WHOA That's Good Podcast
Host: Sadie Robertson Huff
Guest: Alena Franklin
Episode: How I Learned to Lean on God After Sudden Loss
Date: October 22, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features a heartfelt conversation between Sadie Robertson Huff and Alena Franklin, exploring Alena’s journey through grief after the sudden loss of her mother and the ways she learned to lean on God throughout her suffering. The discussion touches on the power of sisterhood, navigating public and private grief, the challenges and joys of marriage, spiritual identity, and Alena’s new devotional book, "God Is." Both women reflect on the importance of honest faith, community support, and the transformative authority that can emerge from suffering.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reconnecting & Early Memories

Timestamps: 02:07–04:04

• Sadie welcomes Alena, recalling how they first met years ago during their adolescence.
• Both reminisce about their early family connections and how those formative years shaped the women they’ve become.
  • “Your heart has always just been so pure, and the way that you have used your life and your voice has been so beautiful.” — Sadie (02:48)
  • Alena reflects: “That was an angsty, hard season of life... Sadie met the worst version of me.” (03:14)

2. The Story of Marriage and Relationship

Timestamps: 04:04–07:38

• Alena shares about her first year of marriage to Kaz, her childhood acquaintance, emphasizing the unexpected joy and peace they found together.
  • “A lot of people prepared us for marriage to be really hard...Our first year was the easiest, most peaceful, most fun.” — Alena (04:04)
• She describes the journey from friendship to love and the importance of letting her husband pursue her, while also giving permission for that pursuit.
  • “They need that permission [to pursue].” — Alena (05:52)

3. The Best Advice Alena Ever Received

Timestamps: 07:38–08:51

• Alena recounts her mother’s sudden passing and the immediate wise counsel from her aunt:
  • “Don’t be their mom, be their sister.” — Alena’s aunt (07:53)
• This advice transformed her relationship with her three younger sisters, helping her to focus on genuine friendship and lasting familial bonds rather than stepping into a surrogate mother role.

4. Navigating Grief as a Teen in the Public Eye

Timestamps: 10:38–12:49

• Alena details her experience of losing her mother just before high school and having to navigate grief publicly as a young actress and ministry kid.
  • “[Suffering] purifies us, but also it’s ugly. I think I grew very bitter and angry, especially towards the church.” — Alena (10:59)

5. Journeying Through Suffering and Learning to Trust God

Timestamps: 14:58–19:19

• Alena shares about singing publicly during her season of grief (performing “Rescue” by Lauren Daigle):
  • “I felt pressure to help other people in the midst of my needing help...I was simply walking in the authority of suffering.” — Alena (15:31)
• Discusses the spiritual concept of “walking in the authority of suffering” (16:09–16:40) and how suffering can eventually yield a ministry of comfort and testimony for others.
• Sadie affirms Alena’s journey, noting how her joy and authenticity now shine on social media and in her relationships.

Memorable Quote

“He’s given me the gift of walking in the authority of suffering, which just means that I’ve felt the things and I’ve done the things, and now I get to talk about Jesus in a way that has real weight.” — Alena (16:19)

6. How to Walk Alongside Others in Grief and Suffering

Timestamps: 19:19–20:19

• Alena emphasizes “presence and prayer” over words when supporting others through hardship:
  • “Presence is the most powerful part of all of it. Presence and prayer...They’ll remember that you were just there.” (19:19)

7. Marriage, Comfort, and Learning to Receive

Timestamps: 21:36–22:54

• Alena discusses how marriage has taught her to receive comfort, not just provide it:
  • “Men need you to need them....Allowing him to nurture me has been healing for me.” (21:36)
• Both women reflect on the biblical picture of comfort, dependency, and learning trust—from receiving love from a spouse to experiencing God’s provision as described by David.

8. Writing "God Is": A Devotional Born from Suffering

Timestamps: 26:51–38:40

• Alena shares her initial feelings of inadequacy and how stepping into writing about God’s character required both obedience and honest vulnerability.
  • “I was thinking of all the questions and pain points I had in the midst of suffering...Most of those questions actually pointed to a direct flaw in the way that I viewed God.” (28:33)
• Discusses why a grounded understanding of God’s character transforms identity and confidence, especially for young women.

Memorable Quote

“The answer to your question of who you are is actually who I am. And when you realize who I am, you’re gonna know who you are.” — Sadie (29:22)

9. Grief, God’s Trustworthiness, and Honest Faith

Timestamps: 33:35–35:07

• Alena shares the fears she had about God after her loss:
  • “Is God safe? Is God going to protect me? Is He trustworthy?” (33:35)
• Through God’s persistent pursuit, she finds assurance that God is trustworthy, urging others to bring their doubts honestly to Him.

10. The Legacy of "For Girls Like You" and Impact of Alena’s Mother

Timestamps: 38:46–42:38

• Story behind the magazine for girls created by Alena’s mom: originally written just for Alena, now impacting thousands after her mother’s passing.
  • “When she died, it blew up and it’s the biggest it’s ever been. You have no idea the seeds you’re planting and what God will do with those when you’re gone.” (39:36)
• Discussion of legacy, humble leadership, and the fulfillment of building something beyond oneself.

11. Writing for Teen Girls—But With Universal Truths

Timestamps: 43:26–44:08

• Though the book is marketed for teens, Alena notes responses from mothers and older women saying its lessons on God’s character transcend age.
  • “I realized that actually we’re all still, even after teenhood, trying to figure out who He is.” (43:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Alena on grief and advice:
  • “Don’t be their mom, be their sister.” (07:53)
• On authority of suffering:
  • “God has given me the gift of walking in the authority of suffering, which just means that I’ve felt the things and I’ve done the things, and now I get to talk about Jesus in a way that has real weight.” (16:19)
• On being present for others:
  • “Presence is the most powerful part of all of it. Presence and prayer...They’ll remember that you were just there.” (19:19)
• On identity and God’s character:
  • “The answer to your question of who you are is actually who I am. And when you realize who I am, you’re gonna know who you are.” - Sadie (29:22)
• On legacy:
  • "You have no idea the seeds you're planting, and what God will do with those when you're gone as well." (39:36)

Timestamps & Important Segments

• 02:07 – Reintroducing Alena and their shared history
• 04:04 – Alena and Kaz’s relationship journey and marriage insights
• 07:38 – Best advice received at her mother’s death: “Be their sister, not their mom”
• 10:38 – Being a public figure while grieving as a teenager
• 14:58 – Singing and leading while grieving; “authority of suffering”
• 19:19 – How to support others in suffering: presence and prayer
• 21:36 – Marriage’s lessons in receiving comfort and healing
• 26:51 – Inspiration and process behind writing "God Is"
• 33:35 – Wrestling with fears about God after loss
• 38:46 – The legacy of Alena’s mom and the growth of "For Girls Like You"
• 43:26 – The relevance of Alena’s devotional for all generations

On Navigating Social Media & Sisterhood

Timestamps: 48:44–53:45

• Alena views social media as a place for overflow, not validation, encouraging authenticity and real-life connection.
• On practical sisterhood:
  • “You love and you fight and you keep moving. That’s my favorite part of sisterhood...we need to just be soft enough to love and tough enough to not take it all personally and just keep moving.” (51:57)

Final Reflections

This episode is filled with wisdom, vulnerability, and encouragement for anyone facing loss, struggling with identity, or seeking to deepen their understanding of God’s character. Alena models the power of honest faith, showing how God can redeem even the most painful parts of our stories for the benefit of others. Her journey is a testament to the healing found in community, presence, and knowing who God is.

Sadie’s closing words:
“You’re going to be amazed at how those things that you thought maybe you could never get over...start to all kind of fall into place when you understand who God is and he’s in the rightful place on the throne of your life.” (54:52)

Episode Takeaway:
Lean in with honest questions, let others walk with you, and don’t discount the seeds of legacy you might be planting today. In suffering and in joy, God is trustworthy—and sisterhood, whether by birth or by faith, is one of His great gifts.