FAIRVIEW, Ala. – Anna Strane is starting her junior year at Fairview this fall and, in this interview, she talked about the different ways God has impacted her life.
“God means more to me than I could ever put into words. God has changed my life in ways I could have never imagined. He has changed my life time and time again. Even when I’m at my lowest, He has never failed to show me that He is right beside me through everything,” Strane said. “Here are my favorite Bible verses: ‘As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 ALT. “These verses remind me to do everything for Jesus. Jesus doesn’t look for good works to see who will make it to heaven. Good works will naturally come when trying to become more like Jesus. If you’re involved in several school and church activities, it can be easy to compare yourself to everyone else and do everything for the wrong reasons. It’s so important to remember to do everything for God and quit looking for the approval of other people.”
Anna loves to help other people find God and shared a sweet story about an experience she had with one of the girls that she was babysitting.
“I’m so passionate about leading others to Christ, but especially the younger generation. I babysit a little girl and her younger brother. I have tried to play worship music in their home and open up the conversation of Jesus several times with her. I got a text not too long ago that she gave her life to Christ at VBS. I was so proud of her, and I truly believed that I helped guide her to Him. I have also served in the kids’ ministry at Desperation Church for five years,” Strane said. “I enjoy loving on kids of all ages, but especially the preschool age. The kids are so eager to ask why and learn new things. It’s a perfect opportunity to begin to discuss Jesus with them. With this passion for those kids, I believe that Jesus has called me to become an early childhood development teacher. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to serve the kids at Desperation and have already begun to walk towards my calling.”
She believes that it is her mission to help spread the word and she wants to continue to be a Godly role model for a lot of people.
“I’ve never been on an international mission, but I believe that any time you are around people or in public, it’s my mission to spread the word to everyone. My favorite time that I’ve spoken to anyone in public about bringing others to Jesus was when I felt God leading me to these high school girls that I didn’t know. It was a Wednesday, so I invited them to church, and we had a great discussion about Jesus. Even though they didn’t come to church that night, all that it takes is planting those seeds,” Anna said. “Being a Godly role model can be very difficult. It can feel as if eyes are on you everywhere you go, but it’s so rewarding. Being able to have such an impact on other people’s lives is such a blessing. I’m so grateful to be a leader to so many people. Leading others allows me to have purpose. Jesus has given me a gift: to lift other people up and speak life into their lives. I pray every day that God will continue to use me to lead and be such a great role model to others.”
Anna shared some advice with anyone who wants to get closer to God and she added some of the traditions she has with her volleyball teammates.
“My advice to new Christians would be to remember that Jesus doesn’t expect you to be perfect. We should strive every day to be more like Him, but He also knows that we are going to fail, because of our humanly flesh. We just have to remember to keep building our relationship with Him and to keep Him first always. Also, I hope everyone I come across knows that any questions they have, they can always come to me, and I’ll answer them to the best of my ability. I’ll be there to encourage them, hold them accountable, and love them wholeheartedly,” Strane said. “In volleyball last year, I gave the girls a prayer on a piece of paper that they could hang up in their locker. Before every game, and even through the school year, I would read over that paper as a reminder of who I’m living this life for. After games, I go home, and I’ll do my daily devotion where I thank Jesus for all that He has allowed me to have the strength to do and how grateful I am to serve such a great God.”
She added,
“The biggest thing that I’ve learned is that when you’re a Christian, Jesus calls us to be different. In this world, when we’re different, people don’t normally want to be around you. It can be very difficult, especially as a teenager, not fitting in or being invited to things. Through my journey, I’ve felt left out and alone because of friends that I’ve lost, but through many discussions with my mom and youth leaders, I’ve learned that Jesus hasn’t called me to fit in with everyone else. Jesus has called me to focus on Him, lead others to Him, and be kind and loving to everyone, no matter how they treat me.”
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