Michelle is in every sense the epitome of the power woman. As a best-selling author of over 40 books, a speaker, singer, presenter, actress and minister, she has devoted most of her works to helping women and young persons understand the power of their existence and find true expression in themselves and in God. Happily single, this diva daily proves to the world that there is so much to life in God and fulfillment can be found beyond the walls of marriage and outside human intimacy. In this interview, she talks about her life, her work and her journey to where she is today.
A dynamic Background
I was born in London, England. My mother from Barbados, West Indies and my father (Mr. Hammond) from Ghana were students in the UK. My grandmother was part Nigerian thus my name Michelle Ayodele McKinney Hammond. I later was sent to live with my aunts and grandparents in Barbados. My mother later married an American (Mr. McKinney) and we moved to the US. Settling in Muskegon, Michigan.
Education
I attended grade school through high school and Jnr. College, where I studied Graphic Arts. I later attended the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago graduating with a degree in Commercial Art.
It was quite a culture shock moving from the UK to Barbados to the US. I went through 3 different accents. I was always the weird different one in school and had to adjust culturally as well as academically. I ended up being put forward a couple of times when I got to the States because the British system was so advanced. I graduated from school early at 16 so had completed all my studies by 20.
Finding ‘father’
My mother and father separated when I was two. He later went back to Ghana. We were miraculously reunited when my aunt went on a tour of Africa. Arriving in Accra she checked into a hotel and asked the bellman had he ever heard of a George Hammond to which he replied he that he was the chairman of Merchant Bank. My aunt called him and the rest was history! We were close until he went home to be with the Lord in 2010. I moved to Ghana after that and have been living in Ghana for six years now.
After I completed my studies I went to work as an Art Director for the largest African American advertising agency in the US, Burrell Communications. The day I was hired the man I had been living with died. I was devastated. He had been caught in the cross fire of an argument in Los Angeles and been gunned down as he left the place. My pain and my questions about eternity drove me to Jesus.
After coming to Christ I was radically changed and on fire for God but still struggled with my singleness. In the midst of learning what it meant to be a follower of Christ and adjusting to my new life style I got fired from my job and moved to Los Angeles, California. There I met an amazing group of Christians! My mentors emerged out of that group and gave me the grounding and knowledge of the Bible and God that I needed to settle my internal striving. Frank and Bunny Wilson headed an entertainer’s fellowship where I interacted with others who were living the word. It was exciting to see people not just talking the talk, but walking the walk. They held one another in loving accountability. Gatherings, Bible Studies, retreats kept us on point and excited about the things of God. This was where I first began to get a true sense of purpose. Terri McFadden, Tom and Denise Mitchell, Luther Blackwell, they were all instrumental in how I learned to study the word and have a clear sense of direction from God.
Discovering Purpose
After a year, my job called me back to work in Chicago but I went back changed. I was writing and producing television, radio and print advertisements for huge accounts like McDonalds, Coca Cola and Ford Motor Company but something was missing. All the blue chip accounts, fabulous production trips and running around with celebrities meant nothing anymore. I began seeking God – what was I really supposed to be doing?
My mentor suggested I write a book for singles now that I had made peace with being alone. Like Sarah I laughed. However I started writing, completed a chapter then forgot about it. Three years later after being hit by a car and being bedbound for almost a year and a half I completed What To Do Until Love Finds You. It became a best seller selling out of its first printing in three weeks! Over forty books later the rest is history. Sometimes discovering purpose is as simple as following the cry of your heart. I really wrote that book for myself to settle my single issues once and for all, but apparently countless others felt the same way I did. I had hit a button and the doors to ministry flew open. Suddenly I was everywhere speaking. I didn’t see it coming but God equipped me to walk through the doors He opened. I am living on purpose and in purpose and it feels great!
I started in ministry speaking to singles but that quickly spread to women from all walks of life as well as men. My core message to women is to celebrate who they are and the unique gifts God has given them. God has given women the gift of influence, which can be more powerful than authority. It is critical for us to use what God has given us in the right way because it not only affects our households, it extends to our communities and the world at large.
On women and being single
Even single women must take their eyes off themselves. The goal should not be marriage. The right person coming into your life should inspire you to marry, otherwise there is no reason to desire it. There is work to do and lives to touch. When you least expect it love will find you. The hole in our heart is not a person-sized hole. It is a purpose-sized hole that no man can fill. When you are doing what you were created to do, the overwhelming fulfillment you feel fills every space in your heart and consumes you. Being lonely from time to time is natural even for married people because God has created a hole for Himself in our hearts that we often make the mistake of thinking needs to be filled with a person. However no human can fill that place. It is natural to crave intimacy because we were created to worship. That is what true intimacy is with man and God. When we live a worshipers life God fills every space.
I live for God
My goal in life is simple – to make God smile. Living for God is a privilege. Representing Him is a great responsibility and yet it is the portion of every believer. I don’t want to leave one thing He listed for me to accomplish to go unfinished. I want to live effectively or Gods kingdom and finish well. I strongly believe that having a relationship with God is transformational. I live to see that take place in the lives of all who say they know Him. True relationship transforms. That is it. Full stop. It is my passion to inspire people to not only know the word but live it!
My walk with God has been an extraordinary one. Personal, up close, and filled with displays of His presence and His power at work. My favorite times are when He speaks to my heart and then I see things unfold just as He said. It confirms His reality to me and fuels my passion to share Him with others.
Principles that guide my life
Simple principles guide my life. God is watching so conduct yourself as if you are aware of His presence. People have the same needs all over the world, so walk tenderly with other in love. Everyone needs encouragement, significance, love and an opportunity to shine. We all can be facilitators of those needs. Embrace truth! But don’t deliver it without love. Truth without love is ineffective and detrimental. If you give your life and your love away then no one can take them from you. Laugh a lot, its good for your heart. Always be grateful no matter what. Someone is always worse off than you and on any given day life can get better! God is a God of process so roll with Him and allow Him to keep deepening your character and making you wiser. Don’t be ruled by your emotions. Every choice we make is a seed that bears fruit. At the end of the day decide what really matters and allow no distractions to take you off your path. Above all when it can’t be explained it is spiritual and my dependence on God seems me through. I take responsibility for the things that are my assignment in life and partner with God to get the best results.
With all that I do I have learned to embrace seasons, write everything down and take one day at a time. I don’t pressure myself to get everything done in a day because I have learned the next day it will still be waiting for you. I have also chosen to streamline my focus. I have taken a hiatus from book writing but have a list of small books I will begin writing in the new year. My priorities are taking the church beyond the walls through my new ministry in Ghana, Relevance. Making the Word of God and the Christian experience relevant to those who question it. Creating a new sound of worship and music that crosses over into secular arenas with a bold gospel message. Also continuing to speak around the world. The focus has shifted to outreach. The times are critical and I believe the church has to get back to kingdom mandate to go out into the highways and the byways. Besides prayer, my work is my ongoing conversation with God. I need His guidance and participation in everything I do so I’m always listening for His voice. I spend far more time listening than talking. After all can I tell God what to do? No. How? Shall I command the creator of the Universe? I don’t think so. Instead I choose to ask and then listen to His reply. This keeps my relationship with Him intact no matter how busy I am because communication with Him is perpetually ongoing.
My typical day
There is no typical day in my life. But it is always a full day that usually ends late into the night. It is a myriad of one on one visits that happen sporadically.
Meeting with the young people in my ministry. Training them in different areas. Rehearsals. Studying. Writing songs. Planning, always planning. Doing my radio show. Reaching out to check on family and friends. Television interviews, Sometimes a movie to shoot. It is ever unfolding. Again the to-do list is essential to making sure it all gets done. And squeezing in a Sabbath – me time that is critical so I can be my best for God. I won’t represent Him well if I’m exhausted.
What I do in my casual moments
In my down time I love to cook for friends and enjoy time with my cute little dogs. I have learned so much about love, faithfulness and God from them! They are truly little people trapped in dog’s bodies. Life is simple for them. That is refreshing. I love to watch comedies. I love to laugh! I love good food, rich conversations, heart to hearts with my family, my sister friends and being near water and beautiful scenery. I love the smell of flowers, scented candles and simple things like a bubble bath or a really good, hot shower. Nice and simple…
What inspires my work
People’s needs inspire my work. Everything I do is birthed out of answering a need. I am driven by people’s questions, fears, pain. I can’t explain it. Sometimes it overwhelms me because I want to be able to fix everything for everyone but of course I can’t. I can only allow God to use me to touch those He gives me the privilege to engage with. Speaking life into people, translating the Word for people to be able to understand, grasp and apply in order to experience the victory God promises is something I am very passionate about. At the end of the day we are all without excuse if we don’t have the life we want because God has given us so many tools to work with. The problem is too many people in the body of Christ have no idea what those tools are. They have become dependent on leaders who withhold essential information in order to keep them dependent on them. I refuse to be guilty of that! Dispelling the word of God in a way that can be utilized excites me when I see the light going on in people’s eyes. I like to call it arming them for victory.
Defining moments and experiences
I have had so many landmark events in my life I wouldn’t even know where to land to share! The people I’ve had the awesome privilege of meeting in spiritual and secular settings. The places I’ve gone. The ministries I’ve spoken for. The rich experiences I’ve had. Those are the highs. And yes there have also been lows that have taught me valuable lessons and left indelible marks on my memories and my soul. Times of brokenness, failures, rejection, betrayals and loss… and yet it all creates the amazing tapestry that becomes a life that looks beautiful on one side and messy on the other. I thank God He frames and presents the pretty side. But it’s the strings that remind me of how far I’ve come and the work yet to be done in me.
Perhaps the most life defining moment for me was facing death. Death has a way of putting life in perspective. Of clarifying what really matters. When my boyfriend died I asked the question, “What comes after this?” When I was involved in a car accident that wounded me I came face to face with my own mortality and inability to master anything on my own. That is when you really see God and His care for you. That was my “come to Jesus” moment. It was also my “get over Michelle” moment. It was actually a relief to embrace my helplessness and draw on all that God had been waiting to pour into me. It changed me in more ways than I can ever express. Now I walk with open hands. I understand it is all temporal and not the end of the matter. That is huge for me and quite liberating. Tomorrow is not promised and this is not all there is. Two very important things to keep in mind as it puts everything in perspective.
My favorite scripture, and it does change depending on the season of life, but for now it is the Message version of Ephesians 1:4 “Long before He laid down earths foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by His love.” Don’t get me started on what this means to me…
To know that I was a thought on purpose in the mind of God before I ever was is mind-blowing and affirming that I am here on purpose with specific purpose. I am the focus of His love and He wants to lovingly transform me into His image which is wholeness (perfection) and holiness. Wow!
The concept of women in a male dominated world
I hear a lot about this male dominated world we live in and yet that is not what I see through my personal lens. I think a woman who is unaware of her power sees it as such. But I do not. One thing I know is that the world is seeking and will buy into excellence no matter what the package. It begins with our perception of ourselves. Who and whose we are and what that gives us access to. I don’t believe there is a door that will slam in my face if I will to go through it. I know what I carry and who has my back. That is the attitude every woman should walk in. You get what you expect. So do the heart work. Be confident in the ability of the God you serve to bring you before great men and create favor for you. After all, promotion comes from the Lord not from our own machinations. He is well able to place us and raise us. I rest in this. I do not strive. I do not compare. I am not in a competition. I am above it. Because of God at work in me. I will be exactly where I was created and called to be.
As women we are called to live authentically. Rejoicing in who we are and feeding the spirits of others by touching every life we meet positively. We should always leave others better than we found them. We are natural nurturers, life-givers. This is basic to our nature. We should never let anything or anyone pull us out of character.
Ten years from now, what are your projections?
Ten years from now I anticipate seeing the fruit of my labor in the lives of the young people I have been mentoring. I am raising them up to be leaders with integrity, sound character and deep knowledge of God and His word. I want to see them walking in the fullness of their purpose and mentoring others to do the same. That would give me great joy. Beyond that who knows. I have ceased trying to write on God’s blackboard. He always has better ideas than I do so I have learned to keep showing up in the classroom to learn my next lesson and receive my next assignment.
I won’t do anything over in my life…
If I could do anything over again in my life I wouldn’t. Everything that has transpired thus far has made me who I am. So to remove or change something in the equation could cause a major shift in a way that doesn’t get me to where I presently am. I realize my life has been an intricate work crafted by Gods hand for His glory so even the imperfections work for the good of the total picture. There is a perfection even in my imperfections. It is what makes life interesting and reveals the power of God at work that in spite of me wonderful and excellent things are birthed that benefit others. That is a part of the great mystery of life.
Words to remember
If you remember nothing else I said remember this. Life apart from God is nothing. It has no root it will not stand or flourish long term. We are eternal beings making a pit stop. This is not the end of the journey. Make every decision in light of His Word and His love and you won’t go wrong. Holiness is not just our thank you for what He has done, it is the investment we make to secure a life well lived. That is true wealth here and in the life to come.