UNSUNG HERO | The Heart of the Story with Annie F. Downs

hi friends I am Annie fds it is such an honor today to sit down with the women in the movie Behind the Scenes a big part of unsung hero have this conversation today about some of the questions you have some of the questions I have about how a movie about a family can change so many lives any time in life when you feel that God is there that you are where he wants you to be is no better place what are you asking the Lord to do with this movie I pray that it is a vehicle of encouragement marriages can be encouraged the families can be encouraged prayer can be encouraged that that it's a film that people walk away and they say yeah I want to go home and love Jesus love my family no back I always believed that you could do anything you set out to do and whatever your dream is I know you can achieve it my dream is to be like you it always has pain ladies welcome thank you so much for sitting down with me today Mariah smallbone Rebecca St James Helen smallbone thank you guys for doing this today are you've been doing a ton of conversations around unsung hero how has it been so far seeing people respond to the conversations and to the screeners you've been working harder than you ever have in your life M yeah you would think I'm I'm I'm nearly 69 so you would think that at 69 I should be on my quiet slowing down slowing downside no it's it's been it's been a lot I will say you know what's nice is me and the boys and Mariah we do this all the time yeah her and dad being interviewed her and Dad doing podcast speaking engagement screenings I mean signing lines on the small bone family chain the other day they sent out a a signing line mom and dad at that and dad was like this is exhausting I'm like yes yeah the empathy but this is also the first time the three of us have done done just us just what an honor thank you that's so fun um one of the things I thought when I watched the movie Helen I loved it by the way back us up to when that was actually your life uhuh I can't imagine you thought can't wait for this to be a movie someday right like so so when when people came to you and said let's make a movie out of this tell me what you thought I think God's very gentle to us in the way that he leads us in it's always small steps it's never a big step yeah big jump it's never a big jump It's always little steps and over the years um as we've stood away from the our dramatic few years and we've told some of the stories from that people have said gosh you know you don't his stories like this very much you know you need to write a book or and they were telling us it need to be retold and so it took a lot of years for those instances to happen for us to get to a point where it's like yeah maybe and it was always down the line and then for me personally in uh 2020 during Co I I just realized it it was time so I sat down and I actually wrote A Memoir of this time and then it was during that season as well that that Luke actually came and said I think we need to do a movie of this wow um so it's sort of a process thank goodness because it would be too shocking to think there's a movie going to be made of this out of the blue out of the blue without the steps before when you look at your life is that season what are some labels you have around the season that we are seeing an unsung hero Worst Years of your life best years of your life most challenging most entertaining like what happens in that season for you big adventure adventure definitely has to go in there um bit traumatic not really knowing what tomorrow is going to bring that's a hard way to live um hard uh probably humbling in a way because we saw people surrounding us and supporting us and that makes you feel very I don't know humble appreciative uh touched um and then to see God turning up for us which we actually had to see it was such a hard season that if we hadn't have known that we were where God wanted us to be and if we hadn't have seen him caring for us and providing for us we would have turned our tales and gone home there's no question it was just too hardh it was the living by faith years too that I think that's we've put words around that a lot and the boys have and I have I think live the living by faith years you know it was like in the movie it seems probably pretty short but it was at least two years at least two years and how old were you 16 14 14 through 16 I mean a 14-year-old having to live by faith is a like a David and Goliath kind of ask I think so tell me about your experience in those years the the traumatic the Beautiful the challenging did it feel like an adventure to you as a 14-year-old I think his mom and dad were really approaching it with such strong faith it did it did feel like an adventure I don't remember being fearful like oh my goodness mom's washing clothes in the bathtub because we don't have a washer and dryer oh my goodness we're sleeping on the floor this is crazy where almost at the poverty level I mean I don't remember thinking that cuz they were carrying it off as yeah look this is this is fun this is new think about it cowboys astronauts knights in shining armor they don't need real beds no because they have Adventure beds an adventure and now as a parent of three I'm going oh my goodness like I don't know that I could have well oh yeah I don't know that I could have done that and the crazy thing I look back Not only was it double the amount of kids I came here when we came to America I was 6 months pregnant right we had no health insurance God I had not been to a doctor in that time because we'd actually mov cities and so my familiar OBGYNs I did not have plus money's tight so I hadn't been to a doctor I thought you know what if any I should be able to figure out if anything's unusual or wrong but to land on the other side of the world never having been to a doctor no insurance no money six kids I mean I I just think it was absolutely bizarrely crazy it it was actually I mean that's kind of right you married in talk about I mean it's bizarrely crazy the story before you knew Joel so talk about your experience of moving into this family and seeing their faith years later uh you're right it's very crazy it's very Brash it's very audacious and it's all the makings of an incredible story yes um when we were developing the script we actually had to take certain Miracles out of the story for fear that it would just come across as so unbelievable oh my God had to ground it I didn't that yeah so um you know I it's fun because Joel and I have been working together for years and our relationship was built on Creative collaboration so this was just another project you know that was like okay we're one another's test and approve like how can I support like what does this story need yeah and um and I think coming in from almost a healthily detached but also um you on the edges of the inside you know and and loving and knowing each of you individually um what I love is that the story really has Helen and Rebecca and I it's funny even as I say that I'm thinking of Daisy our actress and KY our actress like you have you have these two women that are expressing different aspects of the impact of a woman on a family like you have Helen who her she's able to incubate the family she's able to like Rebecca just said like keep everybody intact keep adventure and excitement and newness the f Focus protect you know from some of the external stresses and pressures and then you have Rebecca who ultimately at the end of the story um she's you know if Helen is you know incubate she is propagate like she's going and taking the story taking it out into the world of course with the the help of the the family is what like connects the two of them but but it's a a double female Le protagonist story and I'm like all about that yeah I I want you to talk about that because I think that is one of the profound parts of the movie is it is The Unsung heroness is you too MH and is this I think what one of the things women are going to love and I'd love for you to speak to this one of the things women are going to love see in this film is the women who are at home raising their families as they're calling are heroes and they're going to also see a woman out in the workplace as a hero did you feel that at the time did you feel like you were doing something extraordinary no no it was just like the next right obedient yes I think for all of us at the time whether it for the boys it was raking yards and mowing lawns or cleaning houses and babysitting for me or then doing an audition and you know moving into singing it was just the next right yes and before you know probably two years before that I'd said God here's my gifts here's my talents use me and he started opening up doors with music so that was like back in Australia so the next steps would just kind of happening in the US pretty organically I mean Dad advocated for me to the industry he had a lot of relationships but I just feel like it was in response to that yes from back in Australia the other thing was there's a part in the movie where an executive is kind of shutting down um signing me to his label and he's saying what does a 16-year-old have to say yeah living no but but that's a I mean in it was a harsh question at the time but I think people thought that you know people were thinking that it's it's kind of putting words around things that people were thinking at the time does anybody really care what a 16-year-old girl thinks about life or God or anything else for that matter I know what I believe so sure come back when you look like it because we lived by faith for years at that point I had something to say I had something real fresh to say that Miracles still happen that prayer works that you can lean on God in your hard times he will come through for you he'll shelter you he'll look after you I was 16 but I had something to say so when I look back at that time you asked you know how do you feel about it not only am I admiring my parents for carrying off this Faith Adventure that they did but I'm also going God gave me a message and I'm thankful and I was able to write and speak from that place I think that's a significant comment because I think as generational Christians you know or even just as Christians who who are wanting to impart their faith to the Next Generation it can be just knowledge it can be just a moralistic ideal but the kids actually saw Jesus I mean he saw they saw answered prayer they saw us being cared for by the church they saw our needs being met in very crazy ways that they knew was God and for I I think it was really the foundation of your career as she said at 16 she had something she knew what she was talking about there was a living experience there and then it changed the foundation of everyone it changed David and me um it changed all of us I think everybody remembers the significance of those days maybe not I I mean obviously Libby was born here so no she does not and our youngest boy Josh was you know three or whatever he probably doesn't but everyone beyond that was actually physically working they were physically helping put food on the table I'm talking 6 years old you know and above um and then we were we were seeing God turn up will you talk about prayer for a minute because as I watched the film I thought I wish Helen would just do a course on prayer oh please don't like it just seemed to be your not your rescue move your first move yes and no um I I we I am a generational Christian you know um my my dad as a Methodist Pastor um so I I grew up in the church um he had he had a very simple faith and a very strong faith and he would pray for people for healing and stuff and I one I remember going to him at one point and saying Dad how can you pray I mean for these people you I mean is is God really getting answer your like the prayer like how do you pray he said and it was significant to me he said I'm not responsible for how God answers that prayer I'm responsible for praying and it really as a girl growing up under that mental it showed me the importance of just being obedient to pray and you release it then to God and I think we were pushed in those days to the end I mean and when you've got everything support structure taken away you've got to see we we'd left our homeland so the familiarity of environment was gone right then you've left familys who are your support structure then you've left friends the only thing we had was each other and God and so in a way we were pushed to having to rely on the base Foundation of what our life was and and prayer seemed to come naturally in that circumstance because really we had nothing else okay so Helen in that in praying and in teaching prayer to your kids were you ever worried that the Lord wasn't going to answer and it was in front of your children and their faith were at risk here uh great question I I I actually don't think I was um and partly is as Christians we got to stand on the word of God and I mean Jesus says I will provide your needs I look after you it's it's a promise so the only question I would go back to then are we where God needs us to be are we following him and if my answer is yes then there's a trust element of he has promised he will look after us he has promised he will provide for us he was promised he knows what our needs are but we were coming up when we arrived and settled in Nashville it was September we were coming up to Christmas which I had a few months later I had really we Christmas was always a has always been a very poor special celebration for us but I saw us with really no money and that was a hard part for me so I had gone to the kids and sort of said the random things well I know that Santa's going to find us over here I'm not sure what Christmas is going to look like the movie too it's going to probably look really our address so I was I was that's probably the first time I was like oh gosh what's this going to look like it's going to look really different and an he is one of those really special things that randomly from Left Field that we had nothing to do with a local Primary School um wanted to sponsor a family in their area and a little I don't know second grader who was a son of from friends of ours who were aware of our presence in their neighborhood suggested that we might be the family and that second grade class provided us with Christmas that year I think it was the biggest Christmas we'd ever had biggest Christmas like the most beautiful tree the yeah well our friends provide us with a tree but the actual gifts for the kids were provided by the second grade class go and it really taught me something because I can stand on the Promises of God but Christmas gifts for kids aren't needs MH they're my wants they're my wants I want to I want this for my kids right and God saw you as a Mom saw my heart beautiful and honored it anyway and it showed me something about the kindness of God that he actually wanted to encourage me it wasn't really for the kids it was for me that's beautiful that is beautiful seen this movie 5 million times and just hearing that means I know I'm teing up too I L it it's so Mar tell me about prayer in the movie making part because I know prayer kind of this movie wouldn't have happened without pray so huge in compos myself um well uh I have said before I said it to you ladies before we started filming like I'm I'm I wouldn't call myself this like prayer Warrior you know I I had a a friend Andy Irwin who was one of the executive producers on the film I was telling him this on set because I had coordinated um a prayer team like people that I knew who I felt so different from but I knew that when they prayed things happened um and so we you know I kept them updated over email throughout the whole the whole time but on set I I told Andy I was like I don't know what I'm doing like I don't really what do I do if I don't identify with this whole like prayer closet writing my prayers like you know and he was like well Mar you've got like prayer and you've got posture he's like I think your heart and you know maybe other people this is their experience as well your heart is postured in a way that saying God I'm expectant like I believe that you and these people can do things and I mean we had miracles happen you know after like I think I sent an email to our prayer team at one point just being like hey it's overcast today the weather I remember sunlight like this whole shot depends on sunlight and you know W with how tight we were on our budget we couldn't afford to skip a day we couldn't afford to overshoot and um within hours the sun broke through one of the most beautiful scenes I think just aesthetically in in the film is this beautiful montage when the family is you know on a train going from LAX to to Tennessee and so it's you when you see those shots you can not only see the sunlight but there's a feeling of energy and joy and excitement because the whole cast and the whole crew knew that we were desperate for sunlight waiting for sunlight in the second that first beam shot through everyone was like quit quit qu so it was cool there were Miracles the whole time yeah I think one of the most amazing miracles for me is the person who plays me which is Daisy yeah um she was only found 10 days before filming from Australia from Australia and and she's a mom of four kids yes and she had just had a sense that she needed to get her passport updated out of the blue and if she hadn't done that it wouldn't have worked out she she and she's very reflective of you like your guys's energy is so similar her her audition this is when I knew this is when I was like I don't know if I've told you you guys this cuz we had auditioned to all of these women to play Helen and you know a lot of them they just there's something about their personal lives that just was like okay mom would never do that say that wear that whatever it be like that's so noten this woman Daisy gets on this Zoom call she all right she in Australia she was on holidays with her families with her family she came straight out of the ocean her hair was beachway she had no makeup she had her mascara like running and she's like all right what are we doing like let's go like she was like she I'm not here to impress you this is not an audition I've got my kids in the ocean and I need to get back to my husband so let's make this quick and I'm like she's Helen that's Helen Helen has no time let's go get story that's awesome story I just know she was a miracle yeah she was were you all there every day they were filming much you were yes yeah and so when you see start seeing Clips you're not sitting there you start seeing clips of Daisy being you Helen are you going that does look just like me are you going I don't want to watch this what what are your feelings just like me you're right her energy the way she handles things her looks I think she is just like me she is she was God's choice yes for me um and I it's just a downright miracle I don't even know how she turned it around she had she's got four kids 10 days and she was here yeah beex do you feel the same way about the young woman who played you very will you tell the story about how at the end of the movie I was like is this a video of her mhm oh yeah that crazy much like you so the day like the final scene of the movie The Family walks off the bus um my character C is all made up in an outfit that's period correct like I had almost identical to that outfit like wardrobe did extraordinary extraord the makeup the hair was exactly me I was on set that day I had not been on set that much my husband was very involved like producing second unit directed tons of stuff on the film so he was there every single day but that shoot I'm on the side of stage Daisy and kirly on the other side of stage so mom and daughter and I'm watching them have this moment and Mom and I would often pray before would go out on stage cuz I I knew my inadequacy I'd pray before everything that I did we'd pray together a lot um it would calm me help my focus to be on God so we had a lot of these moments so they were having a moment I didn't even know what they were saying on the other side of stage but I knew that they were prepping I knew it was significant in the movie I'm watching them on the other side of stage mom in real life is standing behind me oh wow and I'm turning her I'm like wiping away tears cuz it's literally like seeing my younger 16y old self like she looks identical to me dad even was like Dad had to take a double take that day we all did why did it bring you to tears though like why Aja Vu moment it's like reliving your life you're taken back to so many memories it was it was quite extraordinary I turn around to her and said that happened like hundreds if not thousands of times wow where we had that moment um and to be there together was powerful I mean it was just extraordinary very few PE people on the planet ever have a opportunity to see somebody play themselves that looks so similar even the way she would hold her mouth like kabby was helping coach her through my husband was helping coach her through some of the scenes and she chatted with me or called me on the phone once or twice about how I would have been feeling in those auditions and but Cub would be moved watching me on screen yeah and being transported back to a time that he didn't know me but but it looked so much like me yeah I mean it was extraordinary really well funny you mention her mouth because that's something that she shared in her audition that had been a liability in the situation all of us were like your mouth is the same as I know that's weird even Joel was like I know this is weird to say but your mouth is the same as my sister's and she started crying and we're like oh my gosh we're sorry like why does that make you uncomfortable and she's like no but in in my acting career that's been a huge problem for me where people say that I smile too big or that my mouth is distracting and it's crazy that the liability is the thing that is like so special about this this situation such a perfect fit isn't that crazy I mean over and over it feels like the Lord yes had his hand on this so it's almost like the as the movie is coming out we're already celebrating the obedience like the Lord's already done the work here now you just get to set it in front of people I agree it just feels like okay now it's time what God does now is out of our hands we've done the I tell you what to Annie any time in life when you feel that God is there and he's taking that he's putting these pieces together that he's in this situation that he is directing you that you are where he wants you to be there's no better place and for even now to sit back and hear you say you know God's been directing all this there's no better place because you know this then becomes a tool in his hands we're there to do our creative best but this is his you know and he is going to use it as he sees fit and for me if I know that I'm where God wants me to be is no better place what are you asking the Lord to do with this movie who do you hope sees it where do you hope it goes what are you asking him to do I had a a um I don't know it was a a little mini Epiphany recently that the word encourage holds the word courage in it because I think when we encourage other people what we're actually doing is helping them their courage to rise up them to stand firm in who God has called them to be um and I I pray that for this film I pray that it is a vehicle of encouragement that it helps helps the viewer to stand firm in who they are with Jesus because there's a lot of attack on faith right now um there is a lot of deconstruction of Faith there's a lot of questioning um there's a lot of discouragement I would say and so if this film can encourage faith and help people to stand firm in that it would be a win if families can be encouraged to trust Jesus in new ways to trust Jesus in new ways in marriage like it it highlights like challenges in marriage and how how do you draw near to each other and to God in the challenges of marriage so if marriages can be encouraged families can be encouraged prayer can be encouraged then then there's been great fruit that that that's what I hope like the courage to rise up yeah that that it's a film that people walk away and they say yeah I want to go home and love Jesus love my family yeah do you have thoughts yeah no I just to answer your question as well I think um the power of a woman's voice is a cultural convers ation right now like at large and I think that we have a choice you know as as viewers as people who are alive in a Time such as this you know are what kind of stance are we going to take you know because we don't really have the option of ignoring the conversations that are happening at large right now I think what's beautiful about this film is that there are men involved in this project that are so passionate about amplifying a woman's voice so you see that on screen and in the story but if only you you knew like that some of my brothers and and collaborators they they gave credit for women in this project where it was not an expectation you know they they they paid women more than they were supposed to be paid like it's not just lip service like yes it's the story but it's also what's happening off camera from a production standpoint and and I just I think it's so beautiful that we get to join in the current narrative with an old story because it's a Timeless truth that like men and women lift each other up and partner together and marriage and family and you saw that so much on set and then you get to see it in the story and and and I think one of the most powerful ways that we can collaborate as men and women is in our own families I mean you know I was thinking earlier about Candace Cameron Beret is in the film Hillary Scott is in the film these other powerful women who have strong voices decided to be a part of this story so there there is something what does that feel like beex that that these other women who are really well known into this project with you because they believe in the story as well MH I don't know I mean there's I see a lot of unsung heroes really within within this and and you're right we we feel so grateful that such incredible women came and and they were doing smaller roles like I mean these are women who are used to be leading ladies and they were Hillary and Candace doing kind of small roles but they championed this film and they they were unsung heroes for this this film the other unsung hero that I feel like um that that carries in this film is moms and I think it's very wonderful that this is coming out right before Mother's Day because moms can come together and and be honored in a film you can have a girl's night you can you know go as a family and honor your mom like I mean there's just these moments to um to come together and honor these unsung heroes in our lives like I hope you go with your mom you know I mean like there's this moment in time that we can actually go like moms Champion the family hold the family together carry so much uh you can see it in the film but let's let's honor our moms yeah Helen that makes me think of the Y coming up you and David on your 49th anniversary So speaking of celebrations I the day the day the film comes out the day it comes out is your 49th anniversary they pretty crazy that's God's sense of humor that one because we had nothing to do it was random a random date that lines gate picked out and we get it and I think Joel tells me it's being released on you know April 26 and I'm like you do realize that's our 49th wedding anniversary don't you and it's like oh yes he said yes I do think you I planned that yeah so it's pretty crazy so many when we see in the film marriage does not seem easy the whole way through for the film there isn't any deception of like well this was the easy part of the story yeah so talk to us about like what is the reason to stay what is the staying power how do you get we all want to be doing something for 49 years how do we get to where we've been faithful to what we've been called to for 50 years oh interesting question there probably there's probably so many elements in that question that it's it's not probably uh one that you could just grab hold of one Point um I do I did marry my best friend I think that's a huge part that Foundation of you know who you marry David is my best friend and that's that that allows you to see through a lot of ups and downs um then I think is Faith um you know we we take those vows it's a covenant marriage when we stand before God and we say you know I'm going to love you through thick and thin you know for better for worse whatever for richer for poorer the those those times will come the for better and the For Worse will come the the sickness and your health will come you know uh richer or poorer will come we've got a choice to make in those seasons and I think we've got to stand by those vows and ask God to see us through yeah anytime that you're pushed to a hard place and you go to God and say help me like you've got to lead me through this he does he's just waiting for us to bring him in to end to ask to invite him in and he turns up and my I my one hope or one of the hopes in terms of marriage for this movie David was in such I mean in such a vulnerable place he it he was the most vulnerable place of your marriage what the movie highlights yes the most vulnerable place of our marriage he had really in some ways he could sit back and say I caused this failure I caused this period of time I C now there were factors in that you know that were outside you know yeah outside of his control yeah but in that moment a wife has a choice as to how she's going to handle that a lot of times as women we use too many words that's a statement in itself but those words can be words have the power of life and death iny moments you know and if I had have gone to him if I had gone to him and said how dare you do this to us I mean how dare you bring us to the other side of the world and we're sleeping on beds made out of clothes I'm washing clothes in a tub having to ring them out like hand do everything but how dare you that I don't have enough money to go to the grocery shop I've got 20 bucks yeah you know he would have literally curled up and died like you know like it would have he would have been broken there would have been nothing and I think back in those moments we do have choices when those Hard Times come what our choices are actually thwarts or encourages what God has planned do you know what I mean like if I had have gone to the harsh route he would have been broken we would have had to turn around and go home and he would have who knows but God had a plan and I had to honor my husband even though it looked hopeless and rely on God to care for us and dad still tears up pretty much every time he talks about Mom right you've seen it a um and I think it's because of the grace that she showed like Grace and unconditional love in those key moments is probably the most powerful gift we can give anyone not just in marriage but but anyone in those key vulner moments what do we say how do we handle it do we handle it with faith in God more than a person do who are we putting our trust in and how do we yeah how do we choose the way of Grace or the way of you know judgment and and legalism and so my mom had chosen way of Grace and and trust in Jesus above all and dad still cries about that because she because he knows what she offered him in that most important moment in their marriage well obviously we know the script but I'm just curious what is the antithesis of how dare you because I'm curious to know when you are in a vulnerable marriage and moment what when your brain is saying how dare you what do you actually say well sometimes even just keeping silence is the antithesis of just but then again you can communicate through body language be you can you can communicate a lot that's through just how you you know your body yeah um so yeah I think I I often look back and I think I did trust David to a certain degree and Beck knows this he is he is incredible in crisis I already knew that MH she'd seen him handle some previous crisis yeah so I already knew that he also is a lateral thinker so he doesn't get overwhelmed he's always looking I used to joke and it's not really a compliment but I used to joke that if God closed the doors David would push open a window but it does it does sort of say something about who I understood him to be in that he's never say you know I think in time he's matured enough to sort of think well goding goding should leave that but but I had a certain faith that he would find a way and then day to day I was just trusting God to tell you the honest truth but I wonder if it's I love you anyway is the heart posture it's the unconditional love in that key moment of instead of how dare you disrespect me by letting me walk through this or treat me that way or whatever it's you know what we're going to move through this and I love you anyway even if there was some so good choices what's crazy is that's the lines we gave Helen right is like the kids love you like I love you like they believe in you yeah they SP that I think I was just curious like if those words ever left your mouth or if you handled that situation I often say to women remember in your marriage you're a team yeah you're on the same team because a lot of times in marriage we can come against one another and fight one another as though we're on different teams a team is not going to be successful if you're not supporting one another our roles might look different one might be the goal kicker another might be the you know throw of the ball the quarterback our roles can look different but we're on the same team and each of us has to bring our giftings and our abilities to make this team Stronger Yeah and I think in that moment I had to view him as on the same team so we're together we deal with it together we deal with it together whatever that looks like and I'm not Beyond doing whatever is needed I don't need the fancy environment to be content I don't need a lot of money I don't really care or the appearance even of our family having it all together I don't Life Is Life I mean we've got our ups and downs it's riding the waves with faith yeah that's part of what's beautiful about this story and I think the way that it was captured honestly is I I I just see a lot of family Stories being told and it looks very sanitized and as I'm watching it I'm like I don't believe that do do families actually interact like that like that was not my family situation like okay is that just certain cultures but I think I think the film does a good job of representing the reality and that is our family is very messy nobody's perfect we've all gotten to our arguments we've all had our and like thank God that not one of us is up here going this is a model family we are the oh my gosh like thank God for therapy thank God for Grace thank God for you know relationships where we're all willing to dig in hard conversation yeah I agree there is when I watch the movie and I've probably watched it three maybe four times now like I cannot believe how true it is like I'm I'm watching going oh my goodness he hasn't even hit the bottom yet like you know like but but but and it's so true and and so many of the details were so true and I think people will find that fascinating to know that going in um but but but God but God was there but but God was there with that other low but God was there through all of it um you know and I think the other thing that is nice side note to people who haven't watched it um there's comedy in it that helps you to be able to handle the challenges of what our family was dealing with the kids they're so funny I mean they're so legitimately funny one of them is a legitimate stand-up comedian is yeah is he really the one that plays Luke the shortly the short curly haired kid that plays Luke Luke I know that he he's a standup comic they're so good and it takes you it makes you laugh and go okay yes you know because because that's this huge themes that you're dealing with and they're odd to you this te is for me every time but it's it's kind of beautiful te you because it's kind of ministering to your soul but then you have these comedic moments that go okay yeah you know I like it it it helps you helps it be so palatable because of the comedy and I love the sensitivity and the writing of that I do to and the editing yes yeah so hold both that you that real families they have the and they have the te and in talking about the kids I think there's another element that I think is very important we shared a lot of times as parents we want to protect our kids from the hard times we want to we want to shelter them and I don't know if even before we had this experience I think we lived a lot of life together openly together we had the business at home kids were involved with a business we'd go to shows we would spend a lot of time in the car traveling talking talking about real issues talking and it was so this is even before any of this this was back in Australia and it was so the kids so enjoyed our times in the car that they would viy over who could get closest to Mom and Dad because they would know that that would be a good conversation a good conversation time a good time spent life that's very special well but then when I look at what happened when our hardest darkest time the kids were there with us and I want to make a significant comment on that because as adults and responsibly leading as parents responsibly leading this family through this difficult time we do have our doubts I mean we do have our days where we wake up and think what's going to happen today you know you're fearful or yeah yeah and it's real it's real but those kids come along and they can say God uses them to encourage so my comment is when walking through those difficult times and we're doing it together as a family the kids know what's going on they know they're needed when our faith was weak one of them would come and encourage us and I think that's the beautiful thing about families and and and and children especially because sometimes they don't see all the issues they don't see they're just looking at it well God provided for us yesterday he's GNA do it today what what's gonna happen today and it in that moment when you're feeling your weakest I think it was the kids who helped encourag us but it's also a testament to you and Dad to opening the doors and inviting your kids into the struggle you didn't Shield we knew the need we knew the need and and that's not the case for a lot of families like that's a unique thing to your guys' experience and there a strength and that vulnerability think sometimes when we're insecurely trying to hide our weakness there's a lack of um a lack of ability to be vulnerable that shows an insecurity because we're kind of hiding I don't know if I'm going to be accepted I don't know if people are going to approve but you guys did show so much strength in going hey kids we do have just a few dollars to our name right now and we need to pray and we need to ask God yeah you know about the furniture about the car that we need you know these are the real needs we're going to pray and there's a humility and a strength that like the older I get the more I see vulnerability as strength because you're kind of prepared to go yeah I don't have it all to together but God is with me and I know that's enough and I'm going to show up in my real self and that there's something made for connection because y are all still a family yeah like everyone went through that and you all still talked to each other we actually still like one another yeah you still like we actually do family vacations together the legacy of I mean even watching Joel play David I mean what was that like for you the legacy of seeing your son tell this story that he lived from his father's point of view it's pretty crazy pretty what what does say he calls it a very expensive therapy session but I do want to address it so to to some degree so David is now 74 on his 70th birthday before any of this was even we knew that he was I know this is I never thought about this before he the movie was even talked about on his 70th birthday Joel decided for a gift to David his father he was going to take him off he was going to pretend to be dad do a monologue of in front of all the guests costume white hair glasses receding hairline yeah before the movie before any of unsung hero stood on a table God dining table dad has done that I believe that on table yeah so he he was up on the tables which David has done to create I don't know whatever used all we went around the family and talked about all dad's sayings like the things he say things um he put it all into a monologue I think Mariah helped him write it one of them is I love your mother so much that i g i very lovingly gave her seven children yeah F that my favorite part when he's like and Helen [Applause] it was so perfect the whole room was dying but it was also interesting cuz there were a couple of people in the room that we know reasonably well who don't have much of either sense of humor or could not laugh at themselves and they were like how disrespectful but is loved loved it yeah so I've seen that element and so when I think Joel said I'd like to play Dad it was sort of like well yeah you did a pretty good job that other time I'm sure you could pull it off so I think that that helped yeah Mari what was it like for you I mean you and Joel work together so much on this but you're also watching your husband play your father-in-law right and so talk about your experience in that seat I mean there were a few days where he tried to kiss me while he was in her it took some mental Olympics never thought about that Mariah I'm so sorry you know it's okay I have a special relationship with my um no I firstly I will say off the hills of what you were saying mom the biggest I I think we all knew that he could pull it off but we watched the first cut we were in bed we were on our laptop we were in Spain we were filming another movie together and at the end of the first cut which was very rough the the from an editing standpoint we had a lot of work ahead of us but I I sat back and I was just like Joel you can act you're an actor you are you are an exceptional actor you're a beautiful singer but you're an even more beautiful person you don't have to give music another go and you certainly don't have to do it with me but I need you to know that I'm wanted to be ad de and then I'm sorry and he's done films before I've never said that that would a lot to we try to speak very honestly and objectively with each other and um that was that was the biggest shocker to me it was like Jaw on the floor this is an incredible performance I I was so blown away um and I think what was really beautiful to witness on set was Joel is a team player I think it's very hard for people to accept or understand that because he's so beautiful he's a strong leader he steps into a room super huge personality and people want to place him in this position of like leader you know and he's a great leader but he's a true team player and I think the best leaders are and what I got to see was what he is capable of when he is surrounded by the right team when he's surrounded by people who are lifting him up because a lot of like what he faces is like people trying to cut him down cuz he's so high up there you know it's like people trying to take him down and whether whether that's personality wise or work-wise and like he was truly surrounded by a team your husband included that lifted him up and said don't be afraid to shine don't be afraid to rise you don't need to dim Your Shine around us you know we are confident in who we are now go step into your calling and your strengths and he was co-directing acting you know bringing that family together um and and made Daisy feel comfortable and like it was incredible I I feel like I was watching him in a true Flow State so it was beautiful to watch as his friend like I just loved watching him let's finish here talk to to the women I'd love for all three of you to do this talk to the women who are watching us that are going to see unang hero and their lives are closer to the real thing than the movie of it they are in the middle so encourage the women who are in the middle of the life where they they actually probably know they're the unsung hero but nobody else knows that yet where they are doing the hard work they're suffering they're praying their families in need talk to those women who are needing some hope M uh I I'll go first while they can think um I um I have two words probably one is Jesus said and God says that he is with us always and so regardless of where you are on your journey no no no no Jesus is with you first look for him I think it's important for us to look for him every day as an encouragement as Beck says to give us the courage to go forward yeah um and it can look a whole lot of different ways I mean we can see we can read a verse and it just jumps off at us we can just have that inner comfort that he is with me from the Holy Spirit we can see beauty it might be the night we look up at the stars and realize what a magnificent God we serve it might the Simplicity of just a beautiful flower but look for him see him find him good then secondly um take the next step forward just take the next step it's not you don't have to have all the answers today you don't have to have all the pieces of the puzzle put in place but just take the next step and my encouragement would you take the next step with your hand holding his thanks uh two things came to mind I I heard a study years ago of a whole bunch of people I think it was hundreds of people in their '90s and they were reflecting back on their life like what would they do differently and one of their top three answers W was I would have taken more risks I would have I I wouldn't have played it so safe and and I I think one of the things I admire so much about Mom and Dad and and my husband I trying to to emulate a lot of like what they've done but but especially this is take those risks where you do have to trust God when you're actually trusting God with your family like Al pasta said recently we go to the same church um if if you want to see a miracle need a miracle and he was probably quoting someone else but man if you want to see a miracle need one like we have to put ourselves in positions of Lord we feel that you're calling to us to this as a family we are stepping out on the water with you like Peter getting out of the boat and and our kids like age appropriate obviously will'll invite them into that conversation of some of these big choices that we make as a family like Dare to Live for Jesus in some ways Dangerously In some ways like risky um I saw that with you guys because you were following Jesus it wasn't just oh we're we're being on the edge for the sake of it we're following Jesus and sometimes he calls us to take these steps that are scary but when you're trusting Jesus and he's going ahead of you and he's calling you out do it as a family cuz you're part of an epic story every every epic story has this kind of drama has the drama that you're talking about about the mom or somebody watching that is just like oh my goodness my life is too much yeah that's drama but God's bringing you to a crescendo point of faith in him where you will come through to The Greener pasture you'll come through to having a story that is is profound because you saw him show up yes mhm H that's powerful you guys are so wise mhm so wise we ESS um right before we started filming I was FaceTiming with a friend that I would consider an unsung hero in my life yeah she uh she's a musician touring artist and she also has four children under the age of four so she had a child Twins and then a child and she's um yeah she's an unsung hero and something that I think of when I picture her and when I hear these wonderful women speak is a a thought I came across recently and it said our quality of life is in equal proportion to our ability to delight and our ability to Delight is our ability to pay attention wow and look for Jesus well you know and as an artist you know you're there's challenges in in in this line of work as you know and um but what does paying attention look like it's looking at the sunrise this morning and being like that is breathtaking that's that's free anyone can take that in or my friend who's raising her children and paying attention to how one of them fell off the slide yesterday when she was FaceTiming me and started crying and she held her her daughter until she calmed down and just how beautiful that was that her daughter came to her first and like the Delight of the simple things um no matter what your role is as a woman you could be an incubator you could be a propagator you could be an artist you could be a mom whatever it is that you're doing like you so well said pay attention ladies thank you for this thanks for this conversation for the courage to talk about this but also the courage to let this become a film and unsung hero that we all get to see April 26 your anniversary cannot wait cannot wait for people to get to see this movie thank yous thank you thank you for your time [Music]

Channel: Kingdom Story Company

Views: 40,547

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Id: pCqLOUVyFOA

Length: 58min 22sec (3502 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 14 2024