Jesus is so much greater than death that it was literally impossible for death to keep hold of Him. Jesus conquered the grave, so I will never have to face it, and I believe that is the greatest evidence of His love and power for us.”
Blakely encourages people of all ages to find God and being a role model for kids is one of her top priorities.
“I myself still have a lot of progress to make in my faith, but I encourage people of all ages to find God, and accept Him into their hearts, because He is the only way you can find a truly, unconditional, and completely satisfying and forgiving love. I encourage people of all ages to go find God, because He doesn’t care about your past. He only cares about your future in faith. God is the only hope for eternal life, and people of all ages should seek God,” Baggett said. “I want to become that role model, because it would encourage me to be more disciplined in my faith. I know younger kids are watching, and I want to be living proof that God changes people. He can improve your life so much if you will just give it to Him. I want to be changed by God so much that younger kids see my transformation in Christ and want to seek God more for themselves.”
Blakely talked about one of the best moments of her life, and it was all because God led her and a group of people to someone whose life quickly got changed right before her eyes.
“At church camp, during one of my Outreach programs, we were going to buy coffee for this specific group of people, but when we asked, they didn’t want any. They told us to go check with the sweet woman at Wendy’s Nutrition, and although she didn’t want any coffee, we asked if we could pray with her and if she had any requests. You could just tell that a prayer/encounter from strangers, yet Sisters in Christ, was exactly what she needed in that moment. I think this story goes to show that God will lead you exactly where you need to be. Although our initial outreach project didn’t go as planned, we still brought God to someone. Rejection or what you might see as a ‘failure’ is not the end of the story, because God has the bigger picture in mind.”
Blakely’s Godly role model is one of her friends, and she shared how God stepped in to help her out when she was going through a rough time in her life.
“My Godly role model is one of my friends, Bryanna Holloway. I have truly seen her grow in Christ, and she has so much joy through God that just watching others come to Christ or share their testimonies will instantly bring her to tears. She truly has the heart of a servant,” she said. “For many months leading up to church camp, I had strayed far from God
and was placing all of my worth on invaluable things, like my grades, athletic performance, social life, and more. I was hardly praying and hadn’t opened my Bible, which is kind of hard to admit, but it’s true. Once I got to church camp, I was separated from all of those things that I had placed so much meaning on. God truly just broke me and showed me how weak my faith has been. That’s when I truly realized that and accepted the fact that I am absolutely nothing without God. In the end, none of these superficial things will matter. During the song of invitation, I laid down my troubles and poured my heart out to God asking for forgiveness and redemption. I asked for Him to change everything, and I truly gave my life to Him during that time. And now, for the rest of my life, I will strive to become a better Christian for myself, for my friends and family, and most importantly, to bring praise to His name.”
Blakely shared some advice for any people who want a relationship with God but are new to that kind of experience.
“Be patient. God works from the inside and out and sometimes, it’s hard to remember that God has a timeline already set out for you. The pain you experience is part of the plan. The people you lose and gain is part of the plan. The doors that are opened and closed are part of the plan. Eventually, His plan will all come together, and if you are willing, He will call you to Him. Be attentive and when you hear God call you, wherever you may be, don’t hesitate. Lay your life down to Him right in that moment, and He will transform you,” she said. “You are never too far from God. When you get down in a slump, you don’t have to wait until you are ‘better’ to go back to God. He is always waiting, with arms wide open, for you to come back. God is always pursuing you; you just have to pursue Him in the same way.”
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