GOOD HOPE, Ala. — Good Hope High School’s Mckenzie McDonald is preparing to start her senior year in August, and in this interview, she discusses how her faith has changed her life, starting with a couple of Bible verses that mean a lot to her.
“God means more to me than words can describe. He has changed my life so much and in various ways. I’m very thankful He has made me who I am today,” McDonald said. “One of my favorite Bible verses is Deuteronomy 31:6. This one means a lot to me, because this verse shows and reminds me to always stay strong and courageous in Christ. It also reminds me to always abide by Jesus’s power and not my own power. John 3:16 is a very common but special verse to me. This verse reminds me to always believe in Jesus, and never forget who He really is, and continue to live like Him, so I can have everlasting life.”
Mckenzie wants to help people of all ages find God, and she wants to be role model for the younger kids.
“It means the world to me. I love seeing Jesus shine through people. It puts a huge smile on my face. I always try to tell people: don’t dwell on your problems. Give them to the Lord, and He will make them right. If the problem you hand to Jesus is not good for you, He will not lend it back to you. It will be gone forever, and better things will come,” McDonald said. “It’s very important. I always try my best to show integrity, even when no one is watching, because deep down, I always know someone could be watching. I always want to do what’s right, so they can, one day, lead in the same way.”
Mckenzie has so many Godly role models that she looks up to in and outside of school, and she talked about a very special event that she did alongside some of her friends.
“Inside of school, it’s my lovely friend group. It’s just us five, and we have grown closer to God as a group. I will forever thank them for being my Godly role models. Outside of school, I would definitely say my mom. I look up to her more than she knows,” McDonald said. “Something special that I was part of was when me, along with some of my friends, gave our lives to Jesus Christ. It was actually a cool experience. It meant the world to me and the rest of them to be there for each other. Getting baptized meant the absolute world to me. It was the best decision of my life. I am so thankful and blessed to know the Lord.”
She gave some advice to those people that are either struggling or new when it comes to having a relationship with God. She talked about a life-changing experience that happened to her that helped her get her relationship with the Lord back on track.
“Find Godly people around you, because I promise, their light will shine onto you without you even knowing it, and it could change your life forever. Never be afraid to ask questions,” she said. “I was going downhill, and I was losing the light inside of me. I knew I wasn’t the girl God knew I could be, and when I finally realized that I knew I needed to pick myself back up and put myself back together, so I decided to find the Lord again.”
Mckenzie talked about a Godly ritual that she does alongside the Victory Cheer All-Stars, and being around them has completely changed her life.
“We pray after every single practice, and it has really made a difference in my life in just the short amount of time I’ve been there. They have already shined God’s light all over me, and I will forever be thankful for that. Being around them helps me continue to be a woman of God every day. What I’ve learned from them is to always be joyful. Being joyful helps you get through a hard day, no matter what, and they have taught me to be very persistent in the things that I do,” she said. “What I’ve learned during my journey so far is to go to God for anything I need, no matter what it is. I always go to Him, even if it’s just for the small things in my life.”
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