Roschelle McKenzie Interview
-- Posted by tmatt on Thursday, September 4 2008
Donna: We are here for an interview for the fall edition of the Good News Letter. Thank you so much for joining us.You are wife, mother, writer, businesswoman, and most importantly, a disciple of Christ. So let's talk a little bit about who you are, so our readers can get a feel for who you are and where you grew up.
Roschelle: Oh, man, who am I? I'm an ordinary woman who loves Jesus more than life. I was born and raised in Jamaica and I came to the United States at the age of 12. My mom was here for four years prior and she sponsored us and we all came here.I grew up in the church, you know, like most Caribbean folk.I lived a consistent Christian life as a teenager up until about my last year of high school. And then I was watching life and wondering what am I missing in the world.I was old enough to make my own decisions and I walked away from the church.You know the rest of the story.Not long after I came back to Christ and I rededicated my life to him, and there's no way I'm going back. I don't need to look back.I've had my fill
Donna: Okay. Let's see, We want to know a little bit about your life. You're an author with your first book out entitled "Night Before Dawn". Talk to us a little bit about what inspired "Night Before Dawn".
Roschelle: I wish I could give this really great story, like I was inspired by the struggle of another woman. It really wasn't like that at all. What happened, honestly, was that I went to a Mother's Day brunch at my mother's friend's house and there was this woman there, she was telling me about this dream.She dreamt that the sky had opened up and this light came through and it was the Lord. And she got hysterical. She kept screaming, "I'm not ready. I'm not ready".You know, and that really scared me so much, it never left me. Can you imagine if that was real and you tell the Lord that you're not ready? It [the dream] stayed with me so much that one day I was on my job, so bored, that I put the work aside and I decided I was gonna pen that dream.I penned it, added more things to it and it just took on a life of itself.God just kept giving me more and more and more.You'll find a little bit of what I did when I was a child and other little stories, but the story as a whole came from Heaven. I can honestly say that. I mean the Holy Spirit inspired me.
Donna: Excellent! Were you a writer before you started writing this book, or did you call yourself a writer?
Roschelle: Not outright. I have a love for writing.I wasn't good at math, so I had a love for the English language.My mother was a teacher in Jamaica when we were growing up.I used to write short stories.I kept a journal all through high school.But I wouldn't say, "I'm a writer," or even that I aspired to be that.So it's just probably like something that was deeply planted inside of me and began to stir as I got older...
Donna: So it's part of your divine purpose.Let's talk about the power of words and the power of the Word.God spoke life into existence through the Word.I admire writers because of the tools that you use. It's very much like the creative process of God. How long was the process, from the day you wrote the dream to the day the final manuscript was ready?
Roschelle: Okay, the story began in October of 2002 when I first started to pen the dream and he story ended on December 19th of 2005.Up until early April of 2008 we were still dotting I's and crossing T's.I got the book in my hand on April 30th of this year.
Donna: So what was that process like?
Roschelle: It wasn't smooth.There were times that I got really, really discouraged. I would get like halfway done and lose my inspiration. I'd say [to God], "I can't do this without you." I would cop pleas with the Holy Spirit, "Help me out, I need you." Then there was a time, I'll share this brief testimony, when I was like, "God, maybe I have to stop this." I'd start on another project. And I'd ask for a sign. If you want me to go work with this, just give me a sign. I need that right now. And I got online. And initially the title of the book was "Just Before Dawn" from the adage "The darkest part of the night is just before dawn." So I went online and I looked up "Just Before Dawn" to see if anybody else had done that.There was a book called "Just Before Dawn" and the author's name was Rochelle Alers and I freaked. Because Roschelle it's sort of an uncommon name.For her first name to have been same as my first name, and her title the same as my title, I said, "Holy Ghost, I got you." I hear you loud and clear.So whenever it needed to be put down, it got put down and when the Holy Ghost said pick up a pen, I'd wake up in the middle of the night and write. And that's how it, you know, the process continued. It wasn't very easy, but I did it. And the two years that it took too for editing and publishing I look back now and I see that its God's time. And nothing happens before God's time, no matter what. (I have to share the testimony. And really I don't share it often, but I will. I remember I was going through a really rough time. I lost my job.I was unemployed and just literally living by faith. Financially struggling.I was a single mother and just literally going through. And I remember one year I got a refund check from the government for tax refund for $1,000. And that was how much it cost to publish the book.I finished the book on December 19th and I got the refund check the following April.I got the money and I'm gonna go forward to publish this book.God said, "That money is not for you to publish the book." And I was like, what? That money is for you to sow into a ministry.And the Holy Spirit just kept prodding at me, and prodding at me, and prodding at me. So finally I knew it was God and out of obedience, not because I really wanted to, I surrendered. I gave that money and I thought that once I sowed that, then double portions were going to come in instantly. Six months later, I'm saying, "God, nothing's happening.Where are you Father?" A year passed and I got upset.I have nothing. I was just going off.I wasn't disrespectful, but it was just like, God, I'm hurting.I'm telling you now that you cannot out give God.God is indebted to no one.Aafter that, because I had that seed in the ground so much more was able to come forth, not only the money from the book come forth, but God provided editors for me to edit my book for free. My wedding, you know, that's another story, was paid for.God just did everything, you know.So that's part of the process.
Donna: That reminds me, you said a lot of different things. But I always think of the Scripture that says pressed down, shaken together and running over with the same measure that you give, God is gonna give back to you.It's not always the same exact thing. You might give money, God gives you time. You might give energy, and God gives you money. Whatever it is, you can't beat God giving. But when you were talking about the vision and the timing.Timing is something that's really important. I think that's something that's hard for the people of God to understand, because we live in a microwave and 30 second commercial society. Yeah, you now TiVo past the commercial.
Roschelle: Yes. Yes.
Donna: And I'm thinking of Habbukuk where it says to write the vision and make it plain.
Roschelle: That's what kept me going.
Donna: Though it tarry, wait for it. Along those lines, your testimony is encouraging me right now more than you can even realize.But this is not about me.So, okay, so the title was "Just Before Dawn" and the book that I'm holding in my hand is "Night Before Dawn". What happened?
Roschelle: Well, of course, because Roschelle Alers had "Just Before Dawn" I didn't want them to get confused with, at the time, Roschelle Salmon.
Donna: Yes. Congratulations.
Roschelle: Thank you.
Donna: We'll talk about that too.
Roschelle: Roschelle Sammons versus Rochelle Alers.I was like, how am I gonna fix this? And I went over the adage again, "The darkest part of the night is just before dawn." What's just before dawn? Night. "Night Before Dawn." So and it spoke to me, the reason why this title came up in the first place was because when I was going through, my father would tell me that, "Roschelle, just hold on." You know, I mean he's not a man of the Word, so he wouldn't say, weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning, which is just another way of saying, the darkest part of the night, when you're going through that hardest part of your life, that rough... that rough patch, that night, that dark period, dawn is just on the horizon.I've seen that, even in the natural, the darkest part of the night is right before dawn breaks.So if you read the book, it's two-fold, you know, that's how the title was... born.
Donna: Okay, excellent. We won't talk too much about the book, because we want the people to go out and buy the book and read it for themselves.So I think we'll leave the dawn at that. I'm interested, because this is actually my first Christian fiction book that I've read.
Roschelle: Really? Oh, so excited.
Donna: I read a lot, yes, I read a lot of non-fiction.
Roschelle: Okay.
Donna: And a lot of Ministry books but I've never read a Christian fiction book before. Why fiction? Why not take the dream and use another genre to communicate.
Roschelle: Excellent question. I don't know, I'm a storyteller and I come from a line of storytellers, you know.And I wanted to... because, honestly, ministry books are great, and I... and I have... I read ministry books.I just kind of wanted to form a story and minister in that way. I just wanted to try something different and I wanted to take whatever was on the inside of me and give it back. To be honest with you, I always thought about... when I was growing up I was like, God, I really don't have any talents. But, you know, I can run, I used to run track for New Roschelle High School.I was good at that. I'm like, well, how can I use track to glorify you? And I'm sure there was a way that I could use it to glorify God, but I couldn't see it. And I was like, well, what do I have to give to you? You know, I don't wanna be like that guy in the bible where he buried the talent.I want to have something to give back to you. Whatever you give to me, I want to be able to say, Father, this is what I've done with what you've given to me.I used what was inside of me to just, to allow God to use that for his glory, and to minister to his people. That's why I use the art of storytelling to bring forth a work that would minister to the body of Christ.
Donna: Right, right. And I think that's excellent for a number of reasons.Jesus told stories.He didn't always sit down and say, you know, do this, do that.He said, well, you know, let me tell you a little story. So I know that sometimes you just have to make it plain. I think the witnessing and testimony are really important. And for Christian fiction about somebody to connect with a character and feel what they feel and get the lesson without it being three points and a close. You can read about redemption and feel like the character... without necessarily being told to do this or that.I think it makes it more real for people.So I'm glad that it's fiction. I'm excited about that. Who's your favorite character in the book?
Roschelle: Honestly, Courtney.I liked her, I did. I have been that friend that's been rejected and it hurts. You know, it hurts when you were close to someone and you try to explain so much. Like, listen, I'm still me, and I still love you and I still wanna be friends, it's just I have Jesus now. And they can't relate to you. And it's almost like you really, really have to choose. There is no compromise.And I had to say, y'all didn't die on the cross for me, so peace.You know, it wasn't that cut and dry. At first it was very hard.I've been that friend to be rejected, because of Jesus Christ.And, I don't know, I just liked Courtney. She is forgiving and she's my favorite.
Donna: Yeah, yeah. I enjoyed her too. That's something that I think that, you know, we as people of God struggle with. And, you know Tye Tribbett talks about on the new CD "Stand Out." So there's a standard and are you going to be like Lot's wife looking back, or are you like the man that put his hand to the plow or are you saying I'm gonna trust Jesus and follow Jesus no matter what? And what I love about the character, I don't wanna give away too much of the book, but I love the way, the fact that she stood up for Christ and held to the standard.She was able to maintain her integrity and still be there for her friend when her friend needed it.
Roschelle: Yeah.
Donna: Sometimes we'll say, well, you know, I'll waiver a little bit and then as soon as our friend comes to Christ, they know that we weren't being who we were supposed to be in Christ.
Donna: Who was the hardest character for you to create? Or who did you have the most trouble with as you were writing? Who did you fight with? Who did you wrestle with?
Roschelle: I wrestled with Gina.That's a good question.I don't know anybody who has struggled with addiction.So I had to do my research.And I also struggled with Dr.Val because I am not a physician.I literally had to do research and make sure that I knew what I was talking about.
Donna: Right.
Roschelle: But back to Gina. Yeah, I don't know anyone who struggled with addiction. But as someone who has struggled with sexual...I don't know how deep you can get.
Donna: Oh, we can go deep.
Roschelle: ...who had been healed from sexual molestation as a child.I wanted to give a part of that. I wanted to touch on that, because it is so prevalent.And sometimes we're so quick to judge people, and I too am guilty of that, and we don't know where they've been.As far as Gina's concerned, I mean she has struggled.We see why she was the way he was.It doesn't really excuse it, but it explains it.And so that was a big challenge.I wanted her to be real.So I think that was like the hardest.
Donna: Okay. Okay. That was good that you said that, because we see where she had been.We see where Bre and Eric had been.I'm still struggling with Monique and the redemption piece, but, you know we don't want to give away too much.But we see where they were, but we also see for most of the characters the transformation that happen in all of them, which is what sets Night Before Dawn apart from other fiction books.
Roschelle: Right.
Donna: Like, you know, you have the reality of life but you also have the reality of Christ.
Roschelle: That's right. That's good.I've read other Christian fiction before. And like honestly it's, forgive me for saying this, too holy.It's like unrealistic.You know, everything is about the Bible. Like we're walking around and talking like the Book of Amos.People don't do that all the time.You know what I mean? It's just not real to me.I understand where the others are coming from, they wanna minster the Word. But it's like, okay, but that really doesn't happen.I didn't want to perpetuate something that wasn't real.I wanted something that was real. And I... there's one author in mind, Ryan Phillips, and her stuff is pretty decent. But like I said, I've read several others. And they're good stories, I'm just like, ah, great. You know, or it's way left. It's like this is not even based on the Word. Like where are you getting these ideas.
Donna: Yeah. So it's a good balance of the Word and the reality of life.
Donna: Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So let's talk about the book, but sort of in a roundabout way. You mentioned before that you're a wife and a mother and I know when the book was being conceived and was being written that you were a mom then.And I know that the demands on a working mother, or a mother in general are really, really tough. Like how did you make time in that two year span to even get the book written? And...
Roschelle: Well, actually it was more like a three and a half year spa and I don't remember writing, being able to write that frequently, honestly.I didn't have time.When my son was in school I'd stay home. I'd go to the library, I'd find little areas where I could go to be quiet. I would sit outside in the backyard and just finish.I think I was halfway by September writing about Gina.And then by December it was done.. That last stretch came in between September and December. I mean it wasn't easy, no, because my son is very demanding, as all children are, they need that attention. But, you know, I did it, with the help of the grace of God.
Donna: We're going put in a quick plug.Your website is http://www.readywriterIam.com . Okay. You are a ready writer and you have one book completed.What's next?
Roschelle: That's a good question.It's called "The Kinsman Redeemer" and it is a novel.The kinsman redeemer is Christ.It's a completely different direction than "Night Before Dawn in that it is still a novel, but, the story itself is about a woman who's married and lost her husband lives with her mother-in-law.Her mother in law went back to her home.So it's kind of like the story of Ruth fictionalized but more modern and what happens in today's day.. I don't know how it is going to turn out. I feel the same way as I did with "Night Before Dawn." I sometimes say "Lord, maybe I should just trash it and start again." But the Lord won't let me give it up.
Donna: Oh, no, I don't think you should. You're a ready writer. I'm a ready reader.I love that story. And, you know, that story is great by itself.Imagine what will happen when it's 300 pages long and filled with, what my pastor calls, Holy Ghost imagination.
Donna: Okay. So you're writing now. When did you start working on Kinsman Redeemer?
Roschelle: Believe it or not, I started it in '06.I'm telling you, I'm five chapters in and I've been in the same place for like a year.But now I'm getting the inspiration, honestly. So I have my tape recorder and I'm putting the ideas on the tape recorder, so that when I go home I can work on them.
Donna: Okay. And so it seems like as a ready writer you have to be ready at all times, because, you know, it [inspiration] can 3:00 a.m., the midnight hour, it could be on your drive to work, it can be on a walk it can be, you know, having a conversation with a co-worker.
Roschelle: That's right. That's right. Right.
Donna: Okay. So shifting gears a little bit. I think it's important for our readers to know that we're, you know, we don't just do one thing.We do many things. So talk a little bit about what's going on in your life. When you started the book you were Roschelle Salmon and now you're Roschelle McKenzie.Congratulations!
Roschelle: Thank you. Thank you so much. July 7th of this year was one year.
Donna: Praise the Lord!
Roschelle: Praise the Lord, alleluia! So I've been married for a year now and to a wonderful, wonderful husband, Kurt McKenzie.Who, man, I'm telling you, God is awesome. During a time when I was Roschelle Salmon I had made a vow to the Lord, and like I said, I didn't do it right the first time. And I had a son outside of the covenant marriage. And I vowed to the Lord, when I rededicated my life back to Jesus I said, "Father, I promise I will wait on you this time." I will wait on you for as long as it takes for you to bring my husband to me 'Cause I didn't care how long it took, but it was God's desire for me was to not be married, then I would ask you to remove that desire from my heart. Because there is that desire. So, God, there's so many testimonies. This church that I listen to on WMCA [my current church] was going to Israel. And I always wanted to go to Israel. And I wasn't working at the time and I was like, I want to go to Israel. The Lord opened up the opportunity, got the money for me to go to Israel.
Donna: Wow.
Roschelle: Yeah, yeah. I've been there twice.We're going back this year. The Lord opened up the opportunity and I went to Israel. And I was with these three people that I didn't know and I didn't care. I wanted to be where Jesus was, where Jesus walked. And this woman, I met this woman there and we just made the connection to each other. I think we were in Tiberais and we were walking along the sea of Galilee, and we were talking. She was telling me about her son. I'm like, "Oh, that's nice," you know, and we're just sharing information, you know. And when we got back to New York I just felt the Lord transitioning me and I spoke to my pastor in like the current church I was in and she said, " the Lord laid it on my heart that you'd be leaving us." We prayed and I was released with her blessing to my current ministry. The woman she kept telling me about her son. Like, "I want you to meet my son," and I'm like, "Oh." And I finally said Okay and I'm married to her son today, and it's just been wonderful. He loves my son. My son calls him Daddy.And it's just... it's just God.
Donna: And it's the plan that he has for you. Okay. So we're over time, but I want to ask you about your trip to Israel.I'm not sure how we'll be able to weave it in, but what was it like to walk where Jesus walked and to, I mean, well, just to be there?
Roschelle: Life changing. They say that every Muslim should make a trip to Mecca.So I say every Christian should go to Jerusalem before they leave this earth, if it's at all possible. And if it's not possible for them financially, they need to believe God for the money because God will give you every penny.I didn't have a job.I didn't have a red cent.And the Lord gave me the funds to go. So that's no excuse.You have to operate your faith.Israel was awesome. It was literally life changing. I was baptized in the Jordan River.
Donna: Wow.
Roschelle: It's like, it was, well, I can't even describe it. You know we were able to walk where Jesus walked. You know,the Sea of Galilee, where he walked and the water that the walked on.Capernum.I mean just, it was just, it was awesome.It was awesome and life changing to be on Mount Olive where he gave the beatitudes and the sermon on the mount.We also went into Egypt, we climbed Mount Sinai.
Donna: Wow.
Roschelle: It was just totally life changing. And I would recommend it. You will never be the same again. We went to the Wailing Wall. I think I that's where I put in the rock for my husband.I went to the Garden of Gethsemene where Jesus prayed.
Donna: How was your walk affected when you came home? After something like that you're not the same.
Roschelle: You're not the same. No, you're not. I mean the way that you read the bible changes.And it's, like I say, it just, it strengthens your faith. And it just... it just changes everything. It just makes everything so much stronger. It just solidifies you.
Donna: We have a question that we ask our readers. When you pray who and what do you pray for?
Roschelle: Right now? In this season? In this season I pray for our nation. I pray for God's intervention in everything that's coming in the earth. The signs of the times are all around us, and I'm very, very conscious of that. I pray for lost souls there is such a burden in my heart for them.Sometimes when I walk around, like I'll just I'll start to cry, because they literally look like cattle to me.They have no concept of what's going on. They're so spiritually blinded and I pray God opens their eyes.I also pray for our nation and the direction we're going. You know, I'm neither Republican nor Democratic. I want God, I need God to put the right person in office right now, you know. I mean we can't afford for the wrong man to go in office and so I pray for God's intervention as far as our upcoming election.I mean also I pray for my family, I pray for everything else. In this hour the cry of my heart is for America.I pray for my country, Jamaica, as well.Jamaica needs peace as much as America does. And I also pray for the Kingdom of God to just go forth and take it by force.Just be bold with the Gospel of Jesus, you know.
Donna: For someone who has a vision that God has given then, and they're waiting on it.What advice would you offer?
Roschelle: I encourage you to encourage yourself in the Lord.I mean it sounds corny and clich'e. But honestly, the Word of God cannot lie. It must accomplish what it says.Otherwise it would mean that God is a liar, and I have proven that He is not.So if God has promised you something, I encourage you to literally make it like the air you breathe.Like let it be your oxygen.Don't let it go, because if you lose faith, and if you lose your hope in the vision, what else is there? Whatever God has promised you, a husband, career, a child, a vision, anything, anything, you just say "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it." God is not a man that He should lie.God be true. And everything else, every devil, every man, every demon is a liar.
Donna: Amen.We are going to end on that.We thank you so much for your time.God bless you!
