FAIRVIEW, Alabama. – Anna Strane begins her third year at Fairview College this fall and in this interview she talked about the different ways God has influenced her life.
“God means more to me than I could ever put into words. God has changed my life in ways I never could have imagined. He has changed my life over and over again. Even when I was at my worst, He has always shown me that He is by my side in every situation,” Strane said. “Here are my favorite verses from the Bible: ‘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 was sitting at the Lord’s feet listening to Him teaching. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She went to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, don’t you think it’s unfair that my sister is just sitting 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 about all these details! There is only one thing to worry about. Mary 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 is not looking for good deeds to see who will go to heaven. Good deeds will come naturally as you try to be more like Jesus. When you participate in multiple activities at school and church, it can be easy to compare yourself to everyone else and do everything for the wrong reasons. It is so important to remember to do everything for God and stop seeking the approval of others.”
Anna enjoys helping others find God and told a nice story about an experience she had with one of the girls she was caring for.
“I am so passionate about leading others to Christ, but especially the younger generation. I babysit a little girl and her younger brother. I have tried playing worship music in her house and starting the conversation with her about Jesus several times. Not long ago, I got a text that she dedicated her life to Christ in VBS. I was so proud of her and truly believed I helped her find Him. I also served in childcare at Desperation Church for five years,” Strane said. “I love children of all ages, but especially the preschool age ones. The kids love to ask why and learn new things. It’s a perfect opportunity to talk to them about Jesus. With this passion for these children, I believe Jesus called me to be an Early Childhood Development teacher. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve the children in Desperation and have already begun to walk toward my calling.”
She believes that her mission is to help spread the message and she wants to continue to be a godly role model for many people.
“I have never been on an international mission before, but I believe that my mission is to spread the message to everyone when you are among people or in public. My most beautiful public conversation 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 if they didn’t come to church that night, you just have to plant those seeds,” Anna said. “Being a godly role model can be very difficult. You can feel like you are being watched everywhere you go, but it is so rewarding. To be able to have such an impact on other people’s lives is a true blessing. I am so grateful to be a leader to so many people. Leading others gives me purpose. Jesus has given me a gift: to lift other people up and breathe life into them. I pray every day that God will continue to use me to lead others and be such a great example to them.”
Anna shared some advice for anyone wanting to get closer to God and added some of the traditions she maintains with her volleyball teammates.
“My advice to new Christians would be to remember that Jesus does not expect you to be perfect. We should strive to be more like Him every day, but He also knows that we will fail because of our human flesh. We just have to remember to continue to grow our relationship with Him and always put Him first. Also, I hope that everyone I meet knows that they can always come to me with any questions they have and I will answer them to the best of my knowledge. I will be there to encourage them, hold them accountable and love them with all my heart,” Strane said. “In volleyball last year, I gave the girls a prayer on a piece of paper to hang in their locker. Before every game and even during the school year, I would read through that paper to remind myself of who I am living this life for. After the games, I go home and do my daily devotions, thanking Jesus for everything he has given me the strength to do and how grateful I am to serve such a great God.”
She added:
“The most important thing I’ve learned is that Jesus calls us as Christians to be different. When we are different in this world, people usually don’t want to be around us. Especially as a teenager, it can be very difficult not to fit in or be invited to things. Along the way, I felt excluded and alone because of the friends I lost, but through many conversations with my mom and youth leaders, I learned that Jesus wasn’t calling me to conform to everyone else. Jesus was calling 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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