This article appears in the Winter 2025 issue of the FCA Donor Publication. The FCA publication is a gift from our FCA staff to all donors giving $50 or more annually. For more information about giving, visit here.

We sat near the restaurant’s kitchen, where you can watch them making your dinner. It’s the best seat in the house because sometimes the chef will toss you an extra appetizer or let you taste an extra piece of the baked chicken. It doesn’t require a reservation and usually there are two seats together for us.

My friend Allie and I make this meal a habit. It’s a place we connect and chat, usually over kale salad and meatballs. I love this restaurant, tucked in a busy corner of Nashville, because when I have had a long day, those two seats at the counter in front of the chef seem to be waiting for us.

I used to think discipleship required me to be my strongest, most rested self. I thought to lead and listen I had to be in tip-top shape. Yet the longer I have met with younger folks and spent time walking alongside them, the more I have realized they don’t need me to be perfect. They just need me to be me.

Allie and I sat there, my posture terrible because I was just exhausted. But I needed dinner, and it was a chance to invite someone on my journey.

Both unmarried, we talked about our dating lives. We discussed the boundaries we were setting and what healthy dating looks like. We talked about the other voices we were inviting in — mentors, friends and counselors — to help us be who we wanted to be in the relationships we were each in. We talked about the church we both attend, the struggles some friends were actively facing and some joys that we had heard of and wanted to celebrate.

Eventually, we got stuck in a conversation about God and about prayers — the ones answered and seemingly unanswered. We circled around it, retelling stories of the times in our lives when it felt like before the sentence was out of our mouths, God had answered. We talked about the seasons where the nearness of God made every decision feel like floating down a river, taking the turns softly as they come.

We thanked God together, each reflecting on the other’s stories. We said out loud, “Whoa God really did that?” and “He clearly heard what you were asking for — wow!” In an unplanned and unintentional way, we sat there, kale salad on our plates and steaming meatballs in a ramekin, and gave glory to God.

I was still tired. The length and depth of the day’s troubles did not disappear. But it felt good to get lost in her stories, to gently guide her as she processed some “What next?” questions and to laugh with her about the kindness of God exceeding our expectations.

We also spent time stuck in the parts of the stories that are hard. The unanswered questions. The twists and turns that feel less like a river and more like a roller coaster. I teared up once, hearing her sadness and frustration. I teared up because I felt it too. We talked about how to thank God through it, as the chef dropped off a little taste of the vegetable dish they were debuting in the new seasonal menu.

It was about 90 minutes. It wasn’t planned weeks in advance; we texted that afternoon. I didn’t have to prep to see her; we just met for dinner.
Discipleship glorifies God in the everyday. The conversations held on a quiet field after practice, in a locker room, around a table, on a walk, driving around doing errands — they glorify God. When the stories point to Him, that’s all it takes.

Find your Allie. Be you. Point to Him. Share a kale salad. Have an impromptu conversation before practice. Tap someone’s shoulder after a game. That’s discipleship.

Prayer: Lord, help me seek out and discover everyday moments with others where I can disciple and be discipled. Give me eyes to see and ears to listen. In Jesus' name, amen.

BIO: Annie F. Downs is a New York Times bestselling author, sought-after Speaker and successful podcast host based in Nashville, Tenn. Known for her engaging and honest style, Annie makes readers and listeners feel like long-time friends. She is the co-founder of the That Sounds Fun Network, home to her flagship podcast, That Sounds Fun, and the creator of Single Purpose League, a community for single women to discover friendship, hope and a life of purpose. With more than 1 million books sold, Annie’s catalog includes bestselling “That Sounds Fun,” “100 Days to Brave” and “Remember God.” She invites listeners and readers alike to experience fulfilled lives with a God who made them on purpose and loves them deeply. Learn more at www.anniefdowns.com.

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