FRANKFORT, Ky. — Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, who spent five days in jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, said she prayed for those who disagreed with her and feels the pace of social change has “awakened” Christians across the country.

In an interview with The Associated Press about her year at the center of one of the biggest social changes in decades, Davis described it as “a very emotional and a very real situation to all people.” But she said simply telling others about her faith was not “going to make anybody believe anything.” And so she put her faith in action by refusing to issue the licenses.

“No one would ever have remembered a county clerk that just said … ‘Even though I don’t agree with it, it’s OK. I’ll do it,’” Davis said. “If I could be remembered for one thing, it’s that I was not afraid to not compromise myself.”