'Wonder Years' star Danica McKellar says finding Christ has been 'a revolution in my life'
"The Wonder Years" star Danica McKellar reflected on her past year in a podcast highlighting how she strengthened her Christian faith in 2022 after actress Candace Cameron Bure gave her a Bible and served as a "guide" as she developed a deeper relationship with Christ.
Bure invited McKellar to join her for a recent live discussion on her podcast, in which McKellar said that she is reading the Bible frequently, going to church and has a new perspective on Christianity.
After resonating on how the fellow child television stars have known each other since childhood as their careers mirrored one another, McKeller said the relationship with Bure has been transformational for her life.
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"Candace, I don't want to brush over the huge, huge impact that you've had on my life this year," McKellar said in the podcast.
"I don't even know how to call that friendship. It's more than that. Because of you helping me to find my relationship with God and Jesus, it's been like a revolution in my life. It's been a revelation in my life."
McKellar, who played Winnie Cooper in "The Wonder Years" ABC sitcom that aired from 1988 to 1993, said the Bible that Bure gave her this year played an instrumental role in teaching her about the value of conversations with Jesus and attending church.
"You gave me this Bible that I read all the time, and I love it so much, and I go to church now, and I talk to Jesus all the time, every day," McKellar said of Bure.
"It's unbelievable. And you were like my guide. You were just an angel in my life, and you still are. And I just want to thank you for that publicly."
McKellar said her Christian journey has been tremendous, and she is glad to have known Bure for many years.
"I am teary-eyed right now. I have chills … just to see you grow in that area and have that relationship with Jesus and see your excitement for Him," Bure responded.
One of the aspects of Christianity McKellar said that especially resonates with her is the idea of faith being "rooted in doing the right thing just because it's the right thing."
"[That's] something I've always connected with, and I wish there were more people that seem to care about that. … I've always wanted to understand better or connect with [that] more, and then you end up needing this entire community to have that too," she said.
McKellar said that her previous exposure to religion left her with a negative view of what religion could be used for.
"[Religion] has been used to do very mean things, evil things, throughout history. Anything powerful can be used to do corrupt things from time to time. And so that was my association with it," McKellar explained.
"And I was missing out on all the amazing, beautiful stuff, like all that good stuff. … I wasn't open-minded to it before."
The 47-year-old actress assured that she is experiencing a relationship with Jesus like she never had before.
"And it feels miraculous," she asserted.
McKellar took to Instagram in April, sharing a live video about how she felt a newfound curiosity about Christianity.
In the video, she detailed how Bure gave her a new outlook on what it means to be a Christian.
It was more than Bure's Bible gift that touched her heart and sparked her curiosity about Christianity, McKellar added.
Bure also did live videos in early 2022 on Instagram that pulled at McKellar's heartstrings.
"I was curious. I [had] been listening to when you would read the Bible on your Insta Stories, and I always felt so comforted and happy. And then remember, I texted you or something about forgiveness, and I got curious about your Bible," McKellar recounted.
"I already admire you so much. And I was intrigued. Also, you know, it's like when you see somebody who you really admire and like, they're so passionate about something, like … I want to find out more."
This year, Bure invited McKellar to see a Passion play at a church.
"The moment for me was somewhere in the middle of the Passion play that you took me to at church. There was something about that, watching Jesus do things, even if they're hard because it's the right thing to do. And this earnestness, and there's something about it, it's just like, everything works together," McKellar said.
Following the play, McKellar said she strongly desired to share her faith on Instagram. She posted a video on the platform encouraging others to seek out resources if they are curious about how to become a Christian, such as the Bible or Christian leaders, to answer their questions.
"I was like, 'this is the most amazing thing ever.' And I just want everybody to feel this and to know that they have this, and this relationship is there for them if they just ask for it. All the answers are all around us, and they're in the Bible, and they're the people who have more experience like you or just other leaders in the community," McKellar said.
"It's here for you. … It doesn't cost anything, and nobody expects anything from you. They just want you to be happy and joyful and to have all this knowledge and all the good news as well."
Finding her faith not only helped McKellar draw closer to her father, who is also a Christian, but she has been able to meet other believers to form new Christ-centered friendships.
"Just because you're a believer doesn't necessarily mean that you are going to be a good person. … A friend of mine … was telling me, 'there are Christians, and there are authentic Christians,'" McKellar said.
"'There are people claiming to be Christians, and there are people who are actually truly living for Christ and truly striving to live for Jesus. None of us are going to be [perfect], but we can strive for it.'"
Nicole Alcindor is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: nicole.alcindor@christianpost.com.
