What if the very moment you’re facing—the pressure, the spotlight, or the unknown—is the one God has been preparing you for all along?

In this powerful episode, Madison Prewett Troutt shares how to navigate life’s most defining moments with bold faith and unwavering conviction. Whether you’re facing a big decision, wrestling with insecurity, or feeling the weight of cultural expectations, this conversation will challenge and encourage you to stand firm in your identity and purpose.

Meet Madison Prewett Troutt

Madi is an author, speaker, TV personality, and social influencer who gained national attention as a finalist on Season 24 of The Bachelor. She’s the author of Made for This Moment, a book that equips women to thrive under pressure and live out their purpose with confidence. Madi is passionate about helping others choose faith over fear and God’s best over settling.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• How to hold onto your faith when culture tells you to compromise
• What it means to truly wait on God’s best—even when it’s hard
• Why pressure-filled moments can be defining opportunities
• The importance of knowing your identity before stepping into influence
• How Madi’s experience on The Bachelor shaped her view of purpose and calling

How This Episode Will Encourage You

You’ll walk away reminded that you were made for this moment. Whether you're navigating tough decisions, feeling overwhelmed by expectations, or just needing a reminder of your worth, this episode offers encouragement, truth, and real-life wisdom to help you stand tall in faith.

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Join us for a powerful one-day event filled with inspiration, connection, and encouragement to help you pursue healing, purpose, and deeper faith.

✨ Learn more and grab your ticket at wecollide.net/conferences

Yes, You - A Bible study on self-worth that encourages women to see beyond their inadequacies and walk in their God-given potential.

Connect with Madison Prewett Troutt - Website | Instagram | TikTok | Books

• Podcast: Stay True with Madison Prewett Troutt

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Foreign.

Hey there, friend. Welcome to the Clyde Podcast. This is Willow Weston, the founder and director of Collide.

And every week, I get to sit down with amazing people who are seeing God show up and collide with their lives and do amazing things in them and through them. And this week is no different. I sat down with Maddi Pruitt, who most of you might know because she was a finalist on season 24 of the Bachelor.

She's an author, a speaker, a TV personality, a social influencer, and we got to talk about how God has just unfolded this amazing story in her life. We talked about her new book, made for this Moment, and I got to ask her all the questions that I've wanted to ask her for a very long time.

It's a great interview. I hope that you will collide with Jesus as you listen to her. Maddie, I am so excited to hop on the podcast with you.

Of course, I fangirled, after watching your season of the Bachelor. Never thought I'd get the opportunity to do a podcast with you, let alone you coming and speaking at a Collide conference in March.

I have so many questions I want to ask you, but first, just. We were just talking offline, and you were sharing about some. Some really exciting things you're doing today.

So do you want to share what you're doing?

Well, first of all, thank you so much for having me. You're so kind. And you just prayed the sweetest, amazing prayer over me. And I'm a. I love prayer. I'm such a sucker for prayer.

So that meant a lot to me. So thank you for that. Thanks for having me. I'm super excited for conference. I know it's going to be amazing.

And I was just telling you how I'm excited to come out to Washington and hopefully get a little bit more time exploring. But, yes, we were just talking about. About how right after this, I'm going to go try on my wedding dress.

I have another wedding dress fitting, and I'm so excited. It has been such a crazy, wild, amazing, beautiful season. Engagement is, you know, there are no words.

Engagement season is quite crazy, but it is so beautiful, and I am so thankful because I truly know that I have found the one whom I have desired and prayed for for so long.

And it's truly such a blessing that I can walk down the aisle and look this man in the eyes and make a commitment to him, you know, knowing that I didn't settle and that I've gotten this man that I've prayed for and waited for for so long. And he truly is God's best.

And so I would just hope that, you know, my story would encourage so many, you know, girls and women who maybe are in a season of singleness or going through heartbreak or wherever they find themselves right now. You know, that you're never going to regret waiting for God's best, and it is going to bless you in so many ways and just to never settle.

Because, gosh, it is just. There's nothing better than just knowing you're walking in God's perfect will for your life. So I'm just. I'm pumped. It's a beautiful season.

It's definitely been crazy, and it's had its highs and lows, but. But it's so beautiful.

Well, it's been super cool, obviously, to watch from the outside and see how God's just unfolded this beautiful story. And, you know, I think he asks us, you know, he tells us, like, he has more for us than we could. We could ever ask or imagine.

I'm sure that you never imagined how this story that's taken place in the last few years of your life would unfold. And now he's giving you this beautiful gift in your fiance. So excited to pick out your dress. I have so many things I want to ask you. You.

I'm just curious.

You became well known on the season 24 of the Bachelor, but can you kind of rewind and give us a snippet of what Maddie's life looked like pre reality tv?

So, absolutely.

I actually worked for a church and was going through Bible college and actually had been dating a guy for about four years and thought we were going to get married, thought we were going to be pastors of a church and thought that's what my life was going to look like. Obviously, things changed, and I felt like the Lord was asking me to walk away from that relationship.

He was a great guy, but I didn't feel like he was God's best for me. And so I had to make the hard call after four years of walking away from that relationship.

And, you know, there was love and respect and peace on both sides, and it was a clean break.

And then I watched as, like, I was in kind of a hard season because all of my friends started getting married and started having babies, and I was single again and, you know, in such a weird phase and transition of life. And so that was a really hard season for me.

But in the middle of all of that, I was working for a church and serving in ministry and was just trying to really figure out, like, Lord, what Have you called me to do? Like, I know you've put gifts and passions and dreams in my heart, and I just want to be faithful with what you've given me.

I want to honor what you've given me and give it back to you. And so it was kind of a wrestle season, a lonely season, but it actually was that season of my life.

Right after college, before the Bachelor, where I was in my prayer time, I felt like the Lord was calling me to start writing, and that's when I actually started writing. And I didn't know what I was writing for or who I was writing to or what I was writing about. I just was like, okay, like, let me start writing, Lord.

Let me be obedient. And so I started writing and really just, you know, vocalizing and writing out what I was feeling and going through in that season.

And that's actually when I started writing my book Made for this Moment. And at the time, I, you know, it was.

It was, you know, obviously different than how it is now, because a lot of my Made for this Moment book now is, you know, centered around my experience on the Bachelor and what God taught me through that and what he's taught me since then.

But I still was able to go back to those moments when I felt so alone and I felt so misunderstood and I felt so overlooked and pull from that writing and plug that into my book. And so, yeah, that actually was that season of my life. And then I got a call to go on the show, and it kind of came out of left field.

I didn't apply for it. I didn't pursue it. And so it came out of nowhere. I thought it was a prank call, was not expecting it.

But just as I prayed about it and just really, like, took the time to talk through my family, with my family about it, I just was like, I feel like I'm supposed to. I feel like I'm supposed to go on the show, as crazy as it sounds.

And then, you know, of course, now looking back, I see why, you know, but saying yes to something like that, truly, for me was such blind faith, because I had no idea how it was going to all play out.

I had no idea that I would be, you know, now getting ready to get married to the man of my dreams and, you know, have a book out and working on another book and, you know, getting to come to Collide conference. And I had no idea, you know, at the time how my life was going to pan out. It was just, okay, Lord, I trust you, and this doesn't make sense.

Like, my earthly mind can't comprehend this, but I'm just gonna choose to walk by faith and just trust. Like, if this is where you're leading me, there's some purpose to it. And. And now looking back, of course, I can see how he's used it.

I love so much that you talk about being in this tough season, this wrestling season, this time, where, you know, you're like, in an average Wednesday, working for a church, right? And. And you're asking God to show up. We talk a lot about colliding. Like, asking God to show up and collide in your life. Like, in that season.

It's not like, oh, I got this big platform, and now I'm giving God all these props. Like, you literally were in a tough spot in an unknown season in.

In the chapter where things aren't going the way that you want them to go, and you're, like, needing God to show up, and he's already giving you a book before. Know the story that's gonna write the book, which is so crazy.

I love that you shared just a minute ago, but also in your book, you didn't go searching for the platform and the show. I think a lot of people write a story about other people.

They write a story or make an assumption that you were like, oh, I'm gonna go seek fame, or I'm gonna go do this thing. Can you kind of invite us into a little bit about how that came to be? You got a call, but didn friends kind of set this up and you didn't know?

Yeah. So my. One of my good friends actually applied me for the show, and I had no idea.

And I actually had found out later and completely forgot about it and didn't think anything about it because I was like, of course, they're probably getting hundreds of thousands of applications. Like, you know, I didn't think anything about it. So when I got the call, I just was taken back and confused. I'd honestly forgotten about it.

So I was like, what is this? Is this a prank call? But, yeah, you know, they really wanted. They wanted. You know, they saw my heart for.

I guess whatever my friends sent in that I had a heart for God and that I was from a small town in Alabama, and they were very interested in that being a part of their show. And so at first I was like, listen, you know, I'm not interested. This doesn't make sense. I work for a church.

Like, I don't think I'm the girl you're looking for. But, you know, they just Were like, hey, listen, like, you don't have to make a decision right now. Just think on it.

And that's when I, you know, called my mom, started talking through it with her, and started praying through it. And, you know, eventually, of course, led to saying yes, but it was months and months of processing and praying through it.

I think a lot of times people can think, you know, something like that can be a rash decision or a reaction like, oh, my gosh, they want me to come on a show. Yes. And it actually was quite the opposite for me. I actually was very opposed to it at first, and I wasn't comfortable with reality tv.

I wasn't comfortable with. Yeah, I didn't know how Christianity would. Would be portrayed and, you know, what the outcome would be. And if I would, I had no idea.

So I was very opposed to the whole idea of it at first. And it was one of those things that God just kept being like, you gotta trust me. And I was like, okay, all right, let's do it.

I can only imagine what you say to your friend now that basically set you up to do this without you knowing.

I'm like, girl, you had no idea, right?

Right? I'm mid book right now. I'm reading Made for this Moment. I love so many things about your story and how you share it.

You start out in the first chapter talking about this crazy, stressful, scary moment on national TV at the Bachelor finale, and you share about the advice your mom gave you going into that night.

Can you set up this moment of what you're walking into for people who maybe didn't watch it and don't know how intense it was and why you needed to hear your mom say the words, Maddie, you are stronger than you realize.

I think for me, you know, going through something like reality tv, where you have so many eyes on you and so many opinions and so many people who, you know, watch five minutes of your life and feel like they know you so well. And of course, they're only getting to see what is shown of you, and you have no say of what's shown of you.

And so it was a very completely out of control. And I'm not very. I'm a control freak. So, like, I'm not very good with being out of control. And so it was a.

It was a very hard experience for me, having no control over what. What's shown on tv, having no control over what people are saying and what people are putting out.

You know, what's being put on magazines or being said on podcasts or Whatever. That was really difficult for me. And I constantly felt very, very misunderstood.

And there was only so much I could speak to, you know, and so it was a very difficult place. And so I walked into, you know, the finale, honestly, a little. A little scared, you know, and a little nervous. I had. And I'm a very, like.

Usually, like, I'm a very, like, confident, strong, you know, person. But, you know, this had just almost completely taken me out. Like, it was. It was so much. And it was so much. At one time, I had lost over 15 pounds.

I was having trouble eating and sleeping, and it was just so overwhelming. And, you know, you're very isolated in it because you're not really able to talk to hardly anyone about it.

And so it was a very lonely, overwhelming season of life.

And so I'm coming into it, you know, fearful and anxious, not knowing, you know, what's going to be said to me or what the audience is going to do and say and how people are going to respond on media and what they're going to portray. And it was just a story. Such an overwhelming feeling. And so I came into it, you know, really nervous, and my mom just had to continue to prep me.

Like, don't let anything catch you off guard. You know, come in with confidence, with humility. Be poised, and just know who you are. And so she had to keep reminding me of that.

And, you know, I wasn't able to really talk with her once I got there. And so it was really helpful just. Just having that in my memory.

And she even, like, wrote some things on a letter that I was able to, like, cling to in those moments when I felt so. Just alone and when I was struggling with fear and anxiety. And so, yeah, she just had to remind me, like, maddie, remember who you are.

You're stronger than you realize. You know, you serve a God who's so much bigger than all this. And so it was just really helpful, I think, having that wisdom going into it.

And she was my first call after, and she had to remind me to then.

Yeah, because that was. That was a tough experience. You talk in your book about being strong in a moment of pressure because you were strong in moments of preparation.

I'm curious for you personally, before we kind of get into that idea for people listening, you know, what prepared you for that moment, do you think? What are the things that you experienced or that God did in your life that prepared you to be able to handle that moment so graciously?

You know, I think I. There's so many things I Think. Of course, the thing that I would love to speak to the most is one, my quiet time with the Lord every single day.

My time with Jesus in His word, in his presence, in worship and prayer, consistent, consistently, every single day. And just knowing, like, I don't have what it takes to stand firm under pressure. I don't have what it takes to stay true to my convictions.

I'm going to fold every single time because I'm a human being who's full of sin and brokenness. But the spirit inside of me has what it takes to stand firm.

And the Holy Spirit is what's going to give me the wisdom to know when to stand, when to, you know, back down, when to, you know, speak up, and when to sit back and keep silent. You know, it's the Holy Spirit that's going to give me what I need in those moments of pressure.

And apart from that, like, it's really not much, because, like, truly it is. And I think at the same time, we do have a role to play in that.

I don't think we can just sit here and be like, oh, God's got it, you know, I do think that we have a role to play in that. And the two things I would say to that is what I was just referencing of making sure you're spending that.

That intimate, personal, relational time with the Lord.

Not just getting it from your church, not just getting it from people around you, not just getting it from a sermon, but actually spending quality time with the Lord every day. Like, that is so important to me. And making sure I'm feeding my spirit.

Because if I'm just going throughout my day and I'm just feeding my flesh, feeding what pleases Maddie, what makes Maddi happy, whatever, then in moments of pressure, like, I'm going to react out of my flesh, like, my flesh is going to be what speaks in that moment, not the spirit.

And so for me, it's so important that in the quiet, alone moments with the Lord, that that's where I'm, like, investing in my spirit, feeding my spirit and building, like, godly character and godly convictions so that when the moments of pressure come, I'm not sitting here like, oh, my gosh, what's going to happen? How am I going to respond?

I already know that the spirit inside of me has everything it needs to stay true to itself and to be the one that speaks, to be the one that stands firm and stays true.

And so I would say that first and foremost, and I would say, of course, we have a massive role in that but then I would also say, you know, what's really important to me, and you kind of mentioned this with asking, you know, about my mom's wisdom and advice, is surrounding yourself with people that are going to remind you of who you are, that are going to be pray for you and fight for you and encourage you, I think that's so important.

If I just was doing life with people that let me settle and that let me compromise and that let me, you know, just live a life of mediocrity and, you know, dabble in sin here and there and not feel a sense of remorse and repentance, like those aren't good friends.

And I think for me, it took my freshman year of college for me to realize, okay, I don't want to just do life with people, just to do life with people.

Like, I want to do life with people that are going to make me better, that are going to call me higher, that are going to make me want to be more like Jesus, that are going to help me fulfill my God given purpose and destiny. Those are the kind of people that I need to spend time with and surround myself with. And so, you know, I think we definitely have a role to play.

Absolutely. But I think also a massive part of it is, you know, the Holy Spirit in us and then the people around us.

And so I would say that's what gave me the strength, grace and courage to be able to stand firm under pressure. Were the people that were praying for me and fighting for me when I didn't know what to pray and when I didn't know what to say.

Having those people was everything.

If you are loving this conversation with Maddi and Willow and would like the chance to see them speak live, then you're going to want to grab a ticket for Kolide's Meant for More conference.

On Friday, March 3, Willow and Maddie.

Will be joined by Pastor Candy west for an incredible night of inspiration, fun, worship, and more.

We've got an exclusive promo code for.

Our podcast listeners to show you all some extra love.

Use the Code Maddi podcast to get.

$10 off your ticket.

Check out the link in the show.

Notes for more details.

You know, you are called an author, speaker, TV personality, a social influencer. I'm kind of laughing over here. You should add preacher to your list because I'm like, preach, girl.

You write about Esther and you know she's this inspiring woman from the Bible and you say she was prepared for this moment long before it arrived. And you just talked about some of the preparation that God did in your Life before your moment arrived.

I think this is such an inspiring idea because I work with so many women. I think a lot of us are, like, looking for the big moment, waiting for God to bring the big moment.

And so much of what you see is this God in Scripture who's like, hey, if you're faithful with little, I'll give you more, and if you're faithful with that, I'll give you a little bit more, and you're faithful with that. And.

And I'm kind of curious if you can talk to us, because you're basically encouraging us not to just value the big moment, but the inner work that leads up to that moment. How are you seeing other women just kind of, like, hoping for, like, you know, the big stuff to happen and forgetting or devaluing the little stuff?

You know, I love that you asked that, because this is something I'm extremely passionate about.

I think we live, I think, in today's world, like you said, you know, the big moments are the things that it's easy to look for and look forward to and hope that you stumble upon. Right.

I think so many people are longing to, whether it's success, money, fame, and they're hoping, or love or, like, they're hoping this big moment is going to come to them. You know, one thing that I learned through all of this is that you can have the biggest moment that your brain can even fathom to, like, dream about.

Right?

But if you're not prepared to handle and steward, and if you aren't given by the Lord the grace to be able to handle it, it's going to crush you, whether it's a good big moment or a bad big moment. And I think what I've learned is, like you said, it is the smaller moments, and not even.

I hate to even use the word smaller, but it's the everyday moments, the things that we probably would deem as insignificant. Right. That actually prepare you for significance that actually prepare you for the big moments. And I think a lot of people miss that.

And I've had so many people, you know, ask me, maddie, how are your convictions so strong? How is your confidence so consistent? How are you able to stand firm under pressure?

And I'm like, well, it actually has way less to do with even what you're seeing and way more to do with what you don't see. And it's the. That I'm doing in the, like, behind closed doors in my room. It's the choices that I'm making when no one's around.

It's the people that I'm choosing to hold me accountable and call me out and call me higher. It's my prayer life. It's. It's all of these things.

It's abiding in God's word, you know, that that prepares me to be able to handle good or bad, whatever comes knocking on my door.

And I think when we go searching and seeking, you know, for things and for moments rather than just a relationship with him, I think for me, you know, one of my favorite verses is Matthew 6:33. And it's like, if I seek him first, it literally says in that verse, everything else will take care of itself.

And that, to me, just shows me he is my top priority. And so whether that's in big moments or small moments, my goal is not to get this, this, or that, or to have this, this, or that.

My goal is to get as close to him as I can and to make a difference for him.

And if that's truly my heart posture, then he can entrust good, bad, big, small to me because he knows my heart is not to get all of these things right. And I just think.

I just think that, you know, for a lot of people, when you're looking at it from the outside, because, you know, I've met people who truly have everything this world says is important. Like, everything.

I mean, they have probably the most followers on Instagram, they have the best clothes, they have, you know, the most fame, the most success, the notoriety, the people obsessed with them. Like, they have all these things, but they're so depressed and anxious, and I'm like, why are you depressed and anxious?

And they're questioning their identity, they're questioning their purpose, they're questioning everything.

And that shows me you can have all of these big moments and big things, but if you haven't learned what's really important and you haven't learned the main thing and the most important thing, then whether you have big moments or small moments, it's not going to matter. And so I think for me, it's always going to start with making sure you know the main thing, the. The most important thing.

And then after that, I think it's just knowing, Like, I learned this as an athlete growing up playing sports. It's like, however you practice is how you're going to play, so you can't expect to, you know, just get the championship game the first time.

It's like, no, you're probably going to start in preseason, and then you're going to go to practice, and then you're probably going to go through like tryouts or whatever you want to call it, if the coach is seeing if you're worthy enough to be this on the starting lineup and you're going to go through all these different stages before you're ready for the game. And then you're going to have a season long of games before you're ready for the championship.

And I think so often we just want to go straight to the championship and we want that big moment where everyone's in the stands clapping and cheering for us, telling us good job.

And it's like if you don't have, have the moments in the preseason when there's no one in the stands and no one's telling you good job, and the coach is yelling at you and you're out of breath and you feel like you can't keep going, then you're not going to be ready for the championship game. And that's really what I want so many people to understand is you don't get one without the other.

You don't get, you know, the, the, the good championship game without the hard work and practice. And so I just really want, yeah, I just want people to have that realization. And that's why I write about it so much in my book.

I'm very passionate about it, if you can't tell. But I've learned it in my own life because it can be easy to have that mindset of just wanting things immediately and having all these desires.

But I think one thing I've learned is man, if it's not of the Lord, I don't want it. And also, I'm not expecting anything to just be given to me. I want to be faithful with whatever God has given me.

And if he chooses to give me more, if he chooses to bless me more, awesome. And I think when you have that heart posture, I just think that's one that makes Jesus smile.

I love so much that you're the girl that is giving God praise.

Working at a church on an average Wednesday, like I said earlier, but also he's completely handed you greater and greater opportunities, more influence, more impact, and you're still giving him praise.

It's kind of interesting because you, you talked about, you met these people and they kind of have everything and yet it kind of feels like they have nothing because God is not central in their life. And so they are down and anxious and depressed and all these things. You now can be someone that other people can look at and think.

You, it looks like you have everything. You, you have influence, you have Fame you have. I'm sure you have an amazing wardrobe, all the things. Right.

And I'm curious how you're protecting your life to keep the main thing. The main thing. How you're protecting your life in the. In the. The comfort, the.

The success, the people, you know, fanning over you, all of those things. How are you protecting your soul so it doesn't get lost in all this?

I love that question. You know, I think for me, again, it's gonna come down to my time with Jesus and who I surround myself with.

I think a lot of things are gonna come back down to that. I also think that I. For me, I had to.

And not that it's like this for everyone, but for me personally, I had to create certain boundaries to where I'm not hearing an excessive amount of praise and I'm not hearing an excessive amount of criticism. I think that just keeps. Like you were saying, the main thing. The main thing.

I've made that my mission and vision for my life. And, you know, you have to ask yourself, so, like, Maddie, what does that mean to, like, actually consider your life worth nothing to you?

Like, when Jesus talks about in. In the Gospels, to lay your life down to. To die to yourself, like, what does that actually look like?

And I love that question because it's something that I'm. I'm actually constantly challenging myself with. I actually was having, I think, literally last night or two nights ago with my roommate.

I was actually having a conversation about this very thing because I was basically saying the same thing. Hey, like, it could be very easy to slip into, you know, comfort and, you know, all these other things in what we have.

But I never want to be the person that is just looking to be served. Right. Like, it talks about in the Gospels how the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve that. That's my heart posture, right?

Like, I want to look to how I can serve people.

And just because this season of life is different than what it was three years ago, where maybe my service might look a little bit different, I think that there can still be ways where I am serving out of just the overflow of what God has given me, not looking to gain or get anything in return. I think one thing that has also been super helpful for me in this Season since I've lived in Dallas is having mentorship. I have.

My mentor is Jenny Allen. You may know her, but she's amazing. And she has honestly called me out so much, and I'm so thankful for that.

But I think having mentors in your life that are steps ahead of you, that can see everything that's on your life, the good, the bad, the ugly, and are willing to walk alongside of you and call you out, I think is super important and has definitely humbled me in a lot of ways.

And then I think one thing I was just talking to my roommate about, and one thing that I even do, I want to do a better job of this, is finding ways to serve in a capacity where nobody knows who you are and nobody can affirm your gifts. I think there's a lot of settings where you can serve using your gifts, and you probably will likely get the affirmation.

But I want to be someone who finds ways to serve people who don't know who I am, who don't care, and who aren't praising me for my gifts, but they're just thankful for, like, my love and the way that I love Jesus. And so I think that is so important to me.

And, you know, I really want to always look at my life not from the standpoint of, you know, these are my gifts and this is my anointing and this is that. And I think all that's great, but I think at the end of the day, I'm going to be face to face with Jesus one day.

And when he says, good job, my good and faithful servant, I don't know, like, maybe. I don't know. I don't know if it's going to be based on, you know, all these things that I did, maybe.

But I think more than anything, it's going to be based on how I loved people. And I. I just see him, you know, saying, like, you loved my people so well, you know, and when they were hungry, you took care of them.

When they were in need of me, you witnessed to them. When they needed prayer, you prayed for them, like.

And I just want to be known for that person that is just so close to the heart of the Lord that she just seeks to please him and honor him in everything that she does.

And so I think with that, that's dying to yourself, because our flesh a lot of times contradicts that very statement because we can be extremely selfish and want things for ourselves and want things that feel good. And so for me, I have certain boundaries. I don't Read comments.

I don't read certain things just for the protection of my mind to not again hear, see all the praise and criticism.

I try not to take hold of too much, again, praise or criticism, but rather just filter it through, Lord, did this please you and honor you and then go from there. And so I think that's kind of my mindset in all of this.

But I think a lot of it, again, just comes down to my time with Jesus and the people I surround myself with having accountability and mentorship in my life that are not Maddi fans. They are, they are, they call Maddi out and they, they make Maddi better. And so I think that has been very huge for me.

I love that you're challenging yourself and kind of turning the heat up on your life. You're continuing to ask questions on what needs to shift, what be needs to more new accountability. Do I need new voices to speak into my life?

New mentor.

Like, it's just so cool to hear how you're still wanting Jesus to be the main thing in the center of your life in the midst of everything, because some people could be in your position and sort of get to a place where they feel like, you know, I'm pretty comfortable and kind of let go a little bit of keeping him center. So I love that so much. I'm kind of curious. You recently got engaged.

It is like you got your happily ever after for people who followed your journey for the last few years. And I want to know, do you look back to the hard times?

You know, the four year breakup, the kind of thing that happened with Peter where, you know, you're in love and it didn't work out, and the Bachelor finale where your character was attacked. I mean, do you now see those things that didn't work out almost as God's protection rather than feelings of rejection? Do you know what I'm saying?

Like, almost as if God knew all along that he had in mind who he had in mind for you and it wasn't what you had in mind. And now you can see that. I mean, do you look back and go, thank God I didn't end up with this person that I wanted to and this person.

You know what I mean?

Yeah, no, absolutely. And that's actually one of my favorite things to say and to remind myself.

And it's not always easy because there are moments when heartbreak is so real. And reminding yourself of the truth can be really hard sometimes when your feelings feel so true and they're real, but they're not always right.

And in those moments, you can feel, okay, I'm never going to be happy again. I'm never going to find love. I'm not worthy of this. I'm not enough. There's something unpickable about me. Maybe everybody else can get picked, but.

But I can't. You have all of those feelings when you're going through something like heartbreak or trauma or whatever it is. And. And I had those feelings.

I had those emotions. And it was really hard, you know, speaking.

Speaking truth to those, because it's almost like I had to put my emotions in their place and create boundaries around my emotions and remind myself, okay, it's okay, Maddie, that you're feeling this, but let's not forget who you are in Christ and what his word says, what his promises are. And so I'd have to keep reminding myself of that. And, you know, I think, yeah. One thing that I would always say is, it's not reject.

It's not rejection. It's God's redirection for something better.

And so I like to see it as, God, I want to praise you not only for the open doors and what my eyes see as immediate blessings. I want to praise you for the closed doors and the nos and the rejection moments. Because I know that that means you have something better for me.

And I have learned to rejoice in that. And again, it's not always easy because there's times when rejection hurts so badly.

But I think when we can learn to get to a place in life where we see God as a good, good father and how it talks about in Scripture that he wants to give good gifts to his children, like he loves us more than we love ourselves, Right? And because of that, he wants to give good gifts.

But sometimes there's a course of action that's necessary in order for the gift to be as good as it could be. And I know for me, had I gotten my prayer request of wanting to get married at 22, my life would look so different.

And not necessarily that it would be bad. I believe God still would be using me and would have blessed that. But I do believe that there is God's perfect will. Right? And I listened.

And I was sensitive to what I felt. Like the Holy Spirit was speaking to me, even if that came with feelings of rejection and loneliness and heartbreak, you know?

And I like to now listen to the song. I forget exactly what it's titled. God Bless God Bless the Broken Road. And how it talks about God bless the broken road that led me straight to you.

And I every time I hear that I literally think about my relationship with Grant because it's so true, you know, like, I went through so much and it's like at the time I didn't understand all the tears, the trauma, the heartbreak, the loneliness, the feeling, misunderstood feeling, you know, like the only one who wasn't getting, you know, this beautiful miracle of marriage. And it was so frustrating to me, but I just kept trusting. And I look back now and I'm so grateful for the path and the journey. I wouldn't have.

I wouldn't have so many things. I wouldn't have the wisdom. I wouldn't have the appreciation, the gratitude.

Now I can look at this relationship, I can look at this season of my life and say, only God, only God could have done this. Only God could have brought me a man like Grant. Only God could have not allowed me to settle and to, to wait and to save myself for this man.

Like, I just am able to look at it with such a new, fresh set of eyes versus my 22 year old self who was just sitting here, like, tapping her foot like God, come on, like, come on, like I'm ready to be married. And now it's just, it's such a different perspective and so much that was learned and developed within those four years that was so necessary.

And you know, a lot of times what heartbreak and tears and rejection can do is so much more than what blessings and, you know, open doors and all of these things can do.

Because sometimes there's this dependence and desperation that comes out of, you know, things looking differently than what you thought and a loss of a person or a dream or an expectation.

And for me, that's what that looked like for a year when I was, you know, working for the church and coming out of a relationship before the show, that was a really hard year for me. And it looked so different than what I would have ever expected. But that was some of God's greatest work in my life.

And so much happened in that year that I believe was so necessary in order for me to, one, stand firm in my convictions under high levels of pressure, and two, be able to wait for God's best and now, you know, be able to say yes and I do, to the person that I believe was God's best for me.

You know, Maddie, you started off this entire interview talking about how you're so grateful you didn't settle.

And I think back to you being that girl in that tough season, working for the church, wanting someone to choose you and to be married and all of those things. And it would have been so easy to settle so many times, and it would have been so easy to settle for smaller dreams than God had for your life.

I'm curious as we sort of come to a close on our time together, when you think about women listening who are being tempted to settle in their lives right now and like, I mean, I kind of have goosebumps thinking about it.

Because if you just like fast forward every single one of their lives, you know, five years or whatever the time period is, and if you could even get a glimpse of God's dream for each one of their lives, and yet so many of us just decide to settle for smaller drinks dreams. What's your advice that invites women to begin to believe in God's bigger dreams for their lives?

Gosh, I think it comes back to our view of God and our view of ourself through the lens of God.

And I just want every single person who's listening to know how much God loves them and how much proud he is of them and that he created each and every single one of us so intentionally and so on purpose. Every dream, every quality, every quirk, every characteristic was so intentional. And sure, we're not perfect.

We got some things to all work on, but he did it so intentionally. And there's a reason that we're wired the way that we're wired. And anyone or anything that has made us feel otherwise is not of the Lord.

And, you know, anyone that has made us feel unworthy or not enough. I would just encourage, you know, every single person to. To get back to a place of seeing themselves the way that God sees them. Lord, how.

How do you see me? What do you think about me?

And if we truly believe what God says about us, it's gonna, it's gonna provide so much confidence and contentment that we're not going to relationships from this place of lack, hoping that someone can fulfill this void or this need or can make us feel more satisfied or complete.

We are going to step into relationships, we're going to step into scenarios and situations in life from this place of abundance, overflowing with God's love, joy, peace, kindness, confidence.

And that's what I want to see for my sisters, for my friends, for my people, you know, is I want to see, see, you know, us rising as women, saying, I know who I am in Christ Jesus, therefore I know what I'm worth. I know that I'm. I'm worth being pursued. I know that I'm worth being treated with respect and dignity.

I know that I'm worth You know, a man valuing my body and my time and my dreams and all of those things. And so I think.

I think what gets hard is for so many people, we either believe the lies that other people have spoken over us, and that's why we end up settling. We believe we're not worthy enough. We believe we're not good enough.

We believe whatever it is, or we get to a place where we just get so lonely that we just get tired of being alone. So we just settle for whoever will take us.

And my encouragement is I had to get to a place where I was like, you know, I would rather be alone in relationship with God rather than lower myself for someone else. And it take away from my purpose, from my relationship with the Lord, from all that he's created me to be. I want to be with someone.

I always like to run it by three things. I want to be with someone that makes me more like Jesus. When I spend time with them, they literally make me more like Jesus.

I start looking more like him, acting more like him. I mean, just by spending time with that person to. I want someone who is going to push me closer to Jesus every time I leave hanging out with them.

And not every time because no one's perfect, but like, when I overall leave hanging out with them. I want to be hungry to go spend more time in the Word. I want to be excited to go spend more time in prayer.

I want to be inspired and challenged to work on some areas that maybe I've, you know, overlooked in my life. And the third thing is I want to be with someone that helps me accomplish more for Jesus.

I want to be with someone that comes alongside of me, that pushes me in my purpose, helps me make a difference for the Kingdom. And where people look at our relationship and they're like, wow, God is so in that.

Because they are able to do more together than they ever could separate. And that's the relationship that I want.

And so my encouragement to those who maybe you're wrestling or you're struggling or you're even wondering, what does it look like to not settle? I think for me, I had to have a piece about it, and then I had to have those three things checked off.

You know, I think that's what it looked like for me to know, okay, I have truly found God's best for my life. He truly makes me better. He truly makes me look more like Jesus. I want to spend more time with Jesus when I hang out with Him. He inspires me.

He challenges me, and he helps me accomplish the purpose and destiny that's on my life. And so that is what I would encourage for anyone listening.

And that's not just in romantic relationships, that's in friendships, that's in job and purpose and whatever you want to relate it to.

But your life is so, it's so special and God cares about you so, so much and I don't want you to get to the end of your life and you look back with so much regret saying, I just kind of, I just kind of went through life and I just settled for whatever would take me in and whatever just, you know, was comfortable or made sense.

You know, I want us to be women who are walking in our God given purpose and we are confident yet humble and we're eager to serve, but we're also, you know, known to lead. Like we're willing to lead a pack. We're willing to stand up for what we believe in.

And I want us to have people around us that add to that, not take from that. And so I think, you know, it takes looking at your relationships, it takes looking at the things that are in your life, asking, does this add to me?

Does this add to me or does it take from me? Is it adding to my life? Is it adding to my relationship with Jesus? Is it adding to my character? And if so, great.

And, and so I think that's how I always looked at it. And, and just know you're worth so much. And so never settle for anything less.

Whether someone is trying to make you feel like you have to or not, like, know that from the heart of your Heavenly Father, he wants the very best for you. And I think you said it at the very beginning, but he has, it's Ephesians 3:20.

He has exceedingly, abundantly, so much for us, more than we could ever ask, think or imagine. And so I always like to say, like, I never want to settle for anything less than Ephesians 3:20.

So if that helps anyone in any way, I hope that's, that's encouraging, Maddie.

Because you never want to settle for anything less than God's best. You are now inviting so many other women into the same. And it's so beautiful to watch what God is doing in your life and through your life.

And I think I can speak on behalf of so many of us. Thank you for reminding women what they're worth and sharing this message that God has dreams and a story for them so beyond what they can imagine.

I appreciate you so much. I can't wait to have you here in the Pacific Northwest. Bring your umbrella and thank you so much for hanging out with me.

I know people are going to want to follow you on social and all the things. How can they do that?

Absolutely. So thank you so much. This has been so so fun. I've enjoyed this and just getting to talk to you and hopefully encourage those listening.

You can follow me. All my social media handles are or should be I think the exact same.

It's just addie m a d I pro p R e w addieprew on Instagram, on TikTok, on Twitter so you can find me in all those places and then my website is just maddieprew.com so basically the exact same thing.

Awesome. Maddie, we will see you in March at the Clyde Conference and I hope today is so sweet trying on your wedding dress.

Thank you so much. Well, I had so much fun and really enjoyed this, so thanks for having me.

Yes, it was awesome. Awesome.

Wow.

Friend, I hope that you loved hanging out with Maddi as much as I did. She had so many gems of wisdom.

I just love the way that God has shown up in her life and shown her that he has dreams for her beyond what she could ever imagine. That gives me hope to know that God has dreams for you and I beyond what we can see right now today.

So if you feel like you're settling, friend, if you feel like you started to believe that you had to settle for smaller dreams, I hope that you will open up your heart and your mind and your faith to believe that God has dreams for you beyond what you can now see and that he is working even now in this chapter that that you find yourself in unfolding a story that will blow your mind. I encourage you to be faithful in the little and he will continue to give you more.

If you need more resources to encourage you in your faith, to inspire you, to challenge you, check out our website @wecollide.net keep colliding friend, and know your worth. We'll catch you next week.

Same.