Sold-Out pt. 2: Maddie

Meet Maddie:

Maddie is currently a freshman at her high school. I’ve known her for a few years now, and I’ve always loved connecting with her. Maddie is a tough girl with a tender heart. Watching her grow into her faith for the last three years has been an incredible privilege, and if you know Maddie, it’s quite obvious that this girl is a born leader. She’s touched my heart (as she does with everyone who knows her), and is incredibly wise for her age. I am consistently astounded by her outlook on life, ability to keep boundaries, and love for Jesus. She was one of the first people I thought of for this project, and I was thrilled when she agreed to take part in this series.

Maddie is a busy girl. She is currently taking several honors classes, algebra, and then is also in her school’s show choir. I actually remember when Maddie auditioned for show choir, and was thrilled for her when I found out she had made it (though I was not surprised). After school, she has show choir practice for three hours (talk about dedication!), and then heads home to get her classwork done. She works hard in school because once she graduates, she would like to enter a degree program in some area of the medical field. Her guilty pleasure is “eating all the snacks right after we buy them,” and she’s happiest when she’s with her family.

I asked Maddie about the first time she remembers encountering Jesus. She responded, “I remember I was about 8 years old, and I was at church camp in the summer. On the last day, we all got [to make] the decision on whether or not we wanted to accept Jesus into our hearts and become a follower, and I know I definitely made the right decision that day.” A time she saw the evidence of Jesus in her life “Was when I started show choir. This opportunity led me to meet some of my best friends and do something I really enjoy!”

When I asked Maddie what she considered to be her ministry, she replied, “To me, ministry is carried through anything that is something you love to do, and I love to perform and sing. I think that show choir really helps me pursue ministry.” (Quick side note: I absolutely love this answer. I think that God truly uses our gifts, whatever they may be, for His glory, and His Kingdom. Everything we do can be used for God’s ministry.) To her, the most important thing in life as a Christ follower is to “do your absolute best to show God through you to other people.”

I asked Maddie, “What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear ‘Jesus?’” She responded, “The first thing that comes into my mind when I hear Jesus is the word ‘love.’ I think of this because of the endless love he gave to everyone no matter who they were, which I think is very important.”

Maddie’s ‘Sold-Out’ bible verse is Romans 8:28 – “‘And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.’ I think of [this] as being sold out because I know that if I serve the Lord with all my heart, everything will work out in his plans he has for me.” She said she thinks that society’s difficulty with living ‘sold-out’ for Jesus is “Because people say things [that] change your perspective on God and who he is, and [whether or not] you should serve him for the rest of your life.”

When I asked Maddie why she thought so many students left the church after graduating from high school, she responded, “I believe that so many people leave the church because they claim they don’t have time for God or Church or that they don’t need it anymore.”

Maddie is from Generation-Z, which gets a lot of [often unfair] flak from prior generations. I asked her, “If there was one assumption about your generation you could change, what would it be?” She responded, “That my generation will stop believing that Jesus and His story is real.” This answer is actually so important. A lot of my college curriculum has called Gen-Z a “post-Christian generation.” If we live and act upon this assumption – that all of these students will, without fail, fall away from God (or refuse to believe in Him entirely) – we shut a lot of doors that need to stay open in order for change to occur.

The last two questions I asked Maddie were, “What is one thing you wish you could tell your past self?” and, “What is one piece of advice you want to give middle schoolers?” She answered, “One thing I wish I could tell my past self is, ‘don’t let others put you down.’” And, “One piece of advice that I would give to middle schoolers is to stay true to yourself. Nobody else is made like you, so live it up! Embrace who you are!!”

Maddie has more leadership potential than almost anyone I have met of her age group. She is gifted in so many areas, and is a true influencer. She has an incredible ability to make changes for the Kingdom. I have loved watching her heart and getting to know her over the last couple of years, and I think she does a really good job of staying true to herself, which is so difficult for high schoolers. I have seen such a heart for Jesus in her, and I have been honored to watch her heart and passion for His Kingdom grow over the last few years. I am very much looking forward to seeing what God has in store for Maddie as she continues to grow in His calling for her life.

Disclaimer: parents were contacted first and gave permission for their daughters to be used in these interviews. Some names and other identifying information may be changed to protect the privacy of these students.