WHOA That's Good Podcast - Annie F. Downs on Why You Shouldn't Give Up

Episode Date: October 10, 2018

Sadie welcomes her good friend Annie F. Downs to the show, and Annie talks about why we should never give up and even what to do when you want to give up on God. Annie F. Downs is an author, speaker and host of the "That Sounds Fun" podcast. Her brand new book, Remember God, is now available! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433646897/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oh my god! Hey fam! Welcome back to the WoW that's Good Podcast. Y'all, I am so excited because one of my really good friends is here and she also just so happens to have a new book coming out. Cover member got actually it should be out right now. So welcome the author, the friend to everyone, Annie Down. I'm so excited you're on the podcast. You actually introduced me to the podcast where I was with your podcast. Really?

That was the first one you were on. That was the first one I was on. I think that was the first one I was on. It was so good, so many people still listen to it all the time and love it. I listened to it all the time. You gotta come back. We should hear it again. Oh my gosh, I would love that.

I have a few of you need to. So if you haven't listened to Annie's podcast, Annie is hilarious and she's a great friend to everyone and she interviews her friends for the most part of it, isn't it, right? That's the best part. That's what you're getting into, right? As we just get to talk to our friends

and then people listen for some reason. Actually, hilarious. And thank you for some reason. I know. It's actually hilarious. And thank you all for listening. I hope that you enjoy our friendship. Yeah. We hope you enjoy the sliver into our friendship. That's amazing.

Okay. Simple as podcast ever. The only question and we'll see where it takes us is what's the best piece of advice that you've been given. Yeah. I've been thinking about this because I have been on the planet for 30 years, 30 plus years, and people have given me a lot of advice over the years.

And, but it's, to me, the thing that has stood out to me that a couple of people have said over my life is don't give up. Oh yeah. And I know that sounds really simple and we've been saying that to kids since they were born. We say don't quit, don't give up. But the truth is it absolutely changes your life not to give up Yeah, that's so true

And you know that you know that from your life I know that from my story that like the place we would have given up Yeah, the place that I wanted to quit on an idea or a dream or an opportunity or even sometimes in relationship when you go I just can't do is if if you hang on one more day now I'm talking about abusive relationships. I'm one more day, now I'm not talking about abusive relationships, I'm not talking about unhealthy, but I'm saying like, friendships of going, man, that my feelings are hurt.

I want to out, and then you go, I'm gonna hang in there one more day. Yeah. Or I'm gonna move one more step, or I'm gonna go to the gym one more time. I'm gonna eat salad one more time. Oh, I'm gonna do that thing once more. Yeah.

And over your life, it will change who you are. Well, that's so good. I love that because I think you're so right. It's one of those things that you hear all the time. But then you gotta think about, don't give up. That goes into so many different things in your life. That's just not like on a hard day when you're playing basketball in high school.

That's like don't give up on many things in life. The things that matter, the things that are worth and importance. And I love that. I think that this is super special to get to ask you a question like that because I know you give so much advice to so many people, especially in my life. Like, I remember you spoke it a flash year. And like, I've received so much advice from that. Like, I already talked about making a good chicken biscuit. You're like, you can't do anything, you just make a good chicken biscuit. That's right. That kind of advice has just been so impactful in my life.

And so to hear something that was spoken over you, that impact to you is really huge. It really matters, because I know, and you've experienced this too, but I've experienced experiences with God where I've wanted to give up on him. Wow. Where I've gone like, you know what?

This isn't the way I thought it was going to be. I'm more hurt with you than anybody else in this story. And I want to walk away. I think about where David does that in the Psalms where he says, if I go up to the heavens you're there, where can I flee from your presence. And I always thought it was like this really sweet thing he was saying. And then when I think about some of my story, I go like, what if David was going, where can I go?

You want to get away from you? Where can I go? Everywhere I go, you're there. If I go to the heavens, you're there. If I go to the ocean, you're there. I cannot get away from you. And there have been times where I've got, God, you have hurt my feelings.

And you're not doing what I want you to do. You haven't healed this person. That really wanted you to heal or my parents didn't work out the way I wanted them to or this Situation didn't or whatever and then you go, okay, I'm not gonna. I'm gonna. I'm gonna give God one more day Wow, and I'm gonna give him one more day and see what happens tomorrow and without fail he shows up Right, and so for the friends who are listening to go like it's not that I want to give up on basketball Yeah, or I want to give up on this dating

relationship, I just want to give up on God, given one more day. Yeah. And then give him one more day. That's beautiful. And then give him one more day. And and he will prove that he is who he says he is. That's beautiful. Right. And at times in your life, or I don't know if you can even recall and put me on the spot at a time where you were like you wanted to give up Yeah, maybe it was like more of a specific time and like what got you? Yeah, keep going like God's faithfulness like what got you to be like Okay, we're good and we're okay and we're moving on because I think that sometimes it's hard when you go from like the bottom of this like Pit and then you're like okay, it's. Now, how do I start climbing back up? Yeah. Is that interesting?

Yeah, here's the story that comes to my head. I just moved to a new condo and the sink is clogged in the guest bathroom and it is so frustrating. And I was on the road. I'd gone and spoken out of town and I came home and it was full and was almost overflowing. And no one had been there. And I stood over the sink and just cried.

Because it was like, what more do you want me to do, God? Like, I'm doing what you asked me to do. I am super frustrated. And my sink is clogged. Like, and there's nothing, you know, like, it's always at one more thing. It's that one more thing, right? It's that one little thing that you go,

it's not about the clog sink. It's about why aren't things working out the way I want them to. Why isn't everything perfect? Why is something messed up? And what kept me going is literally, I stood over the sink, and this is silly, but I stood over the sink and I went, what's good in my life? Okay, here's what's good in my life.

I am going to dinner with a friend I really care about. I am, I have a house. And I have actually have another sink. And you and I have both been to places where they don't have two sinks in their house. Where they don't even have running water. So, and I know that is like, you know, peace in the world sounds like a pageant answer, but the truth is, if you can stand over the situation

that is hurting you and say what is good, that's you will be changed and you will change your perspective. And so my sink still doesn't work four days later. But it's okay. The enemy loves to steal our joy. We were talking about it a little bit ago, but he works hard to steal our joy. And so what we do is stand over that situation and go, yes, this sucks. Yeah, what's going on, my family sucks, what's going on in school sucks,

what's going on in my friends, are we gonna say sucks on the show? It's okay, you can say sucks. It's all right, it's good. It's good. It's okay, you can say, stink, stink. Yeah, that's right.

It's okay, you're all the things that are not going right. You stand over them and you go, here's what is good. Gratitude. God is good. God is always good. And I think that's why the scripture says that the joy of our salvation, because literally

everything else is going to let us know that it's our salvation. Right? Everything else is not enough. And so you go like, yeah, this sink is clogged, but there's the joy of the rest of my life and we will be okay. And so that's my answer is that's the situation. That's how you get out of the pit is you start, it's almost like when you start seeing what's good,

you start climbing a ladder you didn't know was there. Oh, and you down, you go. Can you go up today? And you up in the house. And you up down, this is in the house. That was good. But that's what I gotta do, because I'm crying, because the sink is clogged. Yeah, right. And he up down in the house. That was good. But that's what I got to do, because I'm crying, because the sink is clogged.

Right, and I'm really frustrated. Wow. But I'm like, no, this does not win. A closet sink is so win. That's so true. It's amazing how many things gratitude defeats and how many things joy like overcomes. Because like, Brene Brown talks about gratitude defeats fear.

And I think about my life, because fear would be my thing that would get me down. And then to speak what is good, to speak what I'm grateful for, it always got me out. Same thing when you're at the bottom of the pit. Same thing, and so many different times in your life are things just get hard, to just speak what you're grateful for, to just speak joy over the situation.

And what I love about your story, and I think is so important, you came out of the pit, and your sink is still clogged. Yeah. And like the, because the situation has that changed. It doesn't change sometimes.

That's right. You can't put your joy and your gratitude in the expectation that the outcome is gonna be perfect, because then you're gonna be disappointed. And then you're gonna say, God, really, and then you're gonna wanna give up. But like, when you put it, like you're like, God, you know what, you're gonna wanna give up. But like, when you put it, like, you're like, God,

you know what, you had the outcome of this, but like right now I choose joy. I choose to say, you are good. Then the sink can still be clawed, but at the end of the day, you're going to bed and you're not just like, oh man, this is just the worst thing ever. It's like your perspective changes. Yeah, and there's, I mean, the clock sink is an easy example,

but they're friends of ours and friends are listening who have lost people that really matter to them and who didn't get into the college they thought they were always like they had one dream for their life and it hasn't happened. Yeah and they have lost people they didn't think they'd ever lose and and when it feels that dark can you still find one thing? Yeah. Can you say one thing? I have at Christmas, I have the letters Joy. It's like from Target. It's like a little cut out thing that lights up.

Yeah. And it Christmas a lot. I'll set it on the mantle and I'll put up the tree and at night when I want to be like moody and want to be like the hallmark Christmas. I'll turn off all the other things. Thank you. I turn off all the other lights except the Christmas tree and the joy.

Well, last year after Christmas, I took the tree down, but I left the joy up. And there were nights where I would sit and nothing else in the room would be on except the joy. And the truth is, it's not strong enough to light up the whole room, but it brought light to the room, right? So even when it's dark in your story and in your life,

joy isn't this magical, and you're not saying it is, but joy isn't this magical like fix all. Right. Nothing fixes everything. Nothing fixes everything on this side of Jesus returning to the planet, right? Nothing fixes everything. But joy will light up the room.

Yeah. It will add, it will add some light to your room. And so, so even in your darkest day, which someone is listening and this is their darkest day, even on your darkest day, can you find one thing or the french fries just right at McDonald's? Right? Did your shoes fit and you weren't sure they were gonna fit today

because your feet have been so long because you've been traveling. Like, who knows? Is there one thing? Is there one thing and that one one thing? And that one thing today could be two things tomorrow? Could be three things the next day. And you also may need to see a counselor. That's your own. Yeah, I love that. The last thing I ask you because you're such a good friend. And everybody knows you as a good friend. I think a lot of people, even who don't know,

you can see you a friend because of the advice you speak in a lie, how you are consistently there. What does it look like to you to be a good friend? And what does it look like whenever maybe your friendships are hurting? Cause a lot of things that you've said, you've said I get to have dinner with a friend or a friend and that's just come up a lot. And I think people so desire that,

but sometimes it can be tough and sometimes it can be hard or sometimes there's no time, like I know our friendship or stretching, like, like, okay, Wednesday next month, okay great. And that's right. What does it look like for you? Yeah, I think that's an interesting conversation. I'd love to hear your thoughts on too,

is I've been talking a lot with people about how we be friends with a lot of different people. Yeah. Because we wanna be houses a prayer, and we want people who are super committed to Jesus and we also want to be a hospital. Right. So how do we be both?

How do we be a place where everybody who on the globe could go, say these are kind of person I can be friends with, say these are going to love me, say these are going to see me, say these are going to care about me. And also they know that you're a house a prayer. That's what I'm bouncing on how to be a house. So I'm really thinking about that because I want, I work really hard to make sure people know that I am going to love them, even if we're really different. And it doesn't mean I'm gonna agree with everything, but guess what?

No one agrees with everything I say or do either. Right? It is okay. A friend came to help me decorate my new house and I have a clock that I love and she hates it. And she keeps putting it in places where I will never see it. I'm like, no, I love that clock. And that is okay. Right? And so for me, friendship looks like being a house a prayer in a hospital.

Be both things for people. I love that. Figure out a way to be who you want to be. And also make sure everyone, because in the end, my pastor at Cross Point Kevin talked about this recently. He talked about how Jesus is yoked that he put on us literally is love God and love other people. And that's it. It's easy in its life. Love God. And Bob, you had Bob on the show, which is such a good episode. Bob is the king. Just love people. He is.

Just love people and see what happens. And I learned so much from him from his book, everybody always, I just was like, oh yeah. Oh, that's it. That's it. That's it. And so to me, that's what friendship looks like. And my friend that had dinner with last night, Emma,

Emma and I were talking about what it is like to be your authentic self. And I told her I was like, that, what we were talking about was always be you. You're the only you, you're the only Sadie on this planet that is Sadie Robertson that is you. And people see God in you in a way, and I see God in you in our friendship

in ways that I don't see him in anybody else. And so if you're trying to be Cory Robertson or you're trying to be Annie Dow or you're trying to be anybody else, we're going to actually miss God. That's so good. Right. And so when you're really you, your friends really see God and when people fall in love with the people of God, they will fall in love with God. I think that is the truth.

The other reality is you do not throw pearls to swine, as what Michael says, right? When someone tells you they can't handle your authentic self, when someone behaves in a way repeatedly that is unkind toward who you really are, you gotta walk away. Yeah. They don't get you.

They don't get you. And so that to me being a friend is believing that when people fall in love with me, they will eventually fall in love with God. And that's what I want. I want them to go, if a visible person who is very flawed and screwed up, likes me this much, maybe the God she talks about Israel. Okay, that is absolutely beautiful I wish everybody could see me right now because I was like Head nodding. I'm like tearing out both tearing out. It's beautiful And I think that like I think that's just gonna minister to so many people

I don't even want to add much to it I just want y'all to soak on that and what that looks like that might actually be a completely different concept Then you've ever thought about maybe friendship to you has been selfish and maybe it's on both ends I just want y'all to soak on that and what that looks like. That might actually be a completely different concept than you've ever thought about. Maybe friendship to you has been selfish and maybe it's on both ends, but I think if you can hear through Annie's words, it's all about the other person seeing God.

It's all about the other person receiving love. It's all about being a house of prayer and a hospital. It's like totally giving. That's what relationship is. And it's beautiful. And if you're so blessed to have a friend who is able to walk in that with you, to choose to see God, to choose to show love, then y'all are both going to receive not only the blessing from each other, but the blessing from him.

And that's the way to make it beautiful. Yeah, it really is. And I've seen that Elania's friendship so, so much. It's, it's, it's really beautiful to see the difference in that when you're actually just trying to be a reflection of love Yeah, I mean day Lania. We're actually talking about this and I said You know, I realized because I was talking about another situation with a friend that that's just been kind of more difficult Yeah, I was like writing It's everybody's that happens to me. It happens to me. Yeah Everyone and and it can be a matter of seeing different ways.

It can be a matter of a lack of understanding or miscommunication or whatever happened, but online it hurts when friendship is broken. And so I was writing in my journal and me and lady talked about it later and I was like, I noticed a really big flaw in my journaling and in my writing when I was like talking about this broken relationship. And a lot of it was, you know, I'm hurt because of this or she did this to me and build a lot. And I noticed a lot of eyes and a lot of me's and I was like, uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, I'm seeing that I'm a little bit in the fault here because I'm taking so much personal,

I'm taking so much offense, I'm bitter, obviously obviously so I circled every single time I said I am me Oh my gosh, I was like did Jesus ever did he ever was he ever like I'm hurt because this I'm no It was always siglo from my father in heaven It was always like this oh like he never did and so I realized in this moment I'm like okay Jesus had no but it wasn't but they did this But I'm upset. It was all just love, just love, just love, just love. And so I took that and was able to like talk to this friend

that had, we had had a miscommunication. And I just realized like, okay, there is just so much to say about something that choosing words that could either cause more division or choosing words that speak towards unity. And everything that has I has eye me but all the stuff that all goes in the divisive side and everything that just has I love you I bless you you're amazing I choose to like forgive whatever like that's all in the unity side so in friendship I think it's important to look at it like that is this what I'm about to say and how I'm about to act or how

I'm about to show up is it in a way that's going to bring more division or is it in a way that I'm going to bring more unity to this relationship? And I think that I just feel like this episode is going to be so ministering to friendship. So if you're out there, call your friend, text them a little link to the podcast. You're saying it and he's talking to a friend show. And I hope it blesses you. Annie, you're amazing. Thank you talking to a friendship. And I hope it blesses you. Annie, you're amazing. Thank you.

I love you, friend. Thank you. You are a well of wisdom. And I know that that's from a really beautiful place of your life with God. And so thank you for blessing the whole world with your advice and with your love and friendship. So thanks for being on.

You're welcome. My pleasure. All right, y'all. you know what time it is? Time to call Mama. So we're gonna call Mama with our best piece of advice and our worst piece of advice. Let's see what she has to say. Hey, girlie.

Hey, Mama. Guess who I just talked to? Hey. Annie Downs. Oh, my goodness. I love her. I love her. I love her.

I love her. I love her. I love her. I love her. I love her. Hey girlie. Hey mama. Guess who I just taught to? Hey. Annie Downs. Oh my goodness. I love her. I love her podcast. So that's fun that she's on your podcast. I know. And that's fun. Even because her podcast is called That's On's Fun. And you said that's fun. Well, that was good, mom. No, but for real. Annie is the best. I love her. And you should always be thankful for Annie because she's the one that actually got me to start reading.

So, P2L for any nouns. All right, are you ready for the word that's good? Well that's bad. Yes, I'm ready. Okay, this is hilarious. So I put it on Instagram. I said that if you chew your gum like really hard and really fast and if you chew a lot Then you'll get a good jawline which honestly guys is totally I don't even know that's true

Yeah, I totally Okay, but I have to do it okay Okay, I really did do it with the intention that hopefully my jawline would get structured. Okay, but anyways, this girl said, my mom told me to turn my head up to the sky and make fish faces to get a better jawline. Oh my God. Oh my God, it's so good.

Did you ever see, I have told people to get too good, really hard, really fast. And they're all gonna be doing that. But at least I didn't tell people to go start looking at the sky and doing fish faces That is really bad. Now it's like I feel like people would think you're crazy now That would be one outcome that but I don't know about the job on part Hey, I'll start doing it. I'll take one for the fam. I'll do it. I'll let you guys know I'll take the word

Okay, you're gonna be the tester of that. I love it. Good advice. Good. Oh my goodness. Okay, I think after that one, I think I actually need some really good advice because you need some good advice. We do. Alright, I heard one the other day. Yeah, I thought it was good and it kind of like reminded me of something you say, so I wanted

to bring it to you. Okay. Okay. It's like, stop trying to calm the storm. Calm yourself. The storm will pass. Oh, that is good. That's really good. Maybe think about it. I really like it. What I preach. Yeah. I love that. I love it when you say that to you about like how you used to pray for your circumstances change and now you pray for your heart to change. Yeah. To how that changed everything. Yeah.

So I'm sporty too. So I'm sporty too. So I'm sporty too. Everyone, if you haven't read it, go read it right now, change my whole life. And like my mom said, stop praying for your circumstances to change. Pray for your heart to change because when you change your heart, everything about your circumstances changes. Because that's when you have pieces of personal understanding. That's whenever you really have a strong security interest in the Lord and for me personally

When I was reading songs 46 I noticed just this language and sounds 46 It doesn't say even if the storm comes even if the mountains crumble even if it says even when the storm comes Even when the mountain crumbles into the heart of the sea even when the storm comes, even when the mountain crumbles into the heart of the sea, even when the nations are in chaos, the keynems are falling, all of these things are happening, even when all of this happens, even when your home is like, you know, in chaos, think about anything in your life, and even when these things happen, that's whenever you have to be still and just know that he is God and that he's got you that the same

God that was the God of Jacob was the same God that's the God in your life. And that's my interpretation. And I'm like, okay, I get that because even when the storm comes, see, I think that I used to use the storm as an excuse to get my anxiousness out, to get my fear going. And now I'm like, no, the storm is not my excuse the storm is actually just my Remind you right in front of my face to just be still and let God be God and let God do his thing and the more and more and more That you're just still and you allow God to do his thing and you watch God do his thing I think you're confident trust and your faith builds so much to the point that the storm really doesn't bother you anymore Because you're right the storms are all gonna pass. Like it's just gonna pass.

Another day I was actually driving in the car and that eight hour drive and I kept going through storm patches and every single one there was a rainbow out there and all four. And it was like I fall assay four because four rainbows. I thought it was so cool because it was like God's like there is going to continue to be storms but there's also also gonna continue to be promises at the end of it. You're just gonna keep making it at one point and never seen this before.

There's a rainbow and I could actually see lightning behind it because there was lightning in the distance and it's like, just because you reach the promises, I mean you're not gonna hit another storm, but just because you hit in the storm doesn't mean you're not gonna hit another promise. You gotta keep moving. And I think that, I just learned a lot from that eight hour drive.

Right, that was cool. Just girl, preach to the people. I'm gonna love each other. Because that was good. Well, good stuff. Love you, mom. Thanks for bringing the good advice today. You're welcome anytime.

Love you, baby. Love you. Bye. Bye. Bye. Thanks so much for listening to the world. That's good podcast. We got a lot of good nuggets today. Don't forget to follow me on all the social media platforms. I'm Instagram. I'm at legit Sadie Rob, Twitter Sadie Rob, and follow our live original Instagram. Also, I'm Sadie Robertson

on Facebook. Head over to live original.com and subscribe to this podcast. And while you're there, you can see the tour dates that I'm coming to a city near you. Don't forget, please leave comments in the iTunes section and leave reviews. This podcast is produced by Steve Strauss and Peter Hartzel, so a huge shout out to them and I thank you to my L.O. team. You guys are the best. We love y'all and we appreciate you listening. I'll see y'all soon! you